In The Room Where It Happened

Hamilton: An American Musical

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Hollywood Pantages Theatre 

Los Angeles, CA

A few months ago, tickets went on sale for this event on a Sunday at 10:00 a.m.  I was singing in the choir for the 9:00 a.m. mass, and hoped that it would be a short one.  It was!  I pretty much raced home, got on my PC, my cell phone, and my laptop to be one of the thousands of people trying to purchase tickets.  Craziness happened, including my spotty internet being extra-irritatingly spotty, as well as other technological stuff.  I had a list of dates that I was available, and tried to get a ticket just for myself, as well as a block of three tickets in case Bro and V could join me.  Unfortunately, that block of three never happened, but the one ticket did, and I had a ticket reserved in the Orchestra section.  Whoo HOOOO!

Two weeks before the show, I took the Metro to see Blade Runner 2049, and the stop was across the street from the Pantages.  I was very excited when I saw the theatre and took this picture at that time.

The day finally came, and I tried to be calm all day long.  Work was busy, but I was distracted.  My co-worker told me that after we got off of work, she was trying to get my attention while I was in my car, but I was too busy on my Waze app trying to figure out how to get to my reserved parking by the Pantages to notice her.  My pre-paid parking was a block north of Capitol Records, which, I realized, was right behind the Pantages.  I never realized that before.  

Icon

I arrived before the doors opened, and got in line.  I was hoping to catch Ham4Ham, but I guess they only did that in LA on opening night when Lin-Manuel Miranda was here.  

Open, open, open!

So that just gave me lots of time to shop instead.  I bought lots of stuff, pondered on other stuff, and then bought a Hamilton MixTape CD.  If I get lucky enough to win another ticket, I'll buy something else. My seat was in row R of the orchestra.  I needed a selfie to share my delight with my friends, and decided to pose with my new Hamilton LA magnet.  

I love the play on the Hollywood sign!
But wait.  Why not a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star?
Or, you know, both?

The show started a few minutes late, probably due to this being LA.  The house was full.  The air was teeming with excitement.  Let's do this thing!

The Stage

The Stage at Intermission

• Ah, the roar of the crowd as the house lights dimmed!  
• Everyone.  EVERYONE was awesome in this cast.  I was floored by the multitude of talent, but it was certainly necessary for a production of this caliber.
• I didn't know that Aaron Burr was the narrator.  Joshua Henry brought humor and a human-ness to the part of the man whom would become despicable to many.  I did like that he regretted his actions in the end, wondering what ideas would have come to fruition if Hamilton had lived longer.
• Michael Luwoye was outstanding as Alexander Hamilton.  With so much recitative, there is a lot of room for error.  Yet he skillfully got all of those words out there with wonderful emotion.
• Loved that rewind to Angelica's view of what happened when the Schuyler Sisters met Alexander. Emmy Raver-Lampman's voice is as fierce as her hairstyle.
• Jordan Donica was hilarious as Thomas Jefferson and Lafayette.  I especially enjoyed the way he hair danced with his afro.
• Then Isaiah Johnson, as George Washington belts out his song in the second half, and I thought, "Wow.  He's amazing."
• Solea Pfeiffer, as Eliza, brought the drama and I cried along with her when Philip died.  I mean, who wouldn't? 
• Rory O'Malley was perfect as King George.  Perfectly funny, perfectly regal, perfectly insane.  La da da da da, da da da da dee da da dada da da daaa da dah!  I laughed at how thrilled he was that John Adams had taken office.
• After the show, the cast asked for donations to Broadway Cares, saying that they want to show NYC that LA is on a winning streak.  A cast member, a native Angeleno, was happy to announce that the Dodgers are going to the World Series!  A lot of us had been checking our phones at intermission, and a guy in front of me was wearing his Dodgers jersey under his suit jacket.
• I love this show.  I love that I'm having fun while learning history, like a really long version of Schoolhouse Rock. I love the music, and wish I could memorize every word so I could be some kind of history rap aficionado.  
• Thank you, Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, for everything you've contributed to this country.
• Thank you, Lin Manuel Miranda, for sharing your genius with the world.

Happiness