Hamilton the musical. Disappointing!

[Happybint]

Just watched it on Disney plus. Its soooo long and yes some of the songs are great but it just goes on and on and feels like a big vanity project for lin manuel-miranda. Very repetitive and boring in the second half. Anyone else agree? Its had so much hype. First 40 minutes I loved it then it just went downhill.

I must admit I nodded off watching it on Disney but in my defence I had had along day (and been drinking). Will probably watch it again as DD is a big fan. I had wanted to buy tickets for her last birthday but they were way too expensive.

@soanco68

Learn a bit of the history especially of Eliza.

www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=30703

Might help it come to life more. I loved it the first time, then read more about the people involved before watching again. It made more sense and was even better the 2nd time

But if you don't like rap or found it repetitive then learning the history won't make a difference.

I loved the first 40 minutes or so then I started clock watching.

@bilbotoy "you think I'm stupid, I'm not stupid"

(But enjoying something and being able to pull it apart are two different things. Plenty of people enjoy pantomine each year without understanding the roots in Commedia dell arte....they don't have to deconstruct it to laugh.)

Ben Franklin and the key and the kite. I was referencing one second of the live performance I thought looks fab visually when you are watching it in the theatre but doesn't translate well on the small screen. They didn't even do a wide-angled shot for that bit.

@mumdiva99 your the one who replied to my posts & then illustrated my point. But ok 😜

@mumdiva99 I don't know if you've ever seen a fixed cam shot of live theatre (apologies if you have) but there isn't probably any way they could be marketed for sale. They're quite hard to sit through and do become tedious after not very long.

I've seen a few whilst I've been researching from the archives of some of the bigger companies. It's really not like being there. You can't really see the whole stage even if the cam covers it, and you miss far more than if you were there (even in the lowest priced seats)

It's hard to make things out and everything is very far away, with distractions of sound and sometimes even the light completely obliterates some of the staging because the fixed cams can't pick up on any of those nuances.
Some bigger scenes are almost impossible to focus on because there's too much happening - in a live event, your brain can process and select. In a fixed cam filmed event it would be a sea of confusion, and often very small because of the need for the camera to be right at the back of the audiotorium.

The filmic versions are a much better chance to view the piece. I can't think of a single director or actor that I know who would sanction a release of a fixed cam recording for general consumption.

I think most people would agree that live theatre is far superior to recorded, but the recorded is a good alternative in its current format - even with all the caveats I mentioned before 😊

Went to London in December to see it having known nothing about it (teens birthday treat she's obsessed) and it took my breath away live. It's under whelming on the tv.

I didn't particularly enjoy it, and I go to theatre/musicals a lot! There was just too much to try to take in for me.

I did know the history, but didn't know the music at all. That worked really well for Wicked; I knew the Wizard of Oz well, but had only heard a couple of the songs on the radio. I loved it when I saw it, I really enjoyed having no idea what was going to happen.

But the music in Wicked was far more accessible to me, I can follow orchestral motifs much more easily than hip hop ones. Perhaps if you're not used to hip hop/rap it means the music is more overwhelming? I might try it again in a few weeks.

I did get into it after a bit though, at first there was so much happening I really struggled and put the subtitles on. Although was jerked out of it every single time by thinking King George was segueing into Daydream Believer.

Those talking about Six, I actually saw it at the Fringe in 2017, and thought it was great, but was quite surprised to see it reappear as an 'actual' musical. I didn't know that Hamilton helped that.

I love Hamilton but agree that the recorded version misses something compared to seeing it live. I saw it twice live - first time liked it but thought maybe a bit over-hyped. Went to see it again, could follow the plot easier and thought it was the best thing I’ve seen in the theatre. I also prefer the second half. From watching Disney, quite a few of the London actors were stronger - I loved the London Eliza, Angelica, Burr and George Washington and learned so much US history from it.

Can't agree. It was absolutely brilliant.

For those who liked Hamilton have you seen the recent film version of the Wiz? I nearly cried in the scarecrow's song!

Hamilton is an incredible piece of art.

I'm also baffled at it being a "vanity" project for LMM. He knows he's not a typical Broadway singer and rarely sings anything in the show. Hamilton is also one of the least likable characters in the entire show, surely someone wanting the glory would put themselves in a better position than that? And, honestly, if there's anyone who's vanity project I'd be interested in seeing, it's probably LMM anyway. Man is a genius and incredible freestyle rapper to boot. He's written many numbers that people are rarely aware of.

The original cast consist of several people who LMM collaborates frequently with, each one is perfectly cast. The thread has actually inspired me to put it on again

Better link for a glimpse of the show

I do like the music am listening to it now.
I have watched full length musicals before! It wasn't that. This felt longer!

