I went to Chicago last weekend. More importantly, I saw Hamilton at the Private Bank Theater. I met the actors Aubin Wise (who played Eliza Hamilton), Chris De’Sean Lee (who played Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), and Jonathan Kirkland (who played George Washington). I also met a couple of the ensemble members, Amber Ardolino and Justice Moore, who played The Bullet. The next morning, my luck continued when I just so happened to still be in town to watch the first ever Ham4Ham show in Chicago led by some amazing cast members.
Anyone who knows me knows that I have been obsessed with Hamilton for a ridiculously long time. I bought a Spotify subscription for the sole purpose of listening to the entire soundtrack in order. I play the soundtrack on shuffle nearly every time I get in my car. I know it sounds cheesy, but Hamilton actually changed my life. I’d never been into musicals, but they’re practically all I listen to now (sorry mom). Listening to the soundtrack for the first time opened up a whole new world for me, one filled with legendary shows like Rent, Les Mis, and Phantom of the Opera.
The creator of the show, Lin-Manuel Miranda, is a big part of why the show is so important to me. Everything he puts out into the world is so uplifting and inspiring, including the musicals he writes. He writes with this idea of legacy and leaving something behind in this world. By writing Hamilton and giving Alexander this crazy, relatable personality, he inspired me to do a lot this year, including writing for Odyssey.
The show was absolutely amazing. It was everything I hoped for, and more. I’ll admit, I was scared that the cast would let me down, since it wasn’t the people I’ve listened to on the soundtrack almost every day for months, but they were absolutely wonderful. They were better than I ever could have imagined. My friend had been talking with ensemble members Amber and Justice for a few weeks about coming to see the show. Not only did they agree to meet us, they waited for us until we found the stage door. It meant the world to both us that they took time out of their night to actually look for us to say hi after the show. After meeting them, we met a few other cast members, who were absolutely wonderful. I couldn’t be more grateful to all of them for what they do.
The next day, my friend and I realized that they were holding a Ham4Ham show. For any non-Hamilton fans, Ham4Ham is a lottery for tickets that’s usually run online. I was lucky enough to be in town when they held Chicago’s first show. Miguel Cervantes, who plays Alexander Hamilton, led the show and he was fantastic.
Last weekend was the best weekend I’ve had in a long time. I am so grateful that I got this opportunity. It all went by so quickly, and I can’t believe that it’s over already. I can only hope that I’ll get to see the show again someday, but I’m so thankful for this cast and crew for making this the best first live Hamilton experience I could have hoped for.