The Thread for HAMILTON Fans/Obsessives [SPOILERS AHEAD]

[FindingNamo]

I was glad to see the pictures.  I thought they looked lovely.

[HogansHero]

After Eight,

You should get dressed immediately and head to the Livonia Avenue Subway Station, which is bedecked in ads for the Two Gentlemen of Verona ('05 revival). Is there a reason you mention that show? Is it your favorite? Do you think it is better than anything by Sondheim? Rodgers and Hammerstein? Joe Brooks?

[shanphelia]

I've seen Hamilton 3 times now, have just secured tickets to a 4th visit and will probably try my luck at the lottery a few times if I can.  This show has really gotten in to my mind & heart, and the performances that are staying with me by far the most are Leslie Odom Jr's Burr and Phillipa Soo's Eliza (especially in 2nd act for Eliza).

 

I love watching Burr watching others; I think Leslie does such a good job of conveying this sly, thoughtful observation, in background of almost every scene, 'waiting for it', and then when his energy builds & breaks into "Room Where it Happens" in Act 2, it just EXPLODES.

 

For Eliza, it's a more steady increase in intensity until "Burn" and the heartbreaking emotions of the finale. I think "Helpless" is one of the songs I find less interesting in the show, and I find it weak in comparison to Eliza's other numbers, but I also see how her character builds & grows from that number.

 

The whole cast is strong, just am so in love with the character development in these two performances. 

 

Also have been getting more and more impressed with the character shift Okieriete Onaodowan does between Mulligan and Madison. It's a less flashy transition than the one Daveed Diggs gets to do (which is also a lot of fun), but he completely changes his physicality and performance style to move from the brawny, brawly Mulligan to the frail, shrewd Madison.

[Julie Yard]

This is 1 terrific show. Everything.. book, music, movement, all the production pieces, fabulous use of that turntable. I was afraid it was a lot of hype and man, I wasted that energy because the show is as good as they say. I may have to check out the lottery scene, or pony up for another full price ticket (returning to the top of the Mezzanine). I feel very lucky to live in NY and get to see great theater.

SO... for the obsessives... which theater was this in at the Public and did they use a turntable and was it that large a cast?

Happy Monday people!

 

[haterobics]

joanf said: "SO... for the obsessives... which theater was this in at the Public and did they use a turntable and was it that large a cast?"

 

The big one on the first floor, to the right when you enter. Turntable. Same size cast (only added more swings for Broadway).

 

[sorano916]

Question for anyone keeping track: which understudies have gone on on Broadway?

 

I've gotten only these... were there others for leads/supporting?

 

Javier for Hamilton

Sydney for Washington

Andrew for Laurens/Philip

Alysha for Peggy/Maria

 

[LimelightMike]

They  stop doing Sunday performances in April... Any idea when Javi is going on that month?

[dramamama611]

Pretty sure he returns to Saturday matinees.  You can find the info on their website, under the calendar in their buy tickets page.

[haterobics]

"Javier Muñoz will play the role of Alexander Hamilton during the following performances:
Saturday Matinees: Now thru September 6, 2015; March 28, 2016 - June 4, 2016.
Sunday Matinees: September 7, 2015 - March 27, 2016."

[CarlosAlberto]

After Eight said: "Anyone here aware of the 1971 musical, Two Gentlemen of Verona?

 

 

In all fairness After Eight does have a point. HAMILTON is hardly ground breaking in it's racial diversity. TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA also had a racially diverse cast, and this was back in 1971.

 

Raul Julia - Puerto Rican, Clifton Davis - African American, Jonelle Allen - African American, Diana Davila - Cuban American, Jerry Stiller - Jewish American.

 

 

 

 

 

[Hamilton22]

Good point, Carlos. Hamilton is a fine show but it's hardly groundbreaking for it's diverse casting. 

[macnyc]

I think casting fictional characters is way different than casting the Founding Fathers though! 

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

sorano916 said: "Question for anyone keeping track: which understudies have gone on on Broadway?

 

I've gotten only these... were there others for leads/supporting?

 

Javier for Hamilton

 

Sydney for Washington

 

Andrew for Laurens/Philip

 

Alysha for Peggy/Maria

 

 

 

"

I believe that's correct. Both of the female swings, Morgan Marcelle(sp?) and Stephanie Klemmons have gone on and at least one of the male swing has been on (Neil). Not positive if Voltaire, the other male swing has gone on, but I think he has.

[HogansHero]

CarlosAlberto said: "n all fairness After Eight does have a point. HAMILTON is hardly ground breaking in it's racial diversity. TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA also had a racially diverse cast, and this was back in 1971."

That misapprehends the significance of what is happening in Hamilton. It is not about color blind casting. (The Public, if no one else, has been doing that for its entire existence.). Hamilton is a show in which the characters are WRITTEN as diverse as a part of the show's dramaturgy. One could cite to other writing of that nature, but not along these lines.

[madela2]

(Sorry to bust in on the conversation here)

I was lucky enough to not get fake tickets off StubHub (last minute trip so I had to try and see it) so I was able see Hamilton. (Side note: it was the night Meryl Streep was there and I was geeking out internally about that)

Anyway, add me to the list of people who loved it. Besides the superb show LMM has written, I found the lighting, sound, and choreography to be very exciting and fresh. Can't wait to see it again and again (hopefully from the $10 seats :) )

Someone earlier in the thread mentioned the b-roll footage that was removed. It is on vimeo titled as hambroll.

[CarlosAlberto]

HogansHero said: "CarlosAlberto said: "n all fairness After Eight does have a point. HAMILTON is hardly ground breaking in it's racial diversity. TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA also had a racially diverse cast, and this was back in 1971."

