HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY, HAMILTON THE MUSICAL! HAMILTON OPENED ON BROADWAY AUG 6, 2015! Eliza. The other Hamilton. The understated sister. Let's look at her emotional highlights and see just how much the role demands of the actor. We'll also talk about our foremother's history and what's true or fictional. How do you view Eliza? What about her legacy have you come to appreciate because Hamilton puts her in the narrative? Write me your thoughts! Let's continue the discussion below!
Here comes the bride, yes, also the Veil is a shorthand for marriage but they probably wouldn't have used a veil back then they were out of fashion by the 17th and 18th century :) Oh and she hadn't lost her son yet when she sings Burn... ;) That comes before forgiveness... ;)
New subscriber. I’ve loved these artists, and their interpretations, for a long time. I’m so excited to see the movie receive such love, and from so many corners of the world and touching all ages and cultures. I’m hoping this will encourage other theater production “powers that be” to rethink how valuable recording their shows for posterity can be. There’s a lot of potential to do this. I look forward to seeing you go through this musical. Obviously not an officially filmed musical, but I’ve become very fond of watching the Encore summer series presentation of A New Brain on RU-vid. It stars Jonathan Groff, Ada Gasteyer, and Aaron Lazar, and Dan Fogler (Christian Borle did the soundtrack because Dan wasn’t available), so good collaboration. If you reacted to the live RU-vid video of the musical, I’d love it. Borle and Groff also were together more recently doing Little Shop of Horrors off Broadway. I’ve been loving this version’s soundtrack, with these 2. I don’t know if you react or educate on soundtracks or not, but I’d love that.
@@danip3270 Hiya! :) hehe :) Traitor.. I've got a new Lovecraft country reaction up an you're here looking at someone else.... *sniffsniff* You'll be back :P
Luck Dragon Lair Plenty of 💗 to go around 😉. My Hamilton obsession is becoming unhealthy. Of course, RU-vid keeps recommending these great channels, just positively reinforcing it. I have you on alert, my friend. 😁
"Hamilton may be a tragic character but it's Eliza who bears the tragedy." Thank you so much for saying that-- While Alexander is the brains and the one in the spotlight, it's Eliza who has always supported and endured in the background. I remember watching a clip from the documentary wherein someone said "Alexander Hamilton wpuld have never achieved what he achieved without marrying Eliza Schuyler." Not just his achievements, his legacy, too. It would not have been preserved and known as we know it now if not for Eliza's painstaking efforts to make sure his name goes down in history. Such a strong and beautiful woman! Indeed, the best of wives and best of women.
Indeed. Hamilton would have disappeared from the record if his political enemies had their way. They seriously tried to bury him and Eliza fought tooth and nail to keep his memory alive to the American people.
@@ms_scribbles And imagine how much resolve it would have taken her! After all, Alex cheated on her, publicly humiliated her by publishing his affair, and his actions eventually led to the duel of Philip which derailed the sanity of young Angelica Hamilton. At least in the musical, we know that Eliza resents Hamilton's obsession with his legacy, and to dedicate fifty years of her life of preserving said legacy all while maintaining the orphanage, says so much about her.
I love A Winter's Ball, Helpless and Satisfied coming one after the other because it shows the exact same scene from three vastly different perspectives that tell us so much about the character. A Winter's Ball paints Hamilton as the womanizer-type who is really into the ladies and is looking for a wealthy wife to raise his own wealth and social standing where snagging a Schuyler sister is more of a prize than anything else. I even remember there was a time when fans called that song The Founding Fuckboys. Then we go into Helpless where Eliza is so sweet, innocent and excitable with her crush on Hamilton and she seems to genuinely like him as he is rather than to get something out of him. Then we go to Satisfied where Angelica truly does connect with Hamilton but her pragmatism and love for her sister makes her, for want of a better phrase, throw away her shot. They work so well together. People always talk about Satisfied and Helpless but I feel like A Winter's Ball adds another important layer to that night in the play as it shows Hamilton approaching this party much differently to the ladies.
