Look at where we are, Look at where we started…

A couple weeks ago, I had the privilege of seeing the Hamilton proshot broadcast in an AMC movie theater. But ten years ago, I had the privilege of experiencing Hamilton for the very first time, when I acquired the original Broadway cast recording, and my life was forever changed. I’ve been wanting to write about Hamilton all month long, and every time I’ve thought about opening a new Google doc, I get scared. I wanted this to be something that felt professional; thoroughly planned out. However, the more I thought about “reviewing” Hamilton’s legacy, the more I realized this is something that’s meant to be raw. I want these words to come from the heart, and I want this piece to feel a bit messy, so you know I really care about what I’m saying. It also doesn’t help that I haven’t properly written anything for the site since, what, March? I’m pretty rusty! It’s been a long, busy summer. But I’m back now, and unlike myself, Hamilton never went anywhere.

If you’ve been living under a rock for a decade, allow me to briefly fill you in on the critically-acclaimed Broadway darling, Hamilton. Conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda back in 2009, the show began as a simple poem delivered at Obama’s Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word. Fresh off his great success with In the Heights, Miranda proposed a musical concept album revolving around founding father Alexander Hamilton. This – justifiably – received some laughs from the White House audience, as we aren’t taught much about Hamilton in school, and his offerings to the country seemed minimal at best. Thankfully, as he received inspiration from Ron Chernow’s epic biography on the titular figure, Lin-Manuel Miranda was able to gather enough juicy details to form a nearly-three-hour musical production.

Opening in 2015 at The Public Theater, Hamilton’s popularity rose with a fierce exuberance, turning Miranda and the show’s cast into household names, platforming their rise to Broadway legacies of their own, and telling an unforgettable tale that was more poignant for America than ever before. 2015 would see a country at (arguably) its most divided thus far, hot on the heels of the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump. Following America’s first black president and the hope-filled progress he delivered, Trump’s rise would plunge the country into darkness, with unrest in the streets, dangerous conservative talking points, and a cabinet of buffoons becoming the new norm. The Broadway community clung together in this dismal time, using its voice to platform those in downtrodden communities, notably the LGBTQ+ folk and racial minorities. It was around this time that musical theater really grabbed hold of me.

Credit: Disney Plus Press

Growing up, I was surrounded by musical influences in my family. My dad was in bands and theater growing up, my grandfather was always part of his church choirs, and my aunt and uncle both majored in music theory. Personally, I went through grade school trying out the violin and trumpet, and if my school had a chorus, I could be found in it, albeit somewhere in the back row. I even joined three school plays when I had the chance, and I was a part of my town’s community theater for a couple shows. I loved it, but I never quite embraced the lifestyle as much as I could have. The people weren’t always the friendliest, and it did feel quite… cliquey? So I always felt a bit outcast from theater. That being said, a few cast albums solidified themselves as core memories of my youth, most notably Jesus Christ Superstar, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Moulin Rouge (you know, the film soundtrack). Growing up with these, I sort of had my foot in the door for musical theater and the vast landscape that existed down south in NYC.

My first memory of seeing a true musical was The Lion King at the Boston Opera House back in 2004. Little did I know that the show marked the grand reopening of this iconic Boston theatre, and that 20 years later I’d be working there as an usher, watching the show revisit the city. I had so much more appreciation for it in 2024, not only because I was now 27 years old, but because my love of musicals had been reignited nine years earlier by a little show called Hamilton. I recall a friend of mine in high school falling down the Hamilton well first, and he would constantly rap his favorite parts while we all looked on in clueless, ignorant frustration. How was I supposed to know what he was singing? How was I supposed to know it was so. Damn. GOOD?

I just have such vivid memories of this time, discovering the beauty of what stage shows can be. I remember standing in my bedroom holding the double- no, triple-sized jewel case, wondering what song I was on as it played in my headphones. I would walk all around my house listening to these raps – and I am not a big hip hop guy, believe me – forever shifting my musical psyche, all the while teaching me just how much of a brilliant, crazy, wonderful dirtbag Alexander Hamilton really was. I know now that a lot of the show’s history is fictionalized for entertainment purposes, but on that first listen? That shit blew my mind! I immediately burned copies for my family and got them hooked. That year, there wasn’t a single Webb car or computer without a Hamilton disc in it.

