Let me just start off by saying: Holy Hell.
Hamilton was absolutely amazing and it totally lives up the the hype. I will say that I was skeptical because I usually don't believe in trends and this musical was just so talked up that there had to be a flaw.
I was wrong.
The story was amazing and extremely well-performed. After listening to the cast album part of the way through, I knew generally what was going on, but mostly came in blind. From the opening number I was blown away by the fluidity of the show and how much everything fit together. If I were to describe the show in one word it would be seamless. It was nonstop and each song was better than the rest.
The set was another masterpiece. It turned and it allowed the actors to show slow motion and walking scenes. I truly appreciated how the actors brought on all the set pieces, as well. It makes the whole production look whole. There was no time to pause and set a different scene because everything took place on one platform. It was up to the actors to make you believe that you were in New York--and I did. I truly did.
I really appreciated how well the characters committed to their roles. There wasn't a weak character on stage, and usually there are. I watched a cast of brilliant actors who worked as a family, even the chorus members. Arguably the chorus were onstage more than the main actors. It was awesome.
I'm going to make a bold statement and say that the Chicago cast was much better than the New York cast. Now, I haven't seen the original NYC cast but from listening to the album and seeing videos I favor the Chicago cast. Joshua Henry (Aaron Burr), Ari Afsar (Eliza), Karen Olvio (Angelica) and Jonathan Kirkland (George Washington) were outstanding. I prefer Ari Afsar's rendition of "Burn" better than Phillippa Soo's rendition. Afsar's was performance was filled with so much raw emotion that I cried. Karen Olvio was an absolute star and I was honored to be in her presence.
If there is any way you can get tickets to this show, you should. It was an amazing experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.
I LOVE HAMILTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