That's some great insight, ZariDV! The scenes do build on each other. In fact, since Hamilton is made out so strongly to be the womanizer, I thought when Satisfied came around, that there was going to be a real affair between him and Angelica. In a way, I felt like Satisfied dropped the ball and didn't lead to anything all that essential to the plot, even though there's a lot of character and background given in it. A Winter's Ball sets up the later affair regardless of what is said in Satisfied. But your point about 3 perspectives for those contiguous scenes is one that has not really occurred to me (even though some of the choreography and staging get repeated rather obviously). Thanks for pointing all that out!
My favorite line was "I knew you were mine. You said you were mine. I thought you were mine." It mirrors her character arc until this point in the story. It went from "I knew" to "you said" to "I thought". That naïve surety (I knew) that she had at the beginning is because of that trust she had in his words (you said). Then when his words reveal what was really going on, she realizes that she didn't know. She "thought". To see that innocence stripped away from her in that moment as she sees things for what they were, rather than what she had imagined, is probably one of the greatest strokes of brilliance in this whole musical.
Hi Emma! Yes, I noticed that, too. That progression lends a tentative quality to Eliza's slow realization. It kind of unwinds the clock in her mind. She goes back in time while trying to piece together her own shattered thoughts and feelings. Miranda truly makes time the central cog in this wheel that is Hamilton.
I like your thoughts about these songs, and the facts you shared. About Lin, the thing about him is, he really is not the best singer in THE WHOLE ensemble, and he said that himself. Lol But the way he tells the story is everything to me. His acting is on point that makes me see pass his singing abilities. His rapping is also amazing.🙂 And the fact that he made this play is incredible. He’s kind of a genius for me. Lol Eliza, is the calm that gives balance in Hamilton’s life, in this play at least.
Thanks, Chelliekot! I'm so glad you joined in the discussion. True, Lin is not as polished a singer as many of the others, but I agree that he is effective. His rapping is so keen in particular! His White House performance is superior! But I also find that he doesn't quite let go of that in his lyrical singing or his acting. It reads as surface for me, though I have experienced far lesser connected performances on Broadway, too. I feel I want more depth from him.
Hi again -- yes, indeed, my reaction to One Last Time is not yet posted as of this date. It is still being edited and will be out next week I hope. I also make a mention about Lin there because there is a stark contrast between his work and Christopher Jackson's, who reveals his soul in that song. Maybe my critique will be a bit more clear looking at the two of them side by side. And mind you, I also mean to give Lin his due as a performer, not take away from what's good about his work. I've also heard that he was not originally meant to do the role! Thanks for the thoughts, and I'll see you soon another time with One Last Time!
DayleSong oh, I understand what you’re saying. I just like hearing what other people think of certain performances. Definitely, even the contrast of Chris’ rnb style vs Lin’s rapping is quite fun to watch! I always tear up when it comes to the part “But the scripture says, "Everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, And no one shall make them afraid.” They'll be safe in the nation we've made. I wanna sit under my own vine and fig tree, a moment alone in the shade at home in this nation we've made. One last time...” The words are just beautiful 😭 Can’t wait for your new video!🙂
Yes, I feel like Hamilton shows just because you're the lead or whatever it doesn't mean you have the "best" singing voice. I like that about it. He's OBV NOT the worst but yk. He's ofc still great.
Re: Graham Wyndham- Phillipa Soo established a relationship with the orphanage (now a foster care and social service organization) when Lin told her about it, wanting that tangible connection to Eliza. That blossomed into the Eliza Project, where cast members from Hamilton do arts workshops with the children that Graham Wyndham serves, four times a year. This continues to this day, as each cast of Hamilton in NYC has participated. I believe families served by Graham Wyndham are also given opportunities to see the show as well.
*Thank YOU for this, Dayle! My favorite line that you said is, "Hamilton may be the tragic character, but Eliza has to bear it."* Please do Burr, sir! Hehe (: My Hamilton video comes out today, too!
I like how you incorporate historical facts into your review. I wasn’t aware that Angelica wrote a sort of risqué letter to her sister about Hamilton. I like finding out lil tidbits like that. It just adds more to the story. Thanks for your review it was entertaining and informative.
