Unless you’ve been living under a very large, very heavy rock, you’re aware of the award-winning juggernaut that is Hamilton: An American Musical. No? Okay, here’s the quickie wiki: Hamilton was based on the extraordinarily detailed biography by Ron Chernow, turned into a mammoth hip hop- well, “musical” doesn’t seem big enough, powerful enough, but we’ll go with that for now- musical by lyricist, composer, writer, performer, and all-around personal Jesus to many, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The tale of the “young, scrappy, and hungry” soon-to-be Founding Father pulled no punches on its portrait of a flawed, ambitious, beloved, ire-inducing Alexander Hamilton, Broadway went appropriately bonkers, and its original cast recording debuted at number 12 on the Billboard’s Top 200 in October of 2015. And, under the direction of Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, musical supervision and orchestration by Alex Lacamoire, and a brand spanking new cast, this show has just opened in Chicago.
Ready?
photo credit: Joan Marcus
10 reasons you need to see ‘Hamilton’ in Chicago
(“List form?” you ask. Yes. As played out as that medium is, you’ll have to forgive the necessity of it on this occasion. After leaving the theater, my speech was reduced to sentences like “…I just” and “…I have feelings,” so you can go ahead and thank me in advance for my self awareness and editorial restraint.)
- I went into this production blind; no fangirl Googling, no obsessive score-listening. That element of immediacy and the experience of having it all wash over me in one fell swoop absolutely blew me away. (No regrets, no regrets, #noregrets.) That said, my husband falls into the, ah, former category. He, too, was blown away. The takeaway? Whether you’ve memorized the score or think that maybe you’ve heard of Lin-Manuel Miranda somewhere, this is destined to become your new favorite show.
- Have you ever experienced live theatre on the literal edge of your seat for both acts, alongside pretty much everyone else witnessing the same pins-and-needles-inducing transitions, performances, character introductions, and melodic greatness? Before last night, neither had I.
- I think we can all agree that Lin-Manuel Miranda is a national treasure. The coolest thing about Miguel Cervantes’ take on Miranda’s Hamilton, however, is that he makes it entirely his own: brash, rakish, yet somehow still sympathetic, lovable- even likable.
- Ari Afsar’s Eliza Hamilton is sweetly endearing and stronger than she looks. (Maybe she was the original Nasty Woman?)
- If I attempted to name the hows and whys of each cast member’s wonderfulness, we’d be here all day. Every single member of this ensemble shone, individually as well as in a tight collective. (But fine. Joshua Henry as Aaron Burr is one to watch for his seething rigidity. It’s impossible to keep your eyes off of Angelica Schuyler (Karen Olivio) and her sharp, sensual energy. And Alexander Gemignani as King George III brings a hilariously contrasted primness to the jilted monarch that’ll have you gasping with laughter.)
- An actual thought that ran through my head: Why can’t all laws be passed via the age old format of rap battles?
- Another thought: If Lin-Manuel Miranda had the ability to write a Hamilton for every major event in world history, we’d all of us be A students.
- The relevance of this production in 2016 America is striking. The story centers and pivots around the issues of women’s rights (and places), the ideals that Americans hold dear, war, elections, family, pride, honor, and wanting to leave a mark with the time you’re given- with an immigrant protagonist, at that.
- The show runs two hours and forty-five minutes, including a fifteen minute intermission. But the story zips. Heck, the story takes a 747 and leaves you with whiplash. (If you’ve ever been inclined to thank something or someone for whiplash, that is.)
- It was, without question, one of the greatest- if not the greatest- theatrical experiences of my entire life. A show this cohesive, this powerful, this immersively brilliant, is something your eyeballs and eardrums and racing heart need to experience. And lucky you, you have the chance.
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Feeling all patriotic, Cook County? Join Hamilton company members tomorrow- Friday, October 21st- at 12:30pm to register to vote at the PrivateBank Theatre, 18 W. Monroe, Chicago.
You totally read that right.
(Completely important details: To vote, you must be a U.S. citizen, at least 18 years old by November 18th, 2016, and a resident of your precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day. Two pieces of identification are necessary, and one must include a current address. For more information, visit www.cookcountyclerk.com/RegisterToVote and www.broadwayinchicago.com)
Don’t throw away your shot.
(Oh guys, I had to.)
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