Chances are, in the past two years, you have heard the name "Hamilton" being thrown around. For those who are not frequent theater-goers, I will let you in on the secret of why there is so much hype surrounding this one word: It is life-changing.

My obsession began when I overheard people in my junior year history class talking about a musical that was going to be "all rap". I was a little confused and wanted to see what all this excitement was about. I got in my car to go home from school that day, and immediately turned the soundtrack on and played it through my Bluetooth. At first I thought to myself "This is it?"... this is what everyone was in a frenzy over? After listening to a few more songs, I started to realize the catchy tunes and the clever lyrics. I slowly became a closeted "Hamilfan". While my best friends knew about my little addiction to this soundtrack, I was not one of the openly crazy followers of Lin-Manuel Miranda and his project. As the Instagram posts of friends at the musical (along with the corny captions) began to flood my feed, I was certain I needed to see this show before it left Chicago.

Just one week before I left for college this past summer, my mom surprised me with Hamilton tickets. We took the train into the city and like every other girl who goes to see the musical, I made sure to get an ample amount of pictures in front of the "Hamilton" sign. I stepped into the theater, and once the first song began I will admit I started to tear up. Now, I am a pretty overly emotional person but I mean... it has to be pretty dang good for me to be visibly crying after the first thirty seconds right? By the end of the show, I had my mom singing the tunes all the way home. For months I had sung "Satisfied" in our house, and finally when we got home from the show my mom could not stop talking about how Hamilton was "life-changing"... I promise she used those words!

I have enjoyed musicals and dance my entire life and I have been exposed to many different styles and portrayals of musicals. Hamilton, however, is like no other musical in its time. It is a must-see, even for those who don't typically consider themselves "theater-geeks". The pure talent that each performer displays, and the genius idea of taking someone overlooked in our nations history and turning his life into a broadway hit, is just something you truly have to see to believe. While tickets can be pricey, I can say it was worth every penny. So, don't throw away your shot and instead get yourself to the theater to witness this life-changing production. You will not regret it, and I can guarantee You'll Be Back!! (okay no more puns... for real just get yourself to the show).