Thank you for the compliment, B. Patterson! It is a fun fact, for sure. Fascinating when an historical personage pops out of history like that! And a performer doing a biographical role should investigate these things, though how the actor lives in the character's skin is ultimately more important than any fact. The Schuyler sisters were really well played.
I love also how Eliza progresses with "enough".... In "That would be enough" she states that if he stays alive that would be enough. Then in "Non-Stop", she questions that... "Would it be enough?" And by the finale, she adopts a pro-active role. She lives another 50 years and does so much, but "It's not enough". Character development at its finest tbh.
Thank you, Isabella! I plan on doing Burr! He has great songs and Leslie Odom, Jr. was great. I will launch One Last Time (already in the works) next as I mentioned, with Burr coming up soon. Thanks for the encouragement! Stay tuned!
Calling him an Icarus and hoping he burns go together. Calling someone an icarus is calling them obsessive over an end goal and accomplishing it at any cost till they crash and ruin their lives.
Hi Angela! Thank you for pointing out the Icarus line! Chernow's biography of Hamilton has a chapter called, "Flying Too Near the Sun" which refers to a letter Angelica wrote Eliza about the situation, and Lin took it directly from that and made it about Alexander's hubris as a man having an affair. This satisfies a modern audience, but her letter condemns the architects of his public shaming, those being Monroe and Callender, and speaks well of Alexander. She writes, "Merit, virtue and talents must have enemies and are always exposed to envy so that, my Eliza, you see the penalties attending the position of so amiable a man. All this you would not have suffered if you had married into a family less near the sun…" She refers to Icarus, a well-known myth she uses for illustrating her point, but not to say Alexander was playing with fire in the affair, but that Eliza, by marrying him, has to accept the reality of dirty politics being tied to a man with unstoppable political ambitions. Knowing this kind of deflates the story told in the musical, but in the end, we have a strong moment given to the musical theater song canon!
Helpless may have two of the many Easter eggs that Lin put in the show. There are two R&B songs titled with a version of ‘So Into You’ and another titled ‘The Boy is Mine’, all from the late 90’s. Interesting side note- in ‘The Boy is Mine’, the song is a duet conversation between two ladies regarding the man they are both dating. Hmm?
Hi aj71169! Thanks for the fantastic insight! I missed those references just like we missed Easter this year! Right over my head! I wouldn't have known those songs to begin with, but it's interesting that he used them for inspiration. They say nothing is original but in how you put the pieces together! Did you know those songs when you heard these lyrics, and if so, did it enrich the song for you? What was your reaction to that?
DayleSong DS, let me re-emphasize, those MAY be Easter eggs. I will be the first to admit my love-hate relationship with artists, especially the musically-inclined. The short version is- I hate them because I ain’t them!😂 My left dominated brain can’t wrap itself around people that can create. Now the funny part. As a 50-year old black man, 90’s R&B is in my wheel house. But, the song I thought I knew ‘so into you’ from was wrong.😆 In looking for it I was reminded of these. And it does make it a little more fun to believe that you may be thinking along the same lines as any show’s creator. For instance, when discussing the show with my demographic peer group, most don’t know the Pirates of Penzance reference. So on the flip side, I know that Lin included theater references that I’m sure you caught that went right by me. Example, waaay in the back of my mind I remember being told about the Macbeth curse. So while the ‘say the character, not the play’ loophole may be in effect, I had to be reminded of it when someone commented on a video, this play’s character’s downfall started after it was invoked. Intentional, no idea. But fun to think about!
I find the fact Lin Manuel Miranda isn’t the greatest singer endearing and real. And relatable as someone who loves music but has the voice of a bullfrog with a sore throat.
Hi, D is me! I don't mind his singing not being on par with other, more prepared singers, but that I think his rapping, which is superb, enters his acting at times - - at least in how he delivers a line - - and it shies him away from giving us an authentic moment. In comparison to Chris Jackson, he seems like he's occupied with some other scene now and again (not just that he's reading while Washington is speaking...). He has the playful, sort of gritty part of Hamilton's character very well enacted, but when it comes to the deeper moments, I expect more. Like what Jackson delivers.