Credit: NCPH

So what was it that got me so enthralled by musical theater? Was it simply the way Lin-Manuel Miranda constructed these tracks into a single masterpiece? Well, I can’t deny his talent blew me away and made me a fan from day one. I would eventually go on to write him a letter about how Hamilton changed me, and his words of encouragement to pursue writing and musical theater genuinely got me out of that floaty post-high-school mental slump. In 2016, Miranda would be hired to write the songs for Disney’s Moana, yet another project that would become like a horcrux to me, my soul bound to its world, its characters, and its brilliant music. I felt going forward like Lin-Manuel Miranda could do no wrong, not only becoming a giant in the film music industry, but also supplying the world with messages of hope through his words of wisdom on social media, and his live appearances from every late night show to Sesame Street. Nowadays, he’s certainly had some misses, but his passion for the art – and societal progress – holds true. There’s no doubt Mr. Miranda is a hero of mine, and his face is up there on my personal Mount Rushmore. Probably on the far left side, next to Robert Kirkman.

Lin-Manuel Miranda aside, I would say the most alluring facet of Hamilton’s design comes from not only the crew, but the cast as well. It’s that first time you ever see the stage design, the choreography, and the way every part comes to life. Hamilton’s brilliance is cemented in its talent, and fortunately for the show’s legacy, every cast emanates just that. Not to toot my own horn, but as an usher at the Opera House, I have seen quite a few casts perform Hamilton on these national tours. Mind you, there are constantly two national tours of the show going up and down each American coastline, not to mention a permanent residence on Broadway in New York and on the West End in England, as well as multiple international tours across the world. If you thought Hamilton was a big deal, you truly have no idea. This fandom is loud, proud, and immense.

Credit: ELLE

As previously stated, the cast is the lifeblood of this show, and everyone who has ever stepped into these roles has made it their own, and simply crushed it. So many times, when I’ve told someone “Hamilton is back in town!” the response seems to be “But it’s not the real cast, right?” Which, granted, I understand because a lot of people don’t know the difference between a show being on Broadway and on tour. However, my rebuttal always mentions how “no, it may not be the cast you know, but I guarantee it’ll be an incredible show.” Now, like I’d said, a lot of this credit goes to people like Thomas Kail and Andy Blankenbuehler for directing and choreographing Hamilton in such a way that its beauty can be consistently replicated.

But genuinely, the best moments I have seen out of this show were the cast members adding their own personal touches. It’s little things like the way Mulligan beatboxes during “Aaron Burr, Sir” and King George’s glares at the audience. Sometimes, it’s the way Angelica does a run in “Satisfied” or Burr doing something insane with…  anything (we’ll get back to Burr shortly). My point is, Hamilton may look like this untouchable masterpiece thanks to its cast album and the way its original cast took the world by storm. But much like Alexander hoped to leave a lasting impression in his wake, Miranda and his team have done the very same thing. Hamilton is an ever-changing masterpiece that stays high atop its pedestal because of its malleability. The show is an artistic canvas with diversity and creativity as its paintbrushes.

Now, I’ve talked a long while and I feel like I’ve said a whole hell of a nothing. Like I said, I didn’t need this to be some beautifully written critique of Hamilton 10 years later, I just wanted a genuine-sounding love letter. I’m sure there will be so much more I want to say when I’m done. But hey, how poetic is that? Alexander Hamilton had the same idea. I could have gone into all the ways the show’s music changes the game. I could have said things that have been said for a decade now, like analyzing the difference in genres between the characters, with King George being a bubblegum pop relic of old and Hamilton rapping with the freshness of new talent. I could have focused on the leitmotifs for each character, or the references to shows like South Pacific, The Last Five Years, and Macbeth hidden within. I’ve even thought in the past of doing articles on the show’s most iconic or poignant lines, and ranking the entire soundtrack. All this to say, Hamilton has been in my life for a long time now, and it’s truly a part of me. I have wanted to speak on the show and its importance for a long time, and now that I’m in the thick of it, I’m at a loss for words. But before I go… can I take you back to one really special time for me?

The Grammy Awards, 2016. Hamilton may have performed at the Tony Awards – Broadway’s annual celebration – but I don’t recall watching that live because I just wasn’t huge into the whole scene yet. But the Grammys? Everyone watches those! So we had it on, and I remember walking into the living room and seeing something… different. The lighting was minimal, a tan glow over performers as they wandered about an empty-looking stage. Props and set pieces were also scarce, but the dances and the use of every ensemble member as scenery itself… that had me glued to the screen. But all the while, who was this one guy, walking through it all, explaining the scene at hand, telling a story I’d never heard before. A black man, donned in a purple suitcoat, accompanied by a chorus of performers dressed in beige. The song came nearer to its close and I was just standing in place, staring at the television. Who was this man? Well, he described himself as “the damn fool that shot him.”

