Hamilton - anyone else not love it?

[Jobs4kids]

Honestly?

Have wanted to see this for a long time, mainly to see what all the fuss is about as, having searched up the story, thought it sounded a bit dull. However, I decided that all the rave reviews couldn't be wrong so when my teenage daughter suggested it (it's particularly highly rated amongst her age group), I jumped at the chance.

We didn't go into it cold, we had a rough idea of the story and had listened to the soundtrack so was familiar with the songs. I also quite like rap and was well aware that the whole story is told in rhyme.

Unfortunately, we really didn't enjoy it, too long and pretty boring tbh. There's no denying the talent of the cast, how they remember all those lyrics is impressive. Unfortunately, we had trouble understanding what they were saying much of the time so frequently got lost and confused. What we could hear and have read since was pretty clever though! We also had trouble knowing who was who as some actors played more than one part. I tried hard to like it, I really did. There are a few good songs but they're frequently repeated and got on my nerves after a while. I just found the whole thing a bit meh, as did my daughter. I didn't completely hate it, and shed a tear at the end (my daughter didn't, saying she didn't care about any of them!) but we were pretty relieved when it was over. I'm saying this as a regular theatre goer who generally enjoys musicals but this is one of the worst I have seen.

Judging by the enthusiastic reaction of the audience, we were in the minority. There are reviews echoing my thoughts, but again they are in the minority. There was a suggestion of "emperors new clothes" in some of the them and I wonder if maybe there's some truth in that as I certainly don't consider my daughter or myself unintelligent, but we just didn't get it!!

So disappointed 😥

I actually preferred watching it on TV rather than in the theatre. In the theatre we were probably too close to the front so didn't get that whole stage view that is so striking on TV. The constant presence of the huge cast of dancers/background characters go on my nerves in the end, whereas on the small screen that didn't so much.

Yes, you can only pick up a tiny proportion of the lyrics (well, for me anyway) and the story isn't that easy to follow because of that.

I also didn't like that some cast members played more than one lead part - very confusing and in a huge company I don't understand why that was necessary.

Overall I'd give it a 7/10 on stage.

I have not voted. Surely it's just your opinion so neither reasonable nor unreasonable.

I've been to see it twice with teen dd and we absolutely love it.

I think Lin Manuel Miranda is an absolute genius.

But I can see how it wouldn't be to everyone's taste.

I hated it at first on Disney + and turned it off after 20 mins or so

But about year later I gave it a go with subtitles so I could understand what they were saying and I really enjoyed it

I wouldn't go to the theatre though to see it

Same! I watched Hamilton on Disney for the first time on my 50th birthday a few years ago, and I have been obsessed ever since!
But Les Mis is not my cup of tea at all, and I also don't like Wicked, which lots of people rave about. Horses for courses and all that.

I also thought it was overhyped, OP, and I generally like musicals

I had to watch it with subtitles and Wikipedia open on my phone first time round.
Then the soundtrack was my lockdown listen, in the days when Amazon Music would play an album in order from start to finish.
Finally saw it on stage and apart from Eliza never opening her eyes, it was brilliant. Identical to the filmed version, even Lin-Manuel's Kermit impression.

Doesn’t appeal to me at all. Frank Skinner spoke about it on his radio show and wasn’t keen.

Saw it a few years ago and it was fine. Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. Some people genuinely really love it. That doesn't mean it's overhyped, it just means it's not for you.

Oh no, I have tickets to go in October. Was planning to bring my elderly parents - may need to rethink that....

Isn't a huge part of the importance of Hamilton that it's actually inclusive/represents a wider range of people and music?

Hamilton is the only musical I like. It’s amazing and so clever.

@Jobs4kids me, didn’t love it, couldn’t understand a word if it with all the rapping.

Husband loved it and watched it 4 times, he started rapping to the songs numerous times daily, he also got the merchandise 🤦🏻‍♀️

I didn’t and still cannot underdstamd the hype.