Agree the sisters and their songs are the best.

I had been told how great it was by so many people, was really looking forward to it on the TV. I watched it all for lack of anything else to do, but was so underwhelmed. This is often the case for things that have been hyped up, in my experience.
Equally, I accept that it’s not my sort of music, despite loving musicals. Also I know very little about this era of history.
LMM was so far removed from the other actors, who were very very good. It jarred. But all credit to him for creating the show entirely, that is an achievement, and I can understand casting himself when he has experienced being overlooked for roles due to his heritage and appearance.
I won’t be in any hurry to see it again. In person may be worthwhile perhaps, but not on the TV. Can’t admit that IRL, so many friends love it!

Those talking about Six, I actually saw it at the Fringe in 2017, and thought it was great, but was quite surprised to see it reappear as an 'actual' musical. I didn't know that Hamilton helped that

I saw it too. I think Hamilton helped in that it made it clear that a historical musical with contemporary music could put bums on seats.

Six is like a pop concert with catchy tunes and clever references to history and contemporary culture. Hamilton is more complex, like a hip hop Les Mis. They are totally different but both enjoyable.

Interesting thread.

Disclaimer - I'm not much of a musicals person (now opera, on the other hand...) So I watched it partly because I felt I ought to find out what the fuss was about (and we had the Disney sub because of The Mandalorian - deeply shallow, our house!)

It didn't blow me away, but (this seems to be a minority opinion) I found the second half more interesting than the first. I thought the guy playing Jefferson absolutely stole every scene he was in (I liked Washington and Burr too). I thought "The Room where it happens" was a show-stopper.

I also loved Angelica - so well done, and some of the smaller cameos, such as Mrs Reynolds and the seduction scene.

I get what everyone's saying about Lin Manuel Miranda not having the vocal ability of the rest (and the worries that his insistence on starring made it into a vanity project). But actually the mismatch worked for me - because what I took away from it was his very hesitancy putting us "inside his head", self-doubts and all, compared to the very slick political performances of those around him. (And it's telling that his hesitancy is very much not how others see him - in the run up to the final duel, Burr's saying "he's got his glasses on, he's one of the best shots in the Revolutionary Army... I'm toast" - suggests that the "interior picture" of him as shy, dry financier is at odds with others seeing him as an able soldier.)

I was (as someone who is interested in the history of the period) blown away by the way Miranda could take what's actually a struggle over the ideas underlying the constitution (centralised power versus devolved, state-level power, centralised economics versus individual states' laissez-faire economics, dry, legal approaches to the constitution versus rhetoric and polemic) and turn it into a watchable musical. That's pretty close to genius, so I can see why everyone got so excited.

I think, on balance, I would like to see it live. There are definitely a lot of things that are just better in the theatre - "suspension of disbelief" works better there than on the small screen.

I’m wondering, reading these responses, if Hamilton is a musical that doesn’t necessarily appeal to those who are into musicals but does to many who aren’t keen on musicals? I’m not generally a fan of musicals and I saw Hamilton in London, thought it was fabulous, and listened to the soundtrack obsessively for the next few months. The last third or so is a bit sentimental for me so I always stop the soundtrack early..

Long and boring. I loved Eliza, though. Have bought two biographies to learn more about this woman.

I loved it, we had a box for our anniversary. It was a great show and a great evening, I absolutely loved the music.

I can't believe all the people who didn't watch the second half! Think I sobbed my heart out from Stay Alive to Eliza's gasp at the very end. Phillipa Soo is an absolute Goddess and really proved the reason it's called Hamilton and not Alexander Hamilton. The energy and emotion she brought to the role was amazingly beautiful from the single tear in quiet uptown to the aforementioned gasp in WLWDWTYS.

I saw the London theatre version cold, taking my daughter who was a huge fan. I'd heard one song - Hurricane - which I liked, but that was it. I had little idea of what it was all about.

I was blown away by it. Gripped by the story, the experience, the energy. I loved the London cast, too. I have been a fan ever since - and yet I am underwhelmed by the Disney+ version. There is so much going on, on and around stage that is missed. At least in the theatre you get get to choose what you want to focus on.

But it gives people a chance to see it who might never have been able to, so on that level it's a good thing.

I saw it in London. It’s was ok, it didn’t blow me away. I do agree to some extent that it appeals to people who wouldn’t ever listen to real rap and would probably be offended by all the bitches and hoes contained within. Jay z, Nas, Public Enemy, Ice T etc would be too much for the Hamilton audience.

Eminem for example is an actual lyrical genius.