I audibly gasped.

Credit: CNN

The character of Aaron Burr is not entirely original to musical theater. I often compare him to Judas Iscariot in Jesus Christ Superstar, or in some ways Javert from Les Miserables. He is a narrative figure that is frequently seen onstage, watching important events unfold, criticizing our protagonist for their boldness and inability to play by the rules. Yes, all of these musical icons are the “villains” of their stories, and they serve as a way to provide a sense of omniscience, while also questioning the validity of the “good guy’s” cause. I find it funny to look at this trio here, as I’m realizing something I never have before, and perhaps that adds to the appeal of Hamilton’s Burr: all but one of these musical antagonists takes their own lives due to their own downfall. Burr, however, takes the life of the one he envies, thus setting his downfall in motion.

Aaron Burr was not a figure I knew of before Hamilton. We didn’t learn a thing about him in school, unlike Hamilton, who I at least knew of. I knew Jefferson, Madison, Washington, of course, but not Burr. This kept my mind an impressionable blank slate for Hamilton’s story to take hold of. Seeing Burr on stage for that first time, watching Leslie Odom Jr.’s performance and the way he spun such a tale… I instantly knew it was a part I would want to play for the rest of time. Not only this, but it got me so inspired to listen to more musicals. I thought if characters existed like him out there, or if stories this powerful and character-driven were just waiting to be told, I had to find them. I needed to know them.

Ten years later, Aaron Burr continues to be one of my favorite characters in musical theater. He is so complex, grappling with an ever-changing country that he’s committed to building, but fighting alongside someone with an entirely different strategy. His love for his wife and daughter not only see him through some of the bloodiest battles of the revolution, but they also bring about his ultimate demise when he commits a regrettable murder under the auspices of protecting them. Burr does not wish death upon Hamilton the entire time, he’s just certain there is a better way of getting what you want. All the buildup in his mind of standing by and keeping his thoughts inside until “the right time” eventually boils over and culminates in the first risk he’s ever taken: taking someone’s life into his own hands.

In 2018, when Hamilton came to Boston, I was fortunate enough to meet the actor playing Aaron Burr. I never thought someone’s performance of the character could be as compelling as Leslie Odom Jr.’s, but this man, Nicholas Christopher, got it right. He had a flair, he had an art, and not only was he an excellent singer, he was an excellent performer. He gave me a tour of the stage, and I got a picture with him, and at the end of Hamilton’s Boston leg, Mr. Christopher left the role, retiring it in his hometown of Boston. He would go on to play Pirelli in Sweeney Todd’s Broadway revival in 2023, which I was also lucky to see. Next week, he’ll be back in the “complicated antagonist” role as Anatoly in the long-awaited revival of Chess on Broadway. I was in New York recently and to see this guy up on a marquis? It was something special.

Credit: Broadway Direct

Before the showing of Hamilton’s anniversary movie theater experience, there is a 10-minute mini-documentary starring the show’s original cast. A line that brought a tear to my eye was Leslie saying “I remember thinking whoever got to sing ‘Wait For It’ every night would be a very lucky person.” He got to be that person, and Nicholas Christopher got to be that person, and someday somehow, I’d love to get to be that person. Yes, I know the show is historically full of a diverse, non-white cast and I’m as white as they come, but a man can dream, right? Lin-Manuel Miranda did! Hamilton did!

All jokes aside, I just want to end this by saying a massive thank you to everyone- EVERYONE who has ever been involved in a Hamilton production. I could have gone into a big thing about how the show is more important now than ever, with the country even more divided than in 2015, but do we really need that right now? I wanted this to be light-hearted, nostalgic, hopefully a little funny. It is true, though, that Hamilton is the most important Broadway production out there right now. As someone who always says Come From Away (yes, the 9/11 musical) is his favorite musical and it’s the most beautiful representation of the human experience, I cannot deny what Hamilton has done for myself as well as this country.

In a messed-up world where we don’t even feel the same about our own grandparents anymore, it’s nice to have a refreshing escape to a world full of unforgettable music, breathtaking performances, and talent bursting at the seams. That is what Hamilton is all about, and if you have the chance to see it in a movie theater, or on tour (maybe right now in Boston?), or even on Disney+… ew, don’t do that one. Cancel your Disney+. But I digress! Experience Hamilton however you can, even if you’re just a kid fresh out of high school with access to nothing but the original cast album. It just might change your life, for good.