here's a link to the sequel, set to what comes next?, which also contains a link to the original you'll be back video
Ok, so, quick question. I have long been a musical junkie, and I usually want to listen to hit musicals as they come out, but I've been pretty torn about this one. Reason: patriotism/American nationalism makes me go up in hives. It's incredibly uncomfortable for me and I don't like it. Can y'all tell me how patriotic Hamilton is? I mean that in the 'America worship' sense mostly. Will I have to listen to how Great America Is for any long amount of time? Does this go criticized? Will I feel shamed for hating this dear nation so much? Because I probably would not be able to stand it. Are there a handful of MUSICALLY amazing song that would be worth listening to anyway? I want to jump in but I cannot express how much the sentiment 'America is Great' makes me want to shut my computer and walk away forever.
Well, the play really doesn't shy away from the whole 'WOW SLAVERY WAS A THING THAT HAPPENED, THAT'S FUCKED UP' thing, and I don't remember it being very 'america is the greatest nation ever' either - it seems focused on the founding fathers being fallible (alliteration intended) instead of divinely inspired authors or whatever. And musically amazing - well, Wait For It, Non Stop, Yorktown, and Room Where It Happens are great, Guns and Ships, Washington On Your Side, and Satisfied have really impressive bits of people rapping ridiculously quickly, and I love Right Hand Man and Stay Alive. The Story of Tonight and Dear Theodosia are a bit softer in tone, so they're nice too. ...that's probably like half the musical already, hee.
@littlewhitemouse nnnot really? It's very idealistic, and they definitely do talk a lot about what they want the country to be, but they don't gloss over the darker parts of the history.
That doesn't sound like it'll bother me much, then. I'll plan to listen to the thing since it sounds like the content won't grate on me enough to make the music not worth it. Thanks!
we were going through the French Revolution stuff in history AND sociology AND geography for some fucking reason last week in the prep classes for the uni entrance exams and like. i have so much trouble with it now because of Hamilton’s Cabinet Battle 2 like do you fucking know how much i have to restrain myself from laughing alone in the middle of class when i remember that part, which is every time someone mentions louis xvi even in passing, because my brain hates me
*sits down* yes hello i've listened to the whole soundtrack twice now and it's so good?? and the recurring bit with Eliza putting herself in/taking herself out/shaking all about the narrative always makes me cry and I'm not sure why *shrug* and i had only the vaguest idea about the whole founding fathers thing before this since I'm Canadian lol
Yeah I knew absolutely nothing about any of this before listening to the soundtrack. I'm Swedish?? I'd never even heard Hamilton's name. I love Eliza's character arc so much. She's absolutely amazing I love her.......
Yeah, I'm still baffled by how much I love this. I'm Brazilian and I usually don't like rap/hip hop because I can't understand what the heck they're singing....
BLAHHH listening to the second act from hurricane onwards is so emotionally draining. why do i keep doing this to myself 'i wonder which song will make me cry this time,' i ask myself, foolishly, despite knowing full well that this is a trick question and the answer is actually 'i will be crying almost constantly from "burn" onwards, with breaks for snacks and laughing at Jefferson's dickery'
I love that this is so popular because it's premise is such a bizarre combination of things that it has no right being as good as it is, AND YET. Seconding relating to Burr. There's value in both his and Hamilton's approach. Though sometimes one works better than the other. But both are needed in the world! Also more political debates should be rap battles
i can't stop thinking about the ridiculously complex false rhyme in "washington on your side" and daveed diggs' fantastic delivery of every single line in the song, particularly these bolded parts ohhhh my god HOW is anyone else going to play this part when daveed is done with it?? how and YES burr is incredibly sympathetic, even at his slimiest
okay so yesterday/today i recognized Anthony Ramos' voice in Ten Duel Commandments, because he shows up later as Hamilton's son Phillip. But it took me a few double-takes after seeing Daveed Diggs' name on the video for Guns and Ships just now, to realize that he plays Lafayette. I was like "...wait uh [googles "hamilton daveed diggs"] hm. nice. nice nice nice nice" edit: also I sent my mom a link to a playlist with all the songs, although now the opening number has been flagged in canada so she won't be able to hear that one. hm. anyway, when my dad inevitably rolls his eyes like "a musical, about.... alexander hamilton? a rap musical? ????" i can go "dad. dad this thing made me cry multiple times? i'm literally in tears because burr and hamilton have a dad-duet about their respective kids? it's so good??" because Dear Theodosia absolutely made me cry while cleaning my kitchen yesterday. additional edit to avoid doubleposting: so when hamilton quotes macbeth in Take A Break, he's like "i trust you get the reference without me having to name the play", is that a thing about how theatre people flip out if you say macbeth? and then he says it anyway two seconds later, but is it different if it's the character's name rather than the play's? anyway, I'll try not to liveblog this listen-thru any further unless i come up with something really interesting.
@Ery Thrismal yup, there's a lot of double casting, most of which can be textually significant as well as practical! Lafayette, Laurens, and Mulligan are all absent from the second act so it makes sense to give such fantastic actors something else to do. This is also interesting because the line "we fought with him" works whether you read it as Lafayette and Mulligan or Jefferson and Madison-they're either fighting with him like fighting by his side, or fighting with him like getting in a fight. Jasmine Cephas-Jones also plays both Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds, which makes sense to keep her in "me, I loved him" where Peggy historically didn't.