I like to think that Alexander started as the first main hamilton in the show but it was Eliza who finished his legacy at the end. It fits for her to end the show as she is the other important hamilton of the story, thus the name of the show is not Alexander Hamilton, because it is a co-written family legacy.
I agree, Faith. While in the end we are told Eliza Hamilton's story, it does not negate Alexander's story. It's both of their stories intertwined highlighting that his legacy would never have been so well known if it weren't for Eliza. Both American Revolution era musicals do this in their own way. In 1776, Abigail Adams is also given much credit as a foremother who gives emotional support and sage advice to John, thereby telling us how important she was to the American cause. It's not aimed so much as Hamilton at being biographical, but the effect is made apparent. And Hamilton opened in 2015 just on the eve of a woman president potentially being elected. It will happen. And I like to believe that theater helps shift cultural norms, so if we highlight the women in our history more, we may start to crack that glass ceiling! And hopefully soon.
I read somewhere that Eliza didn't rap because she lived the longest, therefore had more time to tell her story. Not sure if that's intentional, but if I were Lin, I'd claim it lol
Phillipa is amazing at conveying emotion in this role. This song reduces me to tears no matter how many times I hear it. While it takes some liberty with history, it really is a beautifully written piece of musical theater. :)
I love how Lin wrote Eliza’s arc and how beautifully Pippa plays her. The shift at the end of Act 1 from singing “that would be enough” to joining Angelica in singing “he will never be satisfied” took my breath away the first time I realized it.
Hey Dayle! Love your Hamilton breakdowns! I was super interested when you noted how Eliza breaks the "flow" of the musical as a whole by singing this slower and more soothing/happy number. I just had a fun fact for you, Lin actually noted that he had all of his characters singing/rapping fast throughout the musical except for Eliza because she had time to tell her story and did not need to rush like the others who would pass before her! Everything that Eliza sings throughout the musical is in her same whimsical, beautiful, and slowed down pace as she has 97 years to live and does not need to rush! The characters that die earlier than she does all have less time to tell their story and are rushed throughout most of their scenes, minus a few that are slowed down. I hope you like this fact, I'm really happy you took notice to this as well as I have not seen many people note how different the song is! Thank. you so much for sharing this, I look forward to more Hamilton reactions, and other reactions, from you!! Take care!
i think it's interesting how helpless is a song about falling in love and it has all this imagery that is usually negative 'helpless', 'drowning', 'down for the count', 'dying inside',etc, that reflects how eliza feels in that moment but also foreshadows what was to come. also i like she says the sky is the limit and then she is drowning, considering in burn alexander is the one compared to icarus who flew too close to the sun, who got burnt.
Hi moon! You point out some excellent cross-references in the lyrics that the actor would certainly piece together doing the role. I find it rich when a song like Helpless has such a dichotomy as to have foreboding/foreshadowing lyrics yet project to the audience her youthful, innocent joy of getting married. The music has a "bubble gum" quality, but that, too, helps set up the tragedy, as the highs make the lows feel even lower. Thanks for the astute thoughts!
I'm wondering why you didn't emphasize Phillipa's perfect articulation of every note and run in "Helpless." Brilliant! I understand that your topic was covering the arc of the character and what the actor had to do, but since you're a coach, I would think you'd remark more about her vocal performance. For example, in "Burn", she sings the first line piano, which is so effective. It gives her room to build the emotion for the rest of the song.
