Hamilton Previews — Page 13

Thayne Jasperson

Thanks Once - we posted at nearly the same time. I went to my Playbill and looked him up. Couldn't take my eyes off of him - not just because he is incredibly good looking, but his dancing was astounding - fascinating to watch him.

and he has dimples!

I saw the show on Thursday and the stage door was great.Wasn't too crowded for the most part and those who don't get a spot behind the barricades just continued the line down the sidewalk. The cast comes out fairly quickly and is extremely nice and gracious stopping for every person. Everyone came out except for groffsauce

I thought Jasperson was terrific as Porthos in Finding Neverland as well. He is a surprisingly adept physical comedian. Those Bill Irwin-esque clown skills are pretty rare, so I hope he gets a chance to develop in that direction in future shows.

Is he the one who reads the announcement from the king near the beginning of the show? He's really funny in that scene.

I already wrote in the other thread about being at the performance Obama attended, but wanted to also talk about the show itself. Even with all of the excitement of the President there, I felt like once the show started, everyone’s focus went right to the stage and all of the energy from the audience was earned by the performance itself and not just because Obama was there.

I saw the show at the Public and it has somehow