Hamilton National Tour

[BroadwayDave]

Saw “Hamilton” last night (July 20, 2018) while celebrating birthday #59 in Cleveland. This performance was by the Philip Cast, one of two cast currently touring, the other being the Angelica Cast.

 

This was AMAZING. From start to finish I loved, loved, LOVED this show. Well, most all of it.

 

Joseph Morales as Alexander Hamilton and Shoba Narayan as Eliza were simply wonderful, the latter by far being the best vocal of the cast, her singing was just beautiful. When she sang “Burn” is was heartbreaking, especially at the end. And her rendition of “Take a Break”, with Ta’rea Campbell as Angelica, was soaring. Morales is very comfortable in his role, and at times you’d have sworn you were watching Lin-Manuel Miranda up there, although he took the part of Alexander Hamilton and made it his own. His singing was also quite good, especially in “Hurricane”.

 

The hardest cast to warm up to was Nik Walker as Aaron Burr. At first I didn’t care for all the vocal ranges, switching, and higher pitches of his voice, however he was great in songs like “Wait For It”, and “Dear Theodosia” singing along with Joseph Morales, where they were both very touching.

 

The staged scenes and performances of: “Hopeless”; “Say No To This”; the first “Stay Alive with attack! retreat!; “Blow Us All Away” continuing along with “Stay Alive (reprise)”, and “Its Quiet Uptown”; “What Did I Miss?”; “Yorktown (The Work Turned Upside Down); and “My Shot” with it’s iconic finish, were some of my favorites. All were highlights of the show.

 

“You’ll Be Back” and “What Comes Next” with Jon Patrick Walker as King George were a wonderful comic relief, and the audience laughed heartily in their approval.

 

And at the beginning of “Yorktown” where Hamilton and Lafayette met up again and said “Immigrants, we get the job done”, this generated a nice round of applause from the audience.

 

As far as the audience around me they were all quite well behaved for the most part. The man and woman sitting to my left departed after the first act, where she had been basically bouncing and dancing in her seat for a few songs and pointing out some of the lyrics here and there to him. The lady to my right, and be gentleman in the row in front of me, couldn’t keep from checking there phones every few minutes during the first several songs.

 

Other than that, and the guy who kept kneeing the back of my chair toward the end of Act 1 because the rows are like six inches apart (not reall, but it felt like it), it was a good audience.

 

So many great songs, so many great ensemble and cast scenes, such great choreography.

 

The ending was dramatic, heartbreaking, and brilliantly played. I was quite emotional and teared up quite a bit, even though I knew it was coming.

 

As for as exterior posters or decor like what had been posted earlier in the thread that was in San Francisco, there really wasn’t anything like that in Cleveland except for large electronic billboards around the Playhouse Square area that occasionally flashed the Hamilton poster, along with ads from various sponsors and other upcoming musical arts performances.

 

Overall this was an impressive and superb show, and the BEST birthday in a very, very long time.

 

Can’t wait to see the Angelica cast in January.

[BroadwayDave]

Adding a few pictures, hope you enjoy them...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 22, 2018 by BroadwayDave

[BroadwayDave]

 

[BroadwayDave]

 

 

 

[BroadwayDave]

 

 

 

[+ WilliamM]

The Kennedy Center Honors for 2018 were announed yesterday for 2018. Honors in November or Dec. to Cher, Wayne Shorter, Philip Glass, Reba and "Hamilton." Until now the awards have been for live achievement, not a musical still playing, or once playing, in New York.

[bostonman]

The Kennedy Center Honors for 2018 were announed yesterday for 2018. Honors in November or Dec. to Cher, Wayne Shorter, Philip Glass, Reba and "Hamilton." Until now the awards have been for live achievement, not a musical still playing, or once playing, in New York.

 

Yes, but perhaps an additional slight twist in the fact that Cher is one of the producers of The Cher Show, a musical about Cher, which just had a tryout in Chicago, and will be previewing on Broadway by the time of the awards. Cher does not appear in the musical, but she is portrayed by 3 actresses, which prompts me to want to rename the show Cher and Cher Alike.

[BroadwayDave]

“It is therefore fitting that in broadening the Honors pantheon to include creation, and not just creators, the Kennedy Center is bolstering the notion of the musical as a form both popular and worthy of serious artistic consideration.”

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/the-kennedy-center-honors-are-taking-a-risk-by-awarding-hamilton--but-its-worth-it/2018/07/27/37931630-9088-11e8-9b0d-749fb254bc3d_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.a98cfd504ad2

[BroadwayDave]

“In recognizing Hamilton and its co-creators, the Kennedy Center is making an unprecedented statement about an unprecedented work — a work that transcends cultural boundaries and tells America’s story in a powerful and contemporary way.”