I just want to say I love your analysis because you not only based your thoughts on how Philipa is singing technically, (which is the only way I've seen other vocal coaches react to "Hamilton" that I've seen) but also within the context and a clear understanding of the play, which is greatly appreciated. In terms of Lin's voice, I guess now that it's out on Disney plus, everybody is commenting on his voice like no one has said it before when it actually is the most common weakness of Lin that people will talk about if you watch enough Hamilton-related videos so hopefully, it will be a known and understood fact that people can be gracious enough not to bring up, cause I believe Lin's level of singing is where most people are at, somewhere in the middle, not good enough to make a career out of, but not bad enough that you cannot tolerate listening to it. Lin himself knows he can't hit those notes, that's why he surrounded himself in the original cast with people who can sing and dance better than he can to make the play as successful as it is. He's not the best singer, but at least he is not screeching at the top of his lungs, hurting people's ears. His acting and passion more than make up for his lack of vocals for me. Would I have preferred a more vocally trained actor to take on the role of Alex? Yes, but if you think about what makes Alex who he is, Lin's unrefined voice fits the role perfectly. He's an orphan, poor kid who is just desperate to make a name for himself. He could not afford to get a proper education, unlike Aaron or all the others he meets when he first gets to New York, so whether or not you like his voice, it fits. Word around the internet says Lin's voice has improved a lot since his original broadway run in Hamilton, but there is little to no video from his 3 weeks in Puerto Rico to back this up, only written reviews. However, I just found this video of Lin singing with Ben Platt from 2018 and compared to when Hamilton was filmed in 2016, between 2 years, his vocals have DEFINITELY improved! See for yourself: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2aQykuIaJVI.html
I saw Hamilton two weeks ago while I was babysitting a friend's child, he slept the time Hamilton stared until it finished, lucky me, when the show was ending, exactly the last part of your video, I was sobbing when I realized they told us the story of Eliza Hamilton, amazing work of Art, Lin Manuel Miranda is a genius, he brought a modern tale of our History.
Hi Rosie! I agree that this show is groundbreaking and highly clever, ingenious. We could easily give it genius status. What is remarkable is what you say: Miranda brings us a modern tale using an historical context. It makes us personalize it better and gives it 3 dimensions. It also makes us think about where U.S. politics began and how little has changed--sadly. But it also speaks to the universality of how politics is always messy and contentious. That is important to keep in mind as we look back in reverence at our forefathers and foremothers, the latter, whose stories need more such telling!
Hi Dayle, I hope you are doing well. I was wondering if you had heard First Burn? It’s an alternative version of burn in which I want to say about 6 different actresses that played Eliza sing. This version of the song showcases Eliza’s anger about the affair as opposed to her pain and loss that burn evokes. I am curious to hear your thoughts on this version.
Hello, Carolina! Thank you for bringing this to my attention! I have not heard it, and I am certainly curious! I'll check it out and let you know my thoughts. 👍🏼
@@DayleSong Oh yes, please react to First Burn. It's my favorite song in the entire musical (If a deleted song can count for that position - shrug -). I highly suggest that you look for Ziksua's animatic of the song, it's absolutely brilliant. Here it is: m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-6RT10PoiPvs.html Enjoy!
IExcellent analysis. You made several points that I hadn't noticed in my many viewings of the show. Her voice actually takes on a more mature quality as she is much older in Burn than Helpless, which is pretty impressive. The throatiness you mention strikes a familiar chord of the dangerous rage of a woman whose trust has been betrayed.
I found your analysis of the final scene very interesting I’ve always thought that the shriek was her realizing death but your analyzation saying that she finally gets to tell her story and that’s why she streaks is very interesting to me thanks for the great video
Hi Maddi! Their passing letters around is a very clever visual to show the passing of time (a major theme in the show, of course) as well as communicating the method by which they interacted. Unfortunately, the wonderful art of letter writing and the wealth of resource letters are for historical research are largely lost today with electronic communication. Those weren't necessarily simpler times, but things moved at a much more human pace!
@@DayleSong oh absolutely. It's a wonderful form of communication. I was more talking about Angelica's "if you really loved me you would share him" just the banter of these founding mother's is fantastic.
And how lively their letters are! It's easy to see why the characters are so accessible onstage, because they jump off the page in their own words! Angelica seems like she was a real hoot!
I'm reading Hamilton's biography right now and I couldn't agree more with your observation about how we think of family and life style in the 18th century! The amount of gossip! 😂
Hi Martina! The French have a wonderfully fatalistic saying you may know: "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose," which means, "The more things change, the more they stay the same." Hamilton the Musical truly shows us that people don't change just because time marches on! Are you reading the Chernow biography?
