So it finally happened Hamilfam (Hamilsquad? Hamilfans? Guys our fandom should really have a name at this point) - Hamilton's America finally aired on PBS last Friday, October 21st. We were past patiently waiting, but we waited for it anyway, and my head (and feelings!!) were NON STOP the whole time! I was fortunate enough to see the show back in January, but I was in a room full of people who hadn't seen the show before, but were (like I was, and am) hopelessly in love with the music and story. Getting to see parts of the show again was incredible, but seeing my friends see the set and the costumes and THE SHOW for the first time was indescribable! Here's some thoughts that were running through my head during the show:
1. Lin!! I hear you, but I don't see you! Ah, there you are. Wow, it's Lin!! Wow. wow.
That intro was incredible. Even from the bits of the show we've seen on TV, there's nothing like seeing it there at the Richard Rodgers. And even then, we never get to see backstage, where all the real magic happens. The icing on the cake was the stagegirl with her "Awesome. Wow. T-shirt. It's nice to know that people who work there are fans of the show like we are!
2. Wow, leave it to Lin to start working on a show on a vacation.
"I was reading the book, and hip hop songs started rising off the page!" I don't think that's ever happened to me while reading a book before. This could only happen to Lin.
3. ELIZABETH WARREN!!!
Of course she would be Hamilton fan. You can just tell. She's cool. She's like us.
4. Hamilton's Laptop!! And his desk! I can't imagine how much writing happened on top of it.
The craziest thing though? The tour guide DIDN'T LET LIN TOUCH IT!! But he goes and picks up a quill anyway. Okay, Lin.
5. Wow, his dad really is just like Hamilton.
I think a lot of us drew parallels between Lin and Hamilton, but it's his father that really shares the same background as the titular character. WHOA would that make Lin his dad's Phillip?
6. He's literally letting us inside his head during the writing of My Shot.
"Shooty shooty shooty shooty shooty shooty shot!" Our musical genius Lin-Manuel Miranda.
6. He's literally IS our modern-day Shakespeare!
He's doing now what Shakespeare did back then - writing and bringing out "what is noble about the common tongue"
7. Kind of disappointed these "cabinet meetings" aren't more like rap battles.
But come on how awesome would that be?! Lin, Alex, Andy, and Thomas Kail? Yea, I think so.
8. I will never un-see Thomas Jefferson as Bugs Bunny...
Totally Daveed! What's up, doc?
9. No saints in this show? Are you sure?
Umm how about Angelica and Eliza? Have you met them? Lin you literally wrote them.
10. Toootally forgot Washington owned slaves.
Chris Jackson has some amazing words about this. That you have to see both sides of Washington, the hero and the slaveowner. Like him, with all people, you need both.
11. Anthony Ramos is a cinnamon roll.
Laurens is a cinnamon roll. Phillip is a cinnamon roll. Cinnamon roll.
12. This show has changed so many lives, including mine.
"Tommorrow is never promised, but we make plans anyway." Thank you Lin-Manuel Miranda. Now to go write some more, and make more plans.
