^^^ Pretty much sums it up. Over a week after seeing it, I think I'm just getting the impact of it now. The clip released by The Publuc hit me like a sack of bricks, but in a good way. I loved it, but now I that I want more, it's being able to analyze it and think about why it's special. There's nothing like this. It's that simple.
In an incredibly selfish, childish way, I hope I can tell someone 50 years from now that I saw Hamilton in previews the same way my grandmother talks about seeing Oklahoma 2 days after it opened.
"In an incredibly selfish, childish way, I hope I can tell someone 50 years from now that I saw Hamilton in previews the same way my grandmother talks about seeing Oklahoma 2 days after it opened."
Wow, is it really that good? I don't live in NY, so I haven't had an opportunity to see it (nor will I in the near future).
How is it compared to IN THE HEIGHTS? I enjoyed the musical immensely, but I don't think it was ground-breaking.
Every so often there was a rare moment of perfect balance when I soared above him.
I thought In the Heights was good, not great. It was energetic, fun, and new. It was something different that we hadn't seen in a long time.
Hamilton is staying with me because it's doing something that's brand new, or at least feels that way. It's taking a topic that, on the surface, seems boring and unrelated. It's an effective biography. It tells the story in a way that makes sense. The music is smart and catchy. Yes, it's a bit silly to think of Thomas Jefferson asking his fellow founding fathers what he missed in a rap, but it's memorable. I want to tell people about it.
I think what gets me the most is that everything about this screams risk and bad idea, but it works. Could other people do this? Mayb, so we'll seem. It just feels like a breath of fresh air. It's a smart show that makes you think. But it manages to be catchy as all hell. To me, that happens so rarely.
I will be returning to New York in mid-March and would LOVE to see Hamilton.
I think my only options are to keep an eye on the website and hope something becomes available, the lottery at the theatre and on TodayTix, and the standby line, which I am curious about.
Does anyone know how to standby line works and how early I need to get there?
^I could be wrong, but from the times I tried the lottery, it looked like the cancellation line didn't start forming until after the lottery.
Also BTW, someone earlier in this thread mentioned that Brian d'Arcy James' last performance is March 1st -- less than 2 weeks from now. If that's the case, they must have someone lined up to replace him already right? Especially since they've known for so long that he'd be leaving. Nobody's heard any rumors? I'm really curious.
So repeating, and not even singing "I'm Not Throw'en Away My Shot" over and over passes for a Broadway caliber song now, huh? And Lin-Manuel Miranda can't even dance the three steps they gave him? He looked like one of those third rate comedians on his first night of "Dancing With the Stars who is the first to get thrown off. It'll transfer and just like the other "ground breaking" musicals, "Spring Awakening" & "American Idiot" be gone in eighteen months.
I'm Not Throwing Away My Shot is a great song, propulsive and dramatic and catchy.
I wonder if it is the "I Want" song.
Anyway, as far as the standby line: I think it really varies day by day. Yesterday (Sunday) I headed down to the Public, thinking that no one besides me would be fool enough to venture out in that extremely cold weather. Turns out a lot of people would, and did. For the 2 p.m. matinee I got there at 11:30 because I forgot that the matinee lotto starts taking names an hour and a half before showtime, not two and a half hours.
A woman with a party of six (all present) started the standby line, and I got behind her. This was a bit after 11:30. By the time the lotto was over, there were about 25 people on line. It ultimately turned out that there were only six standby tickets, so the people ahead of me all got in, and I just missed. (This information was doled out just before showtime.) I believe their seats were in row Q. I was happy that they got to see the show because they were here on vacation from Miami, and I've already seen Hamilton. The lotto was packed. I believe 11 to 12 tickets were sold.
No matter how cold it gets, people realize that you're waiting in the nice warm lobby of the Public, not out on the sidewalk as with most theaters. So the crowds will be there regardless, and if the reviews on Tuesday are as good as I expect them to be, demand will continue to build.
CoreyRyan3, I've tried the standby line twice. First time I was third on line and did not get in. Second time I was 5th on line and DID get in. Seat was in the first row. You can get a voucher as soon as the box office opens and it's not necessary to wait in the lobby. I got a voucher number and went up to The Library. You just need to return 30 minutes prior to the show. Tickets are full-price $122.
CoreyRyan3, I would definitely try to be there when the box office opens. I was there last Friday and the woman who had voucher number 1 said she got on line at 11:30am. I got on line at 5:45pm, I only got in, because several ahead of me decided to leave. I agree, that if reviews are what I expect, it will be more difficult to get a wait-list ticket. It may be easier on two-show days. Also, while you're waiting you can add your name to the lottery drawing.
This show had a huge impact on our high school group; for most of us, it was the most we've ever laughed, and the most we've ever cried. Seamlessly blending dramatic musical theater, modern culture, and laughs, this show largely changed our lives.
The cast is not only incredible, but also super humble, with every lead including Miranda talking back to us after the show.