Yes! Wonderfully written I have to say, and I will have to check out a biography of Jefferson's as well! But yeah, people don't change, they had pamphlets and anonymous newspaper entries, we have social media.
That's a good comparison, Martina. Certainly, publishing your gossip took longer and kept within the confines of elite circles. I mean, only the upper social classes would have access. Today, most everyone has access to social media and the amount we see is staggering and has a brief shelf life such that I wonder which gossip was more damaging. I suppose it is relative to the dynamics of the age, but I can see arguments for either being worse. Back then, a small group of people were in control of a small population of a nascent nation; today we are the world leader in a globalized world. In which scenario do the waves of gossip pound more fiercely or whose effects are felt more acutely? Does globalization temper today's "fake news" and niche politics more than the parameters of Hamilton s more localized, more territorial reality? Something to ponder. 🤔
My interpretation of The Gasp that Eliza gives at the end is that that is when she is told of Hamilton's death. Like, for the whole song "Who Tells Your Story" we're kind out of time, we're looking into what will happen into the future. The Gasp brings us back to the "present", the moment and the emotion of Eliza's reaction, and you're reminded again that a man, whose life story you just witnessed, just died and he left a grieving widow.
Hi Sarah! Nice interpretation. I like that. Given that time is an overarching theme, that is a fitting possibility. Since I recorded this, I saw an article in which Phillipa herself says that her own reason for the gasp would change often. It seems that whatever Lin had in mind was left open to interpretation and the actor just had to make it real. It's rather ingenious to include as a final gesture! Keeps us all wondering and discussing it!
Hamilton gives us so much emotion and depth. I’m so glad it was released on Disney+ because even if some of us were lucky enough to see it live, this production has so much going on you HAVE to see it over and over again to pick up on all the little details.
A big thanks to RU-vid for recommending your video about "satisfied" to me. Watched that one first, then this one and gladly there is one more for me to watch right now :D subscribed 👍
I’m loving this Hamilton breakdowns! I’ve read previous comments and know you plan on doing more Hamilton but was wondering your thoughts on possibly doing some Jeremy Jordan songs? Santa Fe and his She Used to be Mine on miscast? Thanks!
I'd love for you to react to Wait For It as it's a very important Burr song. It cements to the watchers as to what Burr's point of view on life is which shows the rivaling views of Burr and Hamilton, how Burr would much rather "Wait for it" but Hamilton would never give up "My Shot"
You need to do a react to the Hamilton cover Dear Theodosia by Trey McLaughlin, Jamal Moore, and Arthur Chapman!!! It’s so beautiful it makes me cry every time
One of the things I love that isn't mentioned in this video appears at the 1:40 mark. In Helpless when Eliza is on the left and Hamilton on the right, with Angelica in the middle, Eliza sings "🎵 You walked in and my heart went BOOM!" 🎵 Prior to her singing that, Angelica was starring at Hamilton. Then when Eliza says "BOOM" Angelica's head swings away from Hamilton and looks at her sister. Later, during Satisfied, that moment is revealed in such a way that it reinforces the feelings of this moment even if you didn't notice it. (I may not be making sense).
Yeah, Lin isn't the best sing, but to be honest, I can't imagine Hamilton's part being sung by anyone else. His voice kind of represents who Alexander was in a way. Almost everyone else has this grand, beautiful voice, while the words are all written by Lin and his brilliant mind while Lin's singing voice is a little rough-around-the-edges. It gives a perfect contrast. For example, you've got Chris' voice as Washington so grand and sweeping, which befits the grand image of our First President, while Lin's voice for Alex is a bit imperfect, a bit squeaky in places, which befits Hamilton's imperfections as a human being and his over-emotional nature. It may not be classically "amazing", but it is *perfect*.