 

That misapprehends the significance of what is happening in Hamilton. It is not about color blind casting. (The Public, if no one else, has been doing that for its entire existence.). Hamilton is a show in which the characters are WRITTEN as diverse as a part of the show's dramaturgy. One could cite to other writing of that nature, but not along these lines.

 

I agree HogansHero.

 

I was under the impression that people were attributing the color blind casting in HAMILTON as groundbreaking, so when After Eight brought up TWO GENTS I had to agree that the color blind casting aspect of HAMILTON isn't ground breaking per se.

 

I do agree however that casting real, historical figures in this way is something out of the norm and on that level, yes HAMILTON is a game changer.

 

That HAMILTON is using hip hop in this context and exposing it to a Broadway audience, I feel is groundbreaking.

 

Yes, hip hop has been used before on Broadway but usually when it's appropriate to the story. IN THE HEIGHTS takes place in Washington Heights so hip hop music easily lends itself to that kind of  a setting. HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME also takes place in the inner city and again, the music was appropriate.

 

That hip hop is being used in a show where a racially diverse cast is playing real, historical characters - - - some of this country's founding fathers, now that's what I find truly groundbreaking.

 

 

 

[haterobics]

CarlosAlberto said: "I agree HogansHero.

I was under the impression that people were attributing the color blind casting in HAMILTON as groundbreaking, so when After Eight brought up TWO GENTS I had to agree that the color blind casting aspect of HAMILTON isn't ground breaking per se."

 

Am I missing something here? You can't agree with HogansHero and then repeat the same assertion that Hamilton's color-blind casting isn't groundbreaking, since Hogans point was that Hamilton isn't employing color-blind casting here, that the show has written the diversity into the book itself. It is done at a book level, not a casting level. They didn't see a bunch of white actors for George Washington and think, you know... what if we went a different way with this?

[CarlosAlberto]

haterobics said: "CarlosAlberto said: "I agree HogansHero.

 

I was under the impression that people were attributing the color blind casting in HAMILTON as groundbreaking, so when After Eight brought up TWO GENTS I had to agree that the color blind casting aspect of HAMILTON isn't ground breaking per se."

 

 

 

Am I missing something here? You can't agree with HogansHero and then repeat the same assertion that Hamilton's color-blind casting isn't groundbreaking, since Hogans point was that Hamilton isn't employing color-blind casting here, that the show has written the diversity into the book itself. It is done at a book level, not a casting level. They didn't see a bunch of white actors for George Washington and think, you know... what if we went a different way with this?

 

Sorry for the confusion.

I meant that I feel that the color blind casting of the historical characters in HAMILTON is groundbreaking as opposed to the color-blind casting of the fictional characters in TWO GENTS.

 

 

 

 

"

 

[Lilly7]

Great point HogansHero, about Hamilton’s diversity not coming from color blind casting but from the show’s being written that way.

 

In fact, if you look at the character descriptions that Lin-Manuel wrote, you can see that besides King George, all the characters were written to be portrayed by POC. Which means that if Hamilton is hopefully still playing in ten years, we’ll still see POC playing the founding fathers.

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/HAMILTON-to-Hold-Broadway-Auditions-This-Month-Read-Lin-Manuel-Mirandas-Character-Descriptions-20150312

I actually find the term “color blind casting” in the past really just lets most productions use it as an excuse to say “we didn’t cast for race, we just cast the best person for the role” when they didn’t even bother auditioning anyone who wasn’t white. (I’m looking at you Hunger Games) I don't care if Hamilton was the first or is consider groundbreaking, any form of media that actively cast minority as leads that are well rounded character deserves my attention. 

[MyLife]

They actually added 2 ensemble tracks for Broadway - Emmy and Austin seem to be there primarily to bolster background singing rather than dancing. So the cast is a little bigger. They also added 2 swings to the cast. 

[Julie Yard]

Thanks Haterobics for the info on the Public production.... it must have been an amazing experience to see it in a small theater. (I saw Fun Home there... terrific!)

And duh, I did not mention in my love note last night... snaps for LMM for writing those beautiful songs for women... why isn't that CD out yet?

And duh, I did not mention that the performances were amazing. Even WAY UP in the mezz those performances were totally vibrant.

And I haven't read all the conversations, but it's wonderful to watch a show that has a diverse cast and has some relation to the city it's in.

That is one fine show!

[haterobics]

joanf said: "why isn't that CD out yet?"

 

They just finished recording it last week?

 

Yeah, very smal theater to see this in, especially from the third row for $50.

[ChiTheaterFan]

Questlove, LMM, Renee Elise Goldberry, and Daveed Diggs are working on a "secret project." What could it be?  Bonus tracks?

https://twitter.com/questlove/status/636236806640541697

 

 

[macnyc]

HogansHero said: "CarlosAlberto said: "n all fairness After Eight does have a point. HAMILTON is hardly ground breaking in it's racial diversity. TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA also had a racially diverse cast, and this was back in 1971."

 

That misapprehends the significance of what is happening in Hamilton. It is not about color blind casting. (The Public, if no one else, has been doing that for its entire existence.). Hamilton is a show in which the characters are WRITTEN as diverse as a part of the show's dramaturgy. One could cite to other writing of that nature, but not along these lines."

Thanks for this, Carlos. You're articulated what I couldn't, in a succinct way. 

madela2, thanks for that info! 

 

[HogansHero]

@macnyc @Carlos  "I meant that I feel that the color blind casting of the historical characters in HAMILTON is groundbreaking as opposed to the color-blind casting of the fictional characters in TWO GENTS." 

How could color-blind casting of historical figures in Hamilton ever be viewed as groundbreaking? We have been seeing such casting for decades. As the simplest of examples, the Shakespeare history plays.

[billyelliotfan123]

Do you think they will release singles off the Cast Recording?