Hours i will never get back. I actually left my Granddaughter and her friend in the theatre and went outside to have a cup of tea. That was the first time i have walked out of a theatre part way through.

It wasn't my cup of tea. I fell asleep whilst watching it 😂 and I love pretty much every musical I have ever seen. You're not alone

Thanks! Glad it's not just me, feel slightly less ignorant now! Yes, it's all down to personal taste. I much preferred Les Mis, absolutely love Evita (I know a lot of people don't), was meh about Wicked, both DD & I love Six and would see it again tomorrow.

The one I hated the most was The King & I earlier this year yet the friend I went with said it was the best she'd ever seen. Go figure!

It made me feel uncomfortably white and middle class. First for not being able to catch the words, second for having to Google references and learn more about the hip hop styles, third for enjoying it which somehow makes me uneasy about whether I'm authentically allowed into this space, there's something about being a white middle class theatre goer fawning over the black people's story, and fourthly how diverse it tries to be yet how non-diverse the audience is.

my parents struggled to get all the dialogue - watching it on Disney with the subtitles was a better option.

To the pp who was on about the race / political aspect - read the book it's based on and you get all the detail and nuance. This is entertainment - it can't all be squeezed in and the rap battle at the start of Act 2 gives a fairly strong kick to the slave owning Jefferson (not Hamilton). There are a lot of misconceptions about the slave aspect - even Lincoln actually said he'd not free a single slave if he could preserve the union without doing so, yet most see him as the great liberator. Washington owned slaves yes - but he ALSO fought against ridiculous odds to achieve independence. Both can be true.

A female comedian took great exception to the scene / song where Hamilton plays the "victim" of a seduction that becomes blackmail and I agree that's a bit tricky in the post "me too" world but again, context and entertainment. As a pure piece of clever theatre, it's great.

I'm a massive musical theatre lover.

I went to see it without knowing much about the story or the songs, I did feel lost at times and didn't really enjoy it.

But.. I wanted to give it a proper chance so listened to the soundtrack multiple multiple times after then went to see it again, and loved it the second time.

There was so much clever wordplay that I missed the first time, especially with not knowing the history. I totally get what you are saying though. Some people seem to "get it" straight away, but many others don't.

Me! Didn't enjoy it at all

I hated it. Felt like the songs were mumbled so really struggled to follow the story (which I wasn't aware of when I went).

Cannot understand all the hype at all.

I enjoyed the Disney+ one. It wasn't what I expected, as it had been described as a hip-hopera, but seemed a pretty standard musical to me. Daveed Digs was wonderful, so I do worry that no one else would be as good if I saw it live. Since then I have listened to individual songs, but not felt compelled to see again in full.

I absolutely loved it, but I think I have the advantage that I’d heard the soundtrack a lot before so I understood the story in advance, I love politics and history, and I had read the book that the show is based on. From that it would be impossible to find it boring!
Funnily enough my DH never really enjoys theatre, says it’s always overacted and/or boring but he left Hamilton saying “I would see that again tomorrow”.
So I think it falls into the “people like different things” truism of life.

I watched it on Disney with subtitles - would not have been able to follow it at all in a theatre setting otherwise. It was ok, glad to say I'd watched it but wouldn't pay the seat price at the theatre to see it again.

I didn't think I'd get it, or like it, but it is so layered. It needs effort to love, a bit of homework about the history helps, but there is comedy and tragedy, and everything is interwined, and every move is significant, from determining which way the stage is revolving, to why the same actors play two different character. Have recently seen the touring version, stunning (aside from one of the main female characters who needed clearer diction, however, I know most of the words now having listened to it so much.) So dramatic from 'Guns and Ships' to the end of the first half. Lin manuel miranda is the musical theatre writer of these times. I find Lloyd Webber sounds particularly dated. Other musicals I love are Les Mis , my fair lady and the sound of music. I don't get the hype for wicked, mean girls, heathers and definitely not blood brothers or rent.(walked out of the latter)