Matilda or Hamilton?

[Doubleraspberry]

I’m taking DC (8) for a weekend in London as a huge treat. They adore music and I’m going to push the boat to get tickets to something we’d both love to see. We’ve narrowed it down to Matilda and Hamilton. Similar prices (can’t do the lotteries sadly given the flying visit and need for tickets on a specific date).

I know Hamilton has some swears but they are pretty oblivious - I can see there’s an advisory for under-10s owing to language but we’ve had the soundtrack on repeat for weeks already. They do find the politics tricky to follow in the second half so I’m slightly worried they’ll lose focus.

I have actually seen Matilda with an older sibling and adored it, so I’m very happy to go again, and of course it’s (a) more suitable overall and (b) not available on Disney+ any time!

I’m leaning to Matilda but anyone had smaller kids that ended up being blown away at Hamilton?

I took my just turned 9 year old to both in February. He LOVES the Hamilton soundtrack but he definitely preferred Matilda!

Matilda! DC loved it at that age.

I think youre going to have to do both

My son saw Hamilton for his ninth birthday and loved it! He also has seen Matilda but definitely preferred Hamilton.

You know your child - Hamilton would be lost on my two (and it's not for a lack of exposure to it - it's on permanent repeat in my car), but we went to see it relatively recently and there was a group of girls about the same age as my daughters (9-10ish) sat next to us mouthing all the words and absolutely loving it - and it IS bloody breathtaking live, the second half isn't as good on the soundtrack and the Disney+ obsession with close ups really doesn't do it justice, but the staging in some of the numbers like Hurricane is absolutely brilliant live.

I don't get bothered by my kids hearing swearing - we've actually discussed the origins of a few of them in this house anyway (OK I'm a bit of a language geek) - so they both understand fully about why he's referred to as what he is. The fact that me and DH tend to slot quotes from the show into everyday conversation also probably renders it deeply uncool as well.

Basically - you really really need to get your DH to "surprise" you with Hamilton regardless of what you do! The Disney+ one does NOT do it justice at all.

Lot of my friends have been to see Frozen and raved about that - I've avoided it since my kids were peak Elsa age at about the time the world hit peak Elsa and I'm sick to death of That Fucking Song.

Both would bankrupt me!

Mine I think would be pretty caught up in the stage spectacle of Hamilton (as clearly would I!) and we already have conversations about what exactly is happening (including a fairly high level explanation of the blackmail episode) and I get random questions now. I have a degree in American History and have even read the bloody Federalist Papers, so we've actually gone beyond the events of Hamilton - in very simple terms leaving out a lot of the dull stuff, but the Boston Tea Party makes for a great story.

But I'm going to wait a year I think, as I know Matilda will work, and I'm not risking wasting money. Also, I quite want to see Matilida again.

Haven't seen matilda but my kids adored hamilton and the 9 year old had only a loose grasp of the politics. They loved the music and the choreography. There were very small,about 5 or 6 years? super fan children there on the night we went!

I tried watching a subtitled film of the stage version of Hamilton, and just couldn't engage with it at all.

Absolutely Matilda. Hamilton is fast-paced rap and difficult to grasp the story line. I found it hard myself and watching is on Disney with subtitles made it much easier

I've seen Matilda 3 times 🙈 it's very sweet

Hamilton is pretty boring for that age, and difficult to follow.

Except that my child already understands the storyline. But Matilda it already is.

At that age, definitely Matilda. Hamilton is not that easy to follow. Matilda is pure magic for kids.

Hamilton is fast-paced rap

And that is why I just couldn't get into it at all. I really, really dislike rap.

I am sure your child understands the storyline of Hamilton 😭😭

I’d say Matilda for that age. Hamilton is long and the second act isn’t as ‘exciting’ as the first if he’s going to struggle with following the story and politics.

Once you have watched Hamilton for the millionth time (as we have ) the storyline isn't that hard to follow at all. Although I still don't understand why revealing that he was giving money to a man who was blackmailing him was the way for Hamilton to 'prove' that he wasn't doing anything shady with the money!

@ThickCutSteakChips no idea although
The charge against me is a connection with one James Reynolds for purposes of improper pecuniary speculation. My real crime is an amorous connection with his wife, for a considerable time with his privity and connivance, if not originally brought on by a combination between the husband and wife with the design to extort money from me.

Is actually from the Reynolds Pamphlet sothe why is very much done to Hamilton himself

@AppleKatie your DS sounds like mine - it started an interest in US and UK politics that a year later still exists (he has just spent time looking at the implications of Sunak/Javid resigning.

He was proving it was his own money he was giving away, he didn't touch government funds.

One of the many, many reasons I can't stand the prick or his sister in law and had zero sympathy in the run u to his death scene. Man was a total arsehole.

The storyline itself isn't, but the change of characters and the speed of dialogue and in jokes and play on words - there is no way that a child would understand that at the level (like how they watch disney films but miss the nuances, etc). Although I had to rewatch act 2 cause I was just too drunk in lockdown to understand what was going on

I mean my 8 year old did? She was just about to turn nine when I took her to see it, and actually seeing it onstage made her love it even more.

matildas a good choice but if you get the chance go back and see hamilton, we are so pleased we saw it on stage having listened to it non stop.

we also saw frozen when she was almost nine, and she loved it too, it really is much better than you think it will be.

enjoy the show!

@beautyisthefaceisee DS definitely understands the plot - but currently his knowledge of US politics is vast. Its not actually that tricky really though is it once you have listened and seen it the amount of times he has, learnt all the words and researched the history

That said Alexander Hamilton also if you think about it is LaFayette close friend until he asks for aid and then he is basically no (although is probably right)

Was totally and utterly underwhelmed by Frozen.

I'm sorry, I just don't buy it! One big humble brag (hence the Frozen line).

Oh I see. I thought he was saying 'yes I did use public money but it's ok because I was using it to pay the husband of the woman I was having sex with!' 😂

He was a complete arsehole, but I think that was kind of the point, that he was a 'flawed character'. Poor Eliza put up with a hell of a lot of shit from him didn't she?

Hurricane is a great song and really underrated I think, but it's still aaaaaallllll about him and not thinking at all about how publishing the Reynolds Pamphlet would impact his family. I love it in 'Burn' when Eliza sings ' and you are paranoid how they perceive you, yoooou, yoooooouuuuuuuuu'.

He was a prick.

(Sorry, any excuse to chat Hamilton!)

I might be wrong but my understanding was he's saying it was his money and it was to pay off her man.

He was a total wanker!

Know who annoys me more? the sister in law! Perfectly happy to put herself on a plate for him but when he does it with someone else she loves her sister more! No.

I dont see how the two are linked? DS didnt come to Frozen and by the time I saw it it was 2 years since I bought tickets, at the height of Omicron and rather than being a birthday treat for DD was the first Friday in January. There were some changes to it I didnt like.

And why dont you - the plot isnt that hard if you then decide to go and research the history. DS is like a lot of 9 year olds really likes to learn and focus on his favourite subject. Unlike others who can recount football teams or types of dinosaur his specialist subject is US politics. Listening to it on repeat on many a car journey and seeing it twice (and a 3rd one end of this month) we all know the plot.

Yeah but has your 8 year old read the Ron Chernow book that inspired and informed Lin Manuel Miranda? Come on, it’s only 800 pages 😁😉