Hamilton: Surprisingly Not Overrated!

[rachelmanija]

Lin Manuel Miranda performing the opening number of Hamilton - his history geekiness is so endearing.

The whole thing on Spotify for free.

I am slowly listening to this. It's very dense, especially since I'm not familiar with that period of history other than reading Gore Vidal's Burr and getting briefly obsessed with the duel and the question of who shot first (Burr. Also, Hamilton's shot went wild because he'd been hit, not because he deliberately fired into the air, give me a break) and I just have the album - there doesn't seem to be a video available. It's pretty great though. If you like Sondheim, you would like this. I'd say listen to the first three tracks (through "My Shot") and see if you like it. I love the way it combines hiphop with Broadway, both lyrically and musically. It's really clever and catchy.

Comments

[kore]

AHAHAHAHA WELCOME TO THE MADNESS

I first listened to it right after NPR took the streaming down, which I think was when a lot of people got into it, when it was on Youtube -- I think it still is. There's B-roll floating around, and 60 Minutes footage, and I think there's going to be a Pro-Shot? done pretty soon. People have been WILD to actually see it.

[rachelmanija]

I really would like to see it live. I think it would be worth the exorbitant price. Really great theater is an evanescent experience that stays with you forever. I can think of plays I saw 20 years ago that have moments that still take my breath away in memory. I saw The Kentucky Cycle on Broadway, with Stacy Keach, and so long as I live I will never forget the back of the stage opening up and all the ghosts of the past rising up behind him.

[rmc28]

I went as far as looking up the possibility of tickets (a holiday in New York would be extravagant but not impossible), and discovered there are essentially no tickets available directly from the theatre, but a lot of resales available through TicketMaster ... but the *cheapest* on my birthday (individual date picked not quite at random) was over $300.

I'm assuming at some point it will come to London, which is a lot easier for me to get to, even if not with the same cast. I would pay good money for a filmed-performance version - or something like the arrangement that the Met Opera has where it broadcasts concerts live to cinemas over here. (They always sell out.)

[rydra_wong]

Yes, it's definitely going to be coming to London -- apparently they're aiming for 2017:

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/182100/lin-manuel-mirandas-hamilton-aiming-to-land-in-londons-west-end-in-2017/

[cahn]

It is coming to LA in 2017!! [ETA: I see below that other people have said this too. Anyway! I am definitely going to try to see it!]