With the nation's 250th birthday tomorrow, it seems only appropriate to acknowledge the occasion with a look at current Broadway phenomenon, Hamilton. I suppose 1776 would have been a little too on the nose. But as mildly subversive as that gem is, Hamilton is the more appropriate given the current state of affairs in the USA. The modern twist in content and the on point casting of multicultural actors really is what the country should be about.
Favorite Hamilton Moments
I'll be honest. The show is one I appreciate more than I love. The concept and staging are brilliant. but I find it more a marvel of precision than an emotional juggernaut. That said, there are several stand out moments that I absolutely adore. Between Lin-Manuel Miranda's often catchy score and thought-provoking book, Thomas Kail's often eye-popping staging, and Andy Blankenbuehler's electrifying choreography, it was difficult to limit myself to just a Friday 5.
Here they are, in the order they occur in the show. You'll probably notice a commonality in my choices!
"The Schuyler Sisters" - Angelica, Eliza, Peggy, Burr & Company
Here is the first real point, for me anyway, in the show that slows down enough to let us catch our breath from the barrage of intense staging and extremely dense lyrics. It helps that there's the "and Peggy" joke and that the three captivating women caught my eye. I knew then that these divas, not the posturing parade of masculinity that will surround them until the final bows, would be what I pay the most attention to!
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"You'll Be Back" - King George III & Company
The pomposity of the crazy king coupled with deliciously funny lyrics create a fun moment with a serious toned after taste. A pointed reminder that leaders can destroy themselves, but not before taking as many lives as possible down with them. A cautionary tale with a reality check for today's audiences. Plus Jonathan Groff was a gem.
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"Helpless/Satisfied" - Eliza, Angelica, Hamilton, Laurens & Company
Is it a cheat to count two songs as one moment? Not really. They happen back-to-back, and are impossibly catchy toe-tappers. I've been in love with "Hopeless" ever since the cast created a video using Zoom calls to sing the song during Covid, and "Satisfied" contains one of the two most ingenious bits of staging/choreography in the whole show. No spoilers, but I bet you know what I am referring to - no small feat considering that the entirety of the performance is staged with a mind-numbing precision and intensity.
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"Ten Duel Commandments" - Laurens, Hamilton, Lee, Burr & Company
I always love when a song cleverly loads a bunch of explanation/exposition into a simple ear-worm of a tune coupled with clever, smart lyrics, and a dynamic yet simple staging. Not since A Chorus Line's "I Hope I Get It" has a number like this been as good!
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"Burn" - Eliza
The rare (and maybe the only) moment in the whole show that allows emotion to permeate the entire theater. A beautiful example of Miranda's ability to stir up all the feelings in simple terms and lovely musicality. I always leave his shows - and particularly this one - wishing there were more like it. Bonus: the absolute thrill of watching Phillipa Soo just be. (Big fan of hers here...)
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Today, after many articles written on the topic, and the meteoric rise of Ms. DeBose, this seems an obvious choice. But back when I first saw the show, when it was still brand new, I knew from the minute I saw her she was going to be big. And, frankly, she was what I looked at whenever the ensemble was doing the work. It is the way she is used as the harbinger of death, and especially as "the bullet" that solidified it as one of the two staging triumphs of the production (thank you,Tommy Kail and Andy Blankenbeuhler).
"Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)" During the victory celebration, she shakes hands with John Laurens who dies almost immediately after.
"Blow Us All Away" She flirts with Philip Hamilton and points him in the direction of George Eacker, who takes the young Hamilton's life in a duel.
"The World was Wide Enough (The Final Duel)" Maybe the most clever bit of staging in the whole show, everything turns into slow motion, with DeBose "taking" the bullet from Burr's gun and carrying it across the stage to Hamilton. Gives me chills at the the thought of it!
