I have a confession to make: I always get teary-eyed at the opening of every play I watch. Every single one of them. Even Matilda, I’m not kidding!
Doesn’t matter if it’s international or local, if the opening is happy or sad — or in the case of Phantom, haunting. My eyes just well up as soon as the lights are on, the curtain is drawn, and the music or dialogue starts.
Hamilton, of course, is not gonna be an exemption.
This particularly is interesting because it marked the first ever play that we went to after the pandemic. It felt extra special because we’ve been excited to see this, so much so that we were willing to go overseas — like Australia or Singapore. So much so that I had to ask a friend to get me a souvenir from the time she watched this in London just so I can have a token in case I don’t get to watch it live.
But then the pandemic happened and all magic of physical theater had to stop.
We were able to watch the original Broadway cast’s performance on Disney+ but, really, nothing compares to the real thing. So when it was announced that it’ll have a Manila stop, I know that I can never and will never throw away my shot.
Hamilton is as good in live as they say it is. The music is top notch, the choreography is amazing, and the set design is very impressive. We were lucky that we got our very own Rachel Ann Go as Eliza when we watched. She’s gone a long way from the popstar we knew her as. The cast, in general, is quite different from Broadway’s. Whereas Lin Manuel and his gang had the grit and rawness, the Australian cast is quite technical and clean. David Park’s Lafayette, for example, sounded like someone from a boyband compared to Daveed Diggs crazy, nitty vocals. Our Aaron Burr is much more reserved than Leslie Odom Jr, who’s already reserved as he is but can still be very emotional (that’s why his songs are the hardest to sing, I think).
I’ve been listening to the original cast’s album for years now so I can’t help but compare. But I still very much enjoyed the show despite the differences.
Hamilton is really one for the books. And if given a chance (and resources), I would watch it again and again. Lin Manuel Miranda created a genius work of art that will go down in history as one of the best and most unique musicals of all time. And I am lucky that I got to be in the room where it happened.