Thanks for that assessment, StormWolf! I totally agree that it all works just fine. My comment about Lin is more about nuance and depth, especially evident in comparison to the fine work of Jackson, and especially in how he acts his lines more than how he sings. His dialogue seems always a bit half sung, which comes across more shallow to me. Lin dazzles us with fireworks, but I also want to see his gunpowder. (Ooh, write that down! Lol!) Seriously, it's not all about the perfection of the voice on the musical stage (Jackson himself sounds so raspy that I wonder if there is vocal damage) but about transformation into character: bringing the inside out. He's almost there, because he does understand Alexander from a writer's perspective, but I think he created a richer, more subtle character in Alexander that could be brought out more.
This just popped up in my recommended and i quite enjoyed it!!! I'm interested to see what youll have to say about wait for it (my absolute favorite song from hamilton) if you get around to it and I'd love to see you react to Hadestown. It's got such a great cast. Lady of the Underground has such great acting choices in it
At this point when she sings burn see how that lost her son yet she's just a lots of relationship and I love that she just had with her husband at this point
So true. This is why Hamilton the musical is so powerful, because it's not just about Alexander, but Eliza Hamilton, as well. Neither the show nor his detailed legacy would exist without her dedication to history.
I’ve seen Hamilton twice in person and of course again watching the movie and I’ve noticed that all the actors playing Hamilton never seemed as captivating as the other characters. It does always seem a little surface level so maybe it reflects more on the writing and/or general casting? Edit: or perhaps Hamilton’s role in the play? (No hate to Lin because he is an absolute genius💕)
Hi Nicola! I mean no disrespect to Lin either by commenting on his performance as I do. I think it's worth taking note for those of us who perform to strive for more grit in such a role. When he starts rapping, it's clear and crisp and fast. He's unbeatable. He also seems to be aware of his limitations by his own admission. All admirable. If it's somewhat a fault of the writing, it could be in the fact that Hamilton needs to be both a firecracker and a wisecrack and sometimes simultaneously--pushing out and pulling back at the same time. Maybe the director gave him too much leeway and so the next casts inherited that direction? Perhaps it's just the effect of performing a tour-de-force role you wrote and there's not enough distance to work the rewrites. These are all conjecture and maybe there's partial truth to more than one of these suppositions. I tend more so to think someone would be able to step up and make the role pop.
DayleSong For sure. Those are all very good points. I really hope that someday I will see someone in that role who really blows me away so to speak. I do think that there is room for the character to dive a little deeper but it’s a fair point that Hamilton character may make it harder to do so. Once again I am obsessed with the show so I mean no disrespect. Same goes for Lin who has many talents and as you stated knows his limits and strengths.
@@nic5373 I imagine the show will play for years to come. Like Phantom, it could make new careers for people. Let's hope that new great talent emerges from this.
The reason eliza never raps is because her character is all about time. She never raps therefore she had the most singing time I believe. At the end she says ham always wishes she would have more time so lin chose to make her character not rap.
Hi Chelsea Fan! I'm so glad you are enjoying the channel and touched by your response! Thank you! I have not yet streamed live, but as I continue to develop content for the channel. I hope to build that in. Twitch or Streamyard are two platforms I've looked at. What would you like to have streamed? Ideas are most welcome!
@@DayleSong im very inexperienced when it comes to musicals so id like to see your personal favorites. After Hamilton really opening my eyes to musicals ive only watched Guys and Dolls movie and the first part of Carousel at the lincoln theater(i think)
You're giving me ideas, Chelsea Fan! A few people have commented the same thing, that they are new to musical theater. Guys & Dolls (though the movie is a poor representation of a great show except that it preserves Vivian Blaine's iconic performance) and Carousel are a great start. Check out My Fair Lady, The Music Man, The Sound of Music, South Pacific (some of the best of the rep and best films) and the original stage production of Into the Woods, for two other great staples. Then graduate to Sweeny Todd (stage production) for more Sondheim. I may look at Newsies next on this channel, which is new for me! Enjoy!
