Evolution of Hamilton the musical

Having seen the show recently on Broadway and never having the chance to see it's off-Broadway I'm just wondering if anybody who has seen both versions can let me know the evolution of the track listing.Are any songs off-Broadway not in the Broadway production and vice versa.

Were there any scenes cut from the off-Broadway version or any new characters introduced when it went to Broadway

Were any of the lyrics changed in any of the songs before the final version we hear on the current CD? Thanks for any information....

Many lyrics were changed from off-Broadway, most notably in Your Obedient Servant, which has the same melody and almost entirely differently lyrics. There was a reprise of Dear Theodosia that was cut (although the title may have been A Part of Her Lives On, I'm not sure of the official title, but the melody was the same and it referred to his wife dying).

I do know that the song "One Last Time" was originally "One Last Ride." That may be the only notable lyric change but I'm not sure not having seen it in both versions.

I saw it twice at the Public and once on Broadway, and though there definitely some changes, most of the show is the same. Some of the changes included:

-Changing the song from "One Last Ride" to "One Last Time." "One Last Ride" still dealt with Washington's retirement, but also included Washington and Hamilton going to end the whiskey rebellion (not sure if the history is correct here, but it was something like that).

-There was a reprise of "Dear Theodosia" which came in the 2nd act after "Burn." In it, Burr tells his daughter that her mother (his wife) passed away.

-The addition of the tight harmony riffs in "The Schuyler Sisters"

-Many minor lyric changes throughout, such as changing Hamilton's age in "My Shot" from 17 to 19 (the latter being more historically accurate),

-Lyrics changes in "History Has It's Eyes On You." Washington's remarks about his first command had different lyrics, including a line "I triggered the French and Indian War." I believe Lin might have changed it because the line kept getting an unintended laugh. I don't know that for a fact, but Lin said in an interview once that there was a line that always got an unintentional laugh that he planned to change for Broadway. I have a hunch that it was that one.

-Large portions of the lyrics in "Your Obedient Servant" were re-written.

-Eliza's gasp at the final moment of the show was not present at the Public, or if it was, it was much more subtle (I can't remember it at all)

Updated On: 2/4/16 at 11:24 PM

Why did the line about the French-Indian War get a laugh? I don't recall learning in history if Washington caused it, but I don't get why it's funny for him to say he triggered it.


I think I prefer the original ending of Schuyler Sisters, referring again to them looking for a mind at work, but I do love the riffs that occur in the current version. The original Vassar ending was even more brief with less harmony.

Lin has said there was an LL Cool J line, "when I'm alone in my room sometimes I stare at the wall," that got unintentional laughter. That seems to be a more likely change in response to unintended laughter than a line about the French and Indian war. Although I would be interested to hear theories why people would find the French and Indian war funny.

There was a pool for a bit of the run at the Public - I know friends who saw it first preview mentioned the pool, but it was already gone by the first time I saw it (Valentines Day weekend.)

random line that I miss is from My Shot, Laurens used to say "this **** make my people wanna rise up," and it would get louder and louder, with more people joining. In the place of where "when you're living on your knees..." is now.

Before Jasmine Cephas Jones was attached, both Eliza and Angelica had lines in "Say No To This". I'm not 100% sure, but I think they were little reprises of "Helpless" and "Satisfied" towards the end of the song. There's an audio of that workshop somewhere. Wish I had a copy. But alas.

Why does he tweet like he's running out of time?

Which likely explains at least part of why he was drawn to his story, I would think.

-Lyrics changes in "History Has It's Eyes On You." Washington's remarks about his first command had different lyrics, including a line "I triggered the French and Indian War." I believe Lin might have changed it because the line kept getting an unintended laugh. I don't know that for a fact, but Lin said in an interview once that there was a line that always got an unintentional laugh that he planned to change for Broadway. I have a hunch that it was that one.

Lin has confirmed in subsequent tweets and interviews that the line he was referring to about the unintentional laugh was in "Say No To This." he ripped a line from a well-known LL Cool J song toward the beginning of the rap section, right before Maria enters, which has already been posted here in this thread. he was not referring to the French and Indian War line.

Angelica's appearance in The Reynolds Pamphlet was its own song, entitled "Congratulations" Lyrics are around if you Google them, a recording might be somewhere?

My personal favorite was the cut John Adams rap, first result on Youtube for "Hamilton John Adams rap", which was whittled down in the current show to just "Sit down John..etc."

ETA: spelling mistake

Updated On: 2/5/16 at 10:18 AM

ilovebabyv said: "What's Hamilton?"