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livIf you have a negative reaction to Hamilton hype, you might want to skip this one.
I still can't really believe this is actually a thing that happened to me:rmc28 emailed me saying she had tickets for a really in demand, really expensive show that I was incredibly excited about. I can't believe I have been excited about getting to see Hamilton in June 2018 since January last year. And suddenly it actually is June and I actually got to see the show and it was AMAZING.
Partly because I got to spend a whole day withrmc28 and ceb and cosmolinguist (who unsurprisingly is just as awesome in person as online – I was really really excited to get to meet her). And we did loads of talking and playing Pokémon and we're all on the same wavelength in a way that made for an exceptionally happy extrovert. And partly because rmc28 is fantastic at planning, the travel was easy and relaxing and we had plenty of time at each stage of the journey. The weather was glorious and it felt like the whole of London was in a communal good mood. And we had tasty tasty Korean food at Lime Orange (I finally understand the point of bibimbap), and fantastic ice cream on the way home after the show at Ruby Violet, and it was just a perfect, perfect day.
But the show. Oh wow, the show. This isn't in any way a useful review, it's just incoherent squee. We had fantastic seats, just a few rows from the stage, which made it even more amazing, we could see every bead of sweat on the cast's faces and all the detail of the marvellous stage set. And the dancing and the singing and the acting and the choreography and the costumes and the lighting and and and, it really is the most phenomenal thing.
I am not by any means a superfan; I've listened to the Broadway cast recording a few times, and I like the songs, both the music and the lyrics. Honestly I'm not that into musical theatre, or rap, or US history, but it's still pretty clear to me that this is a once a century musical event. I couldn't be happier that I got to see it in the West End. Even though I was somewhat familiar, I was completely caught up in the emotions of the show, I cried at every character death and was just enraptured.
Of course there's still far more depth to the complex and allusive lyrics, but I got several absolutely breathtaking lines I hadn't already picked up. And seeing it live, with my full attention, I got more of a sense of just how clever the music is, not only at referring to all kinds of external stuff from all over the musical spectrum, but weaving in internal themes and motives and twisting back on itself, just beautiful. Lots of cleverer people than me have talked the innovative way that Miranda is addressing history and race, so I won't go in to that, but it's really impressive.
Some things I hadn't quite grasped from the recording: I was thinking of Burr as mainly just a foil to Hamilton, but Giles Terera gives the role so much depth and intensity. The fact of having seen that man's acting and stage presence and amazingness is something that will stay with me for ever. I kind of didn't care about the love triangle stuff when I listened, but it's so very vivid in the stage production that I could really see how essential it is to the story. Rachelle Ann Go gave a master performance as Eliza. Also Miranda is wholly aware that he's telling a literally patriarchal story, and cares deeply about his female characters, they're never just a love interest or mistress. The doubling of Lafayette and Jefferson I didn't pick up from the recording, and Jason Pennycooke is sheer genius in both roles. I felt like King George was much more played for laughs than I expected, I had been thinking of him as creepy and scary.
People who are more knowledgeable about musicals than I am complain that it's badly blocked and they overuse the rotating stage. But I was too completely caught up to notice any flaws.
So happy I got to see that, and in such perfect circumstances too! A million million thanks tormc28.
I still can't really believe this is actually a thing that happened to me:
rmc28 emailed me saying she had tickets for a really in demand, really expensive show that I was incredibly excited about. I can't believe I have been excited about getting to see Hamilton in June 2018 since January last year. And suddenly it actually is June and I actually got to see the show and it was AMAZING. Partly because I got to spend a whole day with
rmc28 and ceb and cosmolinguist (who unsurprisingly is just as awesome in person as online – I was really really excited to get to meet her). And we did loads of talking and playing Pokémon and we're all on the same wavelength in a way that made for an exceptionally happy extrovert. And partly because rmc28 is fantastic at planning, the travel was easy and relaxing and we had plenty of time at each stage of the journey. The weather was glorious and it felt like the whole of London was in a communal good mood. And we had tasty tasty Korean food at Lime Orange (I finally understand the point of bibimbap), and fantastic ice cream on the way home after the show at Ruby Violet, and it was just a perfect, perfect day.But the show. Oh wow, the show. This isn't in any way a useful review, it's just incoherent squee. We had fantastic seats, just a few rows from the stage, which made it even more amazing, we could see every bead of sweat on the cast's faces and all the detail of the marvellous stage set. And the dancing and the singing and the acting and the choreography and the costumes and the lighting and and and, it really is the most phenomenal thing.
I am not by any means a superfan; I've listened to the Broadway cast recording a few times, and I like the songs, both the music and the lyrics. Honestly I'm not that into musical theatre, or rap, or US history, but it's still pretty clear to me that this is a once a century musical event. I couldn't be happier that I got to see it in the West End. Even though I was somewhat familiar, I was completely caught up in the emotions of the show, I cried at every character death and was just enraptured.
Of course there's still far more depth to the complex and allusive lyrics, but I got several absolutely breathtaking lines I hadn't already picked up. And seeing it live, with my full attention, I got more of a sense of just how clever the music is, not only at referring to all kinds of external stuff from all over the musical spectrum, but weaving in internal themes and motives and twisting back on itself, just beautiful. Lots of cleverer people than me have talked the innovative way that Miranda is addressing history and race, so I won't go in to that, but it's really impressive.
Some things I hadn't quite grasped from the recording: I was thinking of Burr as mainly just a foil to Hamilton, but Giles Terera gives the role so much depth and intensity. The fact of having seen that man's acting and stage presence and amazingness is something that will stay with me for ever. I kind of didn't care about the love triangle stuff when I listened, but it's so very vivid in the stage production that I could really see how essential it is to the story. Rachelle Ann Go gave a master performance as Eliza. Also Miranda is wholly aware that he's telling a literally patriarchal story, and cares deeply about his female characters, they're never just a love interest or mistress. The doubling of Lafayette and Jefferson I didn't pick up from the recording, and Jason Pennycooke is sheer genius in both roles. I felt like King George was much more played for laughs than I expected, I had been thinking of him as creepy and scary.
People who are more knowledgeable about musicals than I am complain that it's badly blocked and they overuse the rotating stage. But I was too completely caught up to notice any flaws.
So happy I got to see that, and in such perfect circumstances too! A million million thanks to
rmc28.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-03 08:54 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-04 12:27 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-05 03:37 am (UTC):)
https://monanotlisa.dreamwidth.org/1648238.html
(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-05 09:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-03 09:00 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-03 09:07 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-04 12:26 am (UTC)And you were great to sit next to during Hamilton because you laughed and gasped and generally reacted to stuff I know so well that I don't really register it all any more. You reminded me of what it was like to be relatively new to the story, and I felt so lucky to get to benefit from that.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-04 02:05 am (UTC)I saw the Bway production in the first year, but saw it the month that Groff was out and Andrew Rannells was stepping in, and the role was definitely still creepy as well as funny then
(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-04 06:18 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-04 01:01 pm (UTC)Oh oh oh, the doubling of roles is *even cleverer* in the opening number:
"We fought with him" - Lafayette & Mulligan / Jefferson & Madison fought with him in both senses.
"Me, I died for him" - Laurens / Philip
"Me, I loved him" - Angelica, Eliza and (I think) Maria rather than Peggy, but you don't realise it right then.
One thing I love about Burr and Hamilton is that they influence each other so much - Room Where It Happens is where Hamilton learns to talk less, smile more, and Burr decides to stop waiting and go for what he wants.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-07-04 04:12 pm (UTC)