Don't know if anyone wrote this already (and too lazy to look through all the comments, haha), but I just wanted to share another interpretation of Eliza's gasp at the end that occurred to me, because I know there have been several thoughts with Eliza seeing Alexander and Philip again in the afterlife for example. Now I also liked the idea that when Lin comes in the end and takes her hand to lead her to the front of the stage, he isn't actually doing it in his role as Hamilton, but AS LIN, the writer, showing her the audience and making her aware that her/their story has indeed been told. I'm sure this has been said by others already, but I just loved the interpretation so much that I wanted to make sure :)
I don’t think he’s Hamilton at that point when he brings her back to the front of the stage.. He’s Lin. He’s showing Eliza the audience and that her story is still being told. He’s allowing her to break through that invisible wall and really SEE.
Hi Amy! Thanks for the thought. Someone else brought that up, too, but then another's response was what does it say when another actor plays Hamilton? We are used to seeing both Lin and the character interchangeably, but for the play, itself, it can't always be Lin up there. My thought is that it is indeed Hamilton coming from the beyond and leading her into the narrative, into the spotlight to give her her due in turn for her giving him his. But while Lin is in the cast, we can read it as him and buy into that extra layer. Why not?
Hi Dawn, Thanks for sharing your thoughts. What do you think of the counterargument that if Lin were not the actor, how might it change your point of view? I'm open to all sides, but that one seems to put a hole in the surety of your guys' interpretation.
DayleSong I think it doesn’t matter who played Hamilton in the play, whether it’s Lin or a different actor - it’s the realization that someone - anyone is portraying him and telling his (their) story that causes Eliza’s reaction 😁
Hi Lyanna! Thank you for asking! I plan to focus on Burr next, in fact. I'll see how the inspiration hits me as to how I discuss his part. I think I'll look at his arc but maybe continue the discussion across 2 or 3 songs so the video is not quite as long as this one! I appreciate your watching!
@@DayleSong there are so many references. Throughout the entire musical. Google, slate all the hip-hop references in Hamilton a track-by-track guide. It's a lot of r &b especially from Biggy smalls its actually really clever, but in helpless specifically beyonce's "countdown" just listen to that song. The way some of the rhymes are down and the words are said. The flow. Then 'That boy is mine' brandy and Monica. Fugees 'Ready or not'. There is a lot really clever lines and you can really tell the genius of miranda. A lot of the references you won't get unless you're familiar with rap and rnb many of the older references I didn't get at first because it was before my time.
Thanks for pointing this out, Caramel-Rxse! Yes, that is true. Here's an article that talks about that and also shows a video on RU-vid that proves it--if you haven't already seen it: www.cinemablend.com/news/2552037/epic-hamilton-video-shows-how-satisfied-and-helpless-perfectly-mirror-each-other
Good point, Nicola. Different perspectives for us as the audience, but it may indicate a similar, perhaps parallel, inner life of the sisters. Or maybe parallel story? What does it say to you?
DayleSong DayleSong The way I see it suggests that Lin wanted us to see how two experiences while in theory are the same are quite different when seen through unique perspectives. For example satisfied and helpless take place at the same place at the same time yet feel completely different based on the personality and minds of the two sisters. I’m curious how you perceive this similarity between the two songs. I would love to hear more as you have a lot of valuable insights.
Thank you for your synopsis. One comment though, do you really feel that's Hamilton seeing Eliza again? It seems more like Lin is on stage and is presenting a grand body of work for Eliza to appreciate and that he hopes she does appreciate. Her 'gasp' is the recognition of the efforts laid. Look at her expression when she sees 'Lin' on stage. She doesn't appear to know him and she is hesitant to take his hand. He gains her trust and then he leads her to the front row of her story's completion. IDK, just my take on the ending. I did like that after her gasp, you were at a loss for words. Still happens every time I see it too.
yeah anytime somebody asks me what Hamilton is like I'm going to tell them it's pretty noisy all the way through with a tender ending. I wonder how many people I can sell it to like that lmao
@@meganmccaffrey6790 I thank you, and my mother thanks you. 😁 Hamilton is a phenomenon and it really bears exploration! I'll be on it for awhile. Thanks for coming along for the ride!
I found your analysis of the final scene very interesting I’ve always thought that the shriek was her realizing and excepting death. but your analyzation saying that she finally gets to tell her story and that’s why she shriek is very interesting to me thanks for the great video
