"Alexander Hamilton"
Honestly, "Alexander Hamilton" has always been one of my favorite songs in the entire musical. It is so simple, yet so catchy. You also hear many other songs begin the same way. My favorite moment here is probably when the whole company joins in. It never fails to give me goosebumps.
"Aaron Burr, Sir"
Even though this song primarily serves as dialogue for the plot to develop, there's one moment that always makes me laugh. Hamilton is recounting his experience at Princeton and says he "sort of got out of sorts with a buddy of [Burr's]. I may have punched him, it's a blur, sir. He handles the financials?" Burr responds by asking "You punched the bursar?" The wordplay here is amazing.
"My Shot"
This is another one of my favorite songs in the musical. My favorite moment is without-a-doubt when Lafayette (Daveed Diggs) mimics the American way of saying "anarchy" in a French accent. This man does not get enough credit for his French accent.
"The Story of Tonight"
I don't think there's one specific moment in this song that I like. The overall vibe it gives is extremely comforting and motivational. I also love that we really get to hear John Laurens (Anthony Ramos) here.
"The Schuyler Sisters"
This is for sure one of the most iconic songs in Hamilton. I absolutely love the part where Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.) approaches Angelica Schuyler (Reneé Elise Goldsberry) and says "excuse me, miss, I know it's not funny but your perfume smells like your daddy's got money." The look that Angelica gives Burr is absolutely priceless.
"Farmer Refuted"
I believe this is a very underrated song. The best part, by far, is when Samuel Seabury (Thayne Jasperson) moves the little box he's standing on in front of Hamilton to try to cover him up. This is very simple moment, but still makes me laugh.
"You'll Be Back"
This is yet again another underrated song. Jonathan Groff absolutely kills it as King George III. Two words: the spit. If you don't know what I'm talking about, go watch it again. You'll realize you need an umbrella if you ever go see Hamilton on Broadway.
"Right Hand Man"
I think one of the best moments in this song is when George Washington tells Hamilton, "Dying is easy, young man, living is harder." This is a lyric that is used a few times in the musical. It's very central to the point of the musical as a whole.
"A Winter's Ball"
This song serves as some comedic relief after the intensity of "Right Hand Man." The funniest part is when Burr tells Hamilton "Yo, if you can marry a sister, you're rich, son." Hamilton responds with "is it a question of if, Burr, or which one?" Then Burr, Hamilton, and Laurens walk away saying "Hey, hey, hey." It's just a moment I didn't expect when I first saw the musical.
"Helpless"
Phillipa Soo absolutely kills this song. However, in a way, Lin Manuel Miranda takes the spotlight when he attempts to "throw it back," if you will. This fail is something that will make anyone laugh.
"Satisfied"
This is another one of my favorites. I think the coolest thing about this song is if you watch closely, the cast moves in the same way that they did in "Helpless," just backwards. That's insane to me. Also, Reneé Elise Goldsberry's rapping here is amazing.
"The Story of Tonight (Reprise)"
This song takes place right after Hamilton and Eliza's wedding. Aaron Burr shows up late to the party and Laurens brings up the woman Burr's seeing. Hamilton asks why he didn't bring her, and Burr responds by saying, "You're very kind, but I'm afraid it's unlawful, sir...She's married to a British officer." Hamilton eloquently responds by saying "Oh, sh*t." After all, how much worse can that situation get?
"Wait For It"
I would venture to say that this is probably the most underrated song in the entire musical. It's one of my all-time favorites and Leslie Odom Jr. absolutely kills it. When he sings, "I am the one thing in life I can control," I think it resonates with a lot of people, as I've seen many comment on this line. It gives me chills.
"Stay Alive"
I think this song is extremely interesting because it has a reprise later. It's somewhat recurring throughout the musical. It somewhat acts as Hamilton's mind, with Eliza constantly saying "stay alive" in the back of his mind.
"Ten Duel Commandments"
I honestly don't have one moment in this song specifically that I like. It's extremely catchy and very cleverly written. It also emphasizes Burr and Hamilton's constant conflicts throughout life.
"Meet Me Inside"
I think this song is kind of funny because it's almost like a classic "oooooo, you're in trouble" when you're about to get yelled at by a parent. It also foreshadows Eliza's pregnancy, which is cool too.
"That Would Be Enough"
I think that this song really foreshadows Hamilton's future. Eliza is continually trying to convince Hamilton that just living is enough, but for Hamilton that clearly isn't enough. His career means everything to him, maybe even more than Eliza does...
"Guns and Ships"
Daveed Diggs. This man raps six words per second in this song. It's insane. I was extremely proud of myself when I finally did the rap successfully. I guess it can be a hidden talent?
"History Has Its Eyes On You"
I love that this song brings in part of the end of "My Shot," but in a slower, less intense way. I also absolutely love Christopher Jackson's voice. Overall, this song is one of the ones that can easily give me goosebumps. It's so beautifully written.
"Yorktown"
I think the thing that I love most about this song is that it shows what each of Hamilton's friends are doing at this point in the war. Hercules Mulligan (Okieriete Onaodowan) also absolutely kills his rap in this as well. When the whole company joins in, it hits different.
"What Comes Next?"
Jonathan Groff kills this song too. "I'm so blue." *stomps* *blue light comes on*
"Dear Theodosia"
I think this song serves a really large purpose of making both Hamilton and Burr seem more human. The face that they both seem to genuinely care about their children does a lot for their character development. It also kind of emphasizes the extent of...later events that greatly impact Hamilton in Act II.
"Non-Stop"
This is such a great song to end Act II, while also being the longest in the entire musical. The conflict between Burr and Hamilton is really shown here, as well as the problems that will be present in Act II. This is another song where many of the other songs are thrown in as well, which leaves the audience feeling satisfied. (You see what I did there?)
From left: "Hamilton" choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, Lin-Manuel Miranda, director Thomas Kail, and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire.
