WARNING: Spoilers
Like millions of others around the world, I have gotten swept up in the "Hamilton" hype. I got hooked about a year ago by listening to one song, and then another, and then I had listened to and memorized almost the whole musical. So, when tickets went on sale for "Hamilton" in Chicago, I knew I had to go. My parents, who were also a part of the craze, let me choose when we went and our tickets. The tickets came out on a sunny day in June. I remember sitting down with my laptop and trying to get tickets around my mom's birthday. Nope, too expensive. Then, I looked at tickets for my birthday. I got some nice tickets, but then ran out of time before they expired and were being bought by someone else. This happened about three times. Then, that holy moment came. I found tickets that weren't too expensive and weren't awful. And then, they were ours. That strenuous, hours-long process was over. I was going to get to see "Hamilton" on my birthday.
Time passed, and the day finally came! We got to the theater with a lot of time to spare. So, I just tried to soak it all in. We were not close to the stage, but it didn't matter to me. In a matter of minutes, I was going to be able to see one of my favorite musicals performed live. The lights dimmed and my heart started pounding. It was time.
The announcement about turning off your cell phones was given by King George. Then, it was time. The first notes were played, and I'll admit, a tear rolled down my cheek. Wayne Brady, who played Aaron Burr, stepped onto the stage. The whole audience erupted into applause and cheers. But, as if they had a cut-off, everyone went silent when he started rapping.
At first, I had to adjust to the different voices. I had gotten so used to the Broadway cast that hearing the Chicago cast threw me off for quite a bit. But, once I got used to the new voices, I started really investing in the show. I don't have many complaints about the show. Miguel Cervantes, who played the leading man, is not Lin Manuel Miranda (duh). At first, I thought I couldn't imagine anyone else playing that role. I was worried about disliking the show because of the way Lin brings Alexander Hamilton to life. But, Miguel Cervantes really pleasantly surprised me. He was not Lin Manuel's Alexander Hamilton. He was a witty, sometimes abrasive, and mostly lovable Founding Father that runs his mouth and gets himself in trouble. There was just a different quality about Cervantes's portrayal. It wasn't bad or good, it was just a different way of portraying Hamilton.
The rest of the cast was amazing. There is something so amazing and magical about seeing a musical performed live. Some of my favorite songs took on completely different meanings. "Satisfied," one of the first songs I encountered from "Hamilton" became ten hundred times more heartbreaking when performed live. You could see Angelica really struggling to be happy for her sister and the man she loves. "Wait For It" just came alive. All of the King's songs made me laugh until I cried. I was just taken aback by how much of a new perspective I got from seeing the musical live.
In conclusion, if you get a chance to see "Hamilton" live, please go. There is so much that you just can't get from only listening to the soundtrack. I feel so lucky that I got to be "in the room where it happened." No matter if you see the show in Chicago, New York, or anywhere else, "Hamilton" definitely lives up to the massive hype that surrounds it. Go. Soak up live theater and all that it has to offer.
