Hamilton

Lafayette - that is reason enough Indeed, Daveed Diggs is seriously great, as is Leslie Odom Jnr's voice.

LMM once commented that Hamilton spends a lot of time in "park and bark" mode, that is he just stands and sings. No, he's not a great singer or wonderful dancer, but he's got masses of stage presence.

I have only seen the original cast on Disney+ and am spoilt by that. It's a fine piece of art, absolutely worth seeing, as if not you may always wonder what did I miss, what did I miss.

Why on earth would you need to learn the songs 🤣 please god don’t be that person singing along.

I was given tickets at the last minute . I knew one song and had no idea of the story but I really enjoyed it . After the show I had to read up who Alexander Hamilton was! Is it really necessary to do so much work before you see a show ?

Plot-wise it's a sweeping historical epic, with lots of politics but also war, romance, betrayal and death - a bit like Les Mis in that regard. Because it's all rapped it fits in a lot of words and a lot of detail. Maybe better to get to know the plot and the era a bit rather than focusing on knowing all the words?

I absolutely loved it when I saw it 5 years ago, and I definitely didn't know all of the words but I could have hummed a few of the tunes. It already felt a bit "of its time" (ie the Obama era) then, though. Still, I'd definitely see it again if I had the chance. Definitely go.

That was me😱

It's brilliant.
We watched on Disney+ a couple of years ago....my kids are obsessed with the soundtrack so in fairness since then I have learnt a lot of the songs....we then saw it live this year.
It's fantastic live, with extra bits that aren't on disney.
I don't think watching the recorded version ruined the live version at all.....maybe I would have been slightly more awestruck had I seen it for first time on stage in person?

My advice is - GO!!!! My teens loved it. And if your 18 year old is asking to go - GO! It's brilliant imo.

It's so good my DD and I have seen it twice. You do need to have a basic idea of the plot though and it is a love or hate musical. I'd definitely recommend it though!

Six on the other hand was just amazing, we both said it was one of the best we'd seen.

DD went to see Moulin Rouge a few weeks ago, she said it was exceptional.

I wouldn’t want to learn the songs first. Maybe have heard some of them once or twice so there’s a bit of familiarity. But I’d want it to still feel new and fresh.

i loved it. My DH didn’t like it at all. I lightheartedly considered whether I could still be with him if he didn’t enjoy it.

it’s currently on a UK tour if that makes it easier for you to see than in
London.

Sorry to say DH and I hated it. So much so we left half way thru. But I think if you like it, you love it. Unfortunately it was definitely not for us, tho we could appreciate the cast were very good.

I tried watching it on Disney Plus. Only made it half way through because I really wasn’t enjoying it (King George aside). The soundtrack isn’t my cup of tea.

I do see that others felt similarly but then loved it in person, though.

Really don’t understand why you’d learn the songs to any musical before going to see it though, sounds as though you’re spoiling it.

I think that people who go in expecting an over the top musical with showy sets where you know the songs and can singalong don’t enjoy it.

It’s more like a play but with rapping rather than speaking. It’s like watching a Shakespeare play with the clever wordplay, the inferences, the humour and sadness. All against a play type backdrop (so not showy with helicopters landing like Ms Saigon).

i don’t enjoy musicals at all but loves plays and I was blown away by Hamilton.

I’ve seen it twice live, it’s incredible and well worth going.

Surely this is a wind up? Why do you have to memorise the songs beforehand I have seen it and it's good

Why on earth must you learn all the songs beforehand? What’s the goal and why is it a blocker if you don’t know the songs?

If you’re planning to sit there belting out the songs from your chair….be prepared to be the proud recipient of a few side-eyes because that will probably annoy some people.

Way over-hyped imo but I know I’m in a minority

I really enjoyed it. I think of you like Les Mis you’ll enjoy it. There’s a couple of slight similar themes. Such as making something of yourself from nothing, and a rivalry between two main characters without it being a good vs evil thing. Hamilton and Burr reminded me a lot of Val Jean and Javert.

I learnt a lot about American history from it and have continued to learn more. I enjoyed the ideas about a legacy and how history and reputation is decided by who tells it.

The female characters are brilliantly written, the musical does a great job of showing how smart women were often trapped back then be it by social status or poverty. I even felt for the woman Hamilton had an affair with.

Also the songs are really catchy, it’s staged well. Great costumes, great characters. There were a couple of bits that gave me goosebumps. Some scenes are heartbreaking. I’m off to see the tour in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait!

think this is a common answer but I saw it on Disney+ first and enjoyed it greatly. Regularly listen to the soundtrack on runs and saw it in London last year. I would say there are differences between the recorded show and the live show. For starters, tv recording includes the original cast, you get amazing camera angles and has subtitles for some of the more wordy parts. Personally I would have been lost in the live show if I hadn’t watched the recording and knew what was going on.

I do think you need to familiarise yourself with the story / history / songs to get the most out of the live show. It was amazing to see it live but I was a fan of the recording so I knew what to expect etc. I’d equate it to listening to band on Spotify vs going to a concert - they serve different purposes. I would say the london cast were good but manage expectations they aren’t in the same league as the original Broadway actors like LLM, Daveed Diggs, Leslie Odin Jr who helped make the musical such a phenomenon originally.

Me too don't understand the fuss. Only seen it on Disney+, switched it off after an hour as was soo bored. I love musicals but as you say it's all the same, just don't get the hype.

@ShelfShark - Just a gentle correction, for accuracy. It is about American Independence ( from Britain) and the Founding of USA with its constitution and NOT the American Civil War which was much later, during the time of Abraham Lincoln.

Your DD is bang on, she ought to see it.
Just play the soundtrack on Spotify or similar, let the songs sink in by osmosis, maybe read a bit of Wikipedia on the founding fathers but don’t over- think it. Don’t spoil the impact of the staging by watching on Disney+ first.

I have seen it live and on TV. The live show has much more energy. The dancing is fantastic and the songs are very catchy. There's typical highs, lows, comedy of a musical. I am sure you'll love it.

Because it's mainly rap you do have to concentrate on the words and the text is quite dense, so it's not undemanding easy entertainment. But if your daughter is into that kind of music she'll be used to that. Sometimes you just get the gist rather than every single word. But I'd watch it live for the story the first time, and listen for the words & detail again later.

'I told DD if she really wants to see it I'll book it but we must learn the songs beforehand.'

That seems like a totally crackers and anti-fun approach to me.

Wow. Not sure how you could possibly have heard all the hype but missed the bit about the colour-blind casting!

I think that maybe depends on the individual I am shit at following film plots etc so it definitely helped me to know what was going on!