by Michelle Willson, Feature/Entertainment Editor
You have most likey heard of “Hamilton,” the rap musical on Broadway. The story follows the life of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States.
The musical was written by Lin Manual Miranda. It tells the story of Hamilton, an immigrant, who was born in the Caribbean. He made a name for himself through his writing.
In the first song, we see Hamilton’s life — from his childhood to his teenage years — flash before your eyes.
We then watch Hamilton as he fights in the revolution, becomes George Washington’s “right-hand man,” becomes a lawyer, works as treasury secretary of the United States, and dies in a duel at the hands of Aaron Burr, the vice president at the time.
I have been listing to the show’s soundtrack for about four years now, but seeing the performance live allowed me to experience things that the soundtrack lacks. The costumes, choreography, and lights all came together to make one captivating scene.
The ensemble’s moves are meticulously choreographed, and they flow perfectly. One of the scenes that really stands out is in the hurricane. As Hamilton sings, the ensemble slowly moves the furniture around, giving the appearance that Hamilton is in the eye of a hurricane.
The ensemble also “dance-fights” and works as the stage crew, moving set pieces on and off the stage to create scenes.
My favorite scene by far is last duel. One of the ensemble members is the bullet, and you see the scene in slow motion as Hamilton sings about his legacy. They choreography is beautifully meshed, so the scene plays out without taking your attention away from the lyrics.
The lights amazed me. Whenever King George III came out on stage, the lights made a jewel design on the stage floor. When Angelica Schyler sings “Satisfied,” the stage floor looked like an iris. It really made each scene stand out on its own.
One of the interesting “twists” is the “double-casting” in acts one and two. After a short investigation, I found out that this is partly due to a line in the first song. The actors say, “We fought with him, me? Died for him, me? I loved him.”
“We fought with him” is sung by the actor who plays both Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, and the actor who plays Hercules Mulligan and James Madison. They both technically fought with Hamilton. Lafayette and Muligan fought by his side, but Jefferson and Madison fought against him. The line “Me? I died for him” is sung by the actor who plays both the roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton.
There is a down side for knowing the music so well. Parts that were funny for other audience members were not funny to me because I had heard them so many times before. What made me laugh was the different inflections that the actors chose to do. They put their own “spins” on their lines, making the lines funnier than they were before.
I do advise that, if you are taking kids, you need to be aware that some parts of the soundtrack have swear words, and allude to some adult topics. Make sure you listen to the music before allowing children to see the show.
With all things considered, I would give Hamilton five stars out of five. I would definitely go see it again if the tickets were cheaper.