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kennedy-center-honors-2018-hamilton_us_5b5892ede4b0b15aba9448f1

[+ WilliamM]

“In recognizing Hamilton and its co-creators, the Kennedy Center is making an unprecedented statement about an unprecedented work — a work that transcends cultural boundaries and tells America’s story in a powerful and contemporary way.”

 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kennedy-center-honors-2018-hamilton_us_5b5892ede4b0b15aba9448f1

 

Yes, but the Kennedy Center is breaking from the stated purpose of the Honors. From Richard Rodgers to Lunt and Fontane to Mary Martin to Chita Rivera, significant Broadway people have been chosen for a lifetime of work. The same standards applied to everyone associated with the arts.

[bostonman]

Yes, but the Kennedy Center is breaking from the stated purpose of the Honors. From Richard Rodgers to Lunt and Fontane to Mary Martin to Chita Rivera, significant Broadway people have been chosen for a lifetime of work. The same standards applied to everyone associated with the arts.

 

Yes. Hence the use of the word "unprecedented" lol.

 

I agree with you that it's certainly an odd choice, even if I feel that Hamilton deserves the attention it's gotten. Maybe it's more about the zeitgeist than the purpose of the awards.

[LaffingBear]

Finally saw Hamilton. Its on extended run in San Francisco. Apparently, its the production that Miranda took to Puerto Rico.

 

Thought it was excellent . Not the earth-shattering experience its hyped to be, but I enjoyed it.

 

Prices in SF are very reasonable if attendees are flexible on dates and advance booking; I scored 5th row center orchestra Fri night seats for $150... purchased about 12 days prior.

 

One thing left me confused. No curtain call. Is that planned now? Full house, Friday night, audience on its feet... one line of every performer, one group bow, and house lights on. Seemed abrupt.

Edited July 21, 2019 by LaffingBear

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

There's never been a traditional curtain call.

 

I've seen the show multiple times and I'm still confused as to how it's as popular as it is.

[bostonman]

A Chorus Line has no curtain call either. or, at least, not a traditional one. Essentially, the final reprise of "One" is the curtain call, but it doesn't feel like it. (It's also, of course, a stunning statement, as all the individuals you've gotten to know throughout the show are now "just" the chorus line, all identically dressed and perfectly synchronized, now just an "endless" line of dancers with no individuality.)

 

I once did a production of Sondheim's Assassins where the director tried not having a curtain call - he wanted to make a statement that we shouldn't applaud these characters, even if of course the audience is actually applauding the actors. The audience at the preview was of course confused when no one came out for a bow, and the director realized there needed to be something there. So he had the cast come out and stand in a tableau, but without actually bowing. This worked better because at least the audience could feel like they were interacting with the actors. We didn't play any music, though - there isn't any written in the score, and it did seem appropriate to leave it that way.

 

Most musicals, of course, do have bows music of some sort. West Side Story is another show where none is indicated, even though of course there is a curtain call. When I was a young music director straight out of college, I did a production where the director did want music there. I objected, saying I thought it would take away from the dramatic ending of the show. She insisted, saying she wanted the audience to go out on a happy note and humming a tune.

 

Aaaargh. :mad:

[+ purplekow]

A Chorus Line has no curtain call either. or, at least, not a traditional one. Essentially, the final reprise of "One" is the curtain call, but it doesn't feel like it. (It's also, of course, a stunning statement, as all the individuals you've gotten to know throughout the show are now "just" the chorus line, all identically dressed and perfectly synchronized, now just an "endless" line of dancers with no individuality.)

 

I once did a production of Sondheim's Assassins where the director tried not having a curtain call - he wanted to make a statement that we shouldn't applaud these characters, even if of course the audience is actually applauding the actors. The audience at the preview was of course confused when no one came out for a bow, and the director realized there needed to be something there. So he had the cast come out and stand in a tableau, but without actually bowing. This worked better because at least the audience could feel like they were interacting with the actors. We didn't play any music, though - there isn't any written in the score, and it did seem appropriate to leave it that way.

 

Most musicals, of course, do have bows music of some sort. West Side Story is another show where none is indicated, even though of course there is a curtain call. When I was a young music director straight out of college, I did a production where the director did want music there. I objected, saying I thought it would take away from the dramatic ending of the show. She insisted, saying she wanted the audience to go out on a happy note and humming a tune.

 

Aaaargh. :mad:

Perhaps you could have used "When you're a Jet you're a Jet all the way, from your first cigarette til your last dying day" and just stop it there. If she had to have music, at least it would have emphasized the foolishness of the vow to be a Jet.