The Hamilton Experience

I’m sitting in my hotel room in Chicago on Friday night the 26th of May and starting this rough draft of this Blog. It is necessary for me to write everything I am feeling at this moment- SO PUMPED STILL! I just finished my last, and most exciting, day here in Chicago.

To explain the beginning of my day, I have to back-track to last night. I opened up to my niece Lauren and told her that I wanted to take her to see the musical Hamilton tomorrow night for her Birthday. I confessed I didn’t have tickets and we would still have to get them and while on the train, I looked up tickets again. They had increased to $467 each from the $229 each they were two nights before. (Do I need to remind y’all I live in Texas and Broadway musicals and the ways of these musicals are foreign to me?) I told her that was crazy and scary. (However, here I am with my beautiful 19-year old niece that is so excited now about seeing Hamilton.) I was seriously contemplating these prices.

We decided to run by the theatre and see if they had them there cheaper. We arrived at 7:30. (FYI, this is curtain time for that night… the guy behind the booth was obviously not interested in dealing with me and the next night’s tickets.) He told me that if I showed up at 10am the next morning, I could possibly get some tickets if any “came available.” Needless to say, Lauren and I were game to attempt this.

We woke up the next morning, had breakfast, and showed up at the theater around 9:45. It wasn’t until I was getting out of our Uber that I thought, there could be a line. (Again, I’m from Texas…. I don’t know how these musicals and/or supply and demand work according to these musical phenomenons.)

From what we could tell, there was no line in front of the box office doors… now, there were also about 6 theater doors. I noticed a woman standing over in front of the 6 six doors reading a magazine. Lauren and I decided to stand in front of the 4 doors that were opposite the box-office. About that time a lady walked up behind me and asked if we were waiting on tickets. I said yes. She said that her husband was still at the hotel getting ready and he sent her ahead because he thought there would be a line. She had been told the same about tickets. (We shall call this lady Betty, since I didn’t get her name.)

Next thing you know, I see a lady inside going toward the six theater doors to open it up. I told Lauren to hold line and I walked past the lady reading her magazine to where the door was being opened. I called out to Lauren that she was opening this door. I looked at the lady reading her magazine and said, “are you waiting for tickets.” She replied, “Yes”… I told her please come get in front of me. Betty told me that was so nice of me… I told her it’s only fair because she was already there before me, I just saw the door being unlocked first.

We headed inside and were told to stand against the wall and WHEN tickets became available they would call us up. Now during this time, Lauren and I were educated on Broadway shows. Daily, in New York as well, there are lotteries to get tickets for $10 each every day. At this Hamilton show they hold 44 tickets for this daily. Needless to say we all entered the lottery while standing in line. (Note: the chances are 1 and about 10,000 to be drawn.)

The literal MOMENT after we got in this line, the lady in front of me made a phone call. I heard her say, “do you still have that ticket? Ok, I can get the cash and meet you…” And like that, she got out of line and waved to me as if to say, move on up. She left.

In just a few moments, literally 5 or so minutes, a lady stepped out of the box office and looked at me and asked, “do you want tickets?” I said, “Yes” and she motioned me to a box office window. When I stepped to the window she asked, “how many tickets,” and I responded, “TWO!” She asked me if 3rd row center were ok? (Ummmm, duh?) However, I did think to ask, “How much are they?” She said $180 each. I couldn’t pull my card out fast enough! This video denotes our excitement! https://youtu.be/_jivcJj014s

Lauren and I spent the rest of the day at The Field Museum and made a quick run out to Wrigley Field. We planned to go back to the hotel, get changed, have dinner at Smith and Wollensky on the river (see that blog soon) and then head to the theater!

Now, let’s talk Hamilton! 📷

I want to clearly explain what my knowledge was of Hamilton (the musical) before entering. I knew how Lin-Manuel Miranda had written a rap/spoken word presentation for the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word in 2009 about, what he thought, was one of the founding fathers that was never acknowledged properly. It was such a powerful presentation through modern day hip-hop that it received a lot of acclaim and motivated Lin-Manuel to write a full musical.

Additionally, I was familiar with the song “Quiet Uptown” because Kelly Clarkson had performed it on The Hamilton Mixtape, and I loved it. I had that song memorized forward and back.

You all need to understand! I begged all of my college history teachers to pass me. I’m a math person. And at dinner that night, I asked Lauren (my history buff niece), “what is this play about besides Alexander Hamilton”… she said the revolutionary war. Folks, I had to have her remind me what that was again… yes, embarrassment. After dinner, we headed to the theater.

So we get to our amazing seats and we look and act like two kids going to six flags for the first time. Low and behold Betty (from above) and her husband are sitting next to us! We are all so excited to have these incredible tickets!

This amazing, spell-binding, sensory-overloading, educational, uncannily entertaining, mesmerizing event started! The style of music is a combination of Broadway and Hip-hop like you’ve never seen before. I have always heard the concept of rappers “spitting rhymes”… I now know why! These actors/singers were reciting lyrics/song so quickly spit was FLAILING all over that stage… I told Lauren they must have to clean that stage every night. Such talent!!

There is an unbelievable reverse sequence that transpires during the wedding reception scene that was mind-boggling. This scene unfolds while the character Angelica (Alexander Hamilton’s sister-n-law) sings the amazing song “Satisfied.” Have you ever seen in a movie where the scenes reverses… well in film and television that simply includes a reverse button… now, image it LIVEwith people moving furniture,  changing costumes, reciting old scenes… etc, while LIVE on stage! There are no words about how incredible this was!

They do a great job of a few people doing multiple characters which only promotes their talent more AND keeps their cast small and obviously more bonded.

I saw how Mike Pence (Vice-President Elect at the time) had gone to New York to see this play on Broadway while skimming Facebook’s news-feed one time. Now, knowing what the Trump/Pence campaign felt about immigrants, I couldn’t help but wonder what he thought as the line “Immigrants, we get the job done” was spit during the “Yorktown (the world turned upside down)” song. Because in Chicago, the crowd erupted with that line.

I don’t want to tell too much about the musical because if you ever see it, I want you to be as ignorant as me. But there are no words to describe the emotions when “Quiet Uptown” is performed and they reach the words…. “forgiveness,  can you imagine” while Eliza reaches over and takes Alexander’s hand… tears and no words!

You MUST see this in your life! You will leave this show, not only entertained, but educated! I have a much greater appreciation for our founding fathers and Broadway artists. I was moved. I was shaken to the core. I was entertained. I was educated. I was happy. I was sad. I was in awe.

Note: Education is everywhere around us and we always need to expound our experiences.

Lesson: If you want theater tickets, get off or your mobile device and actually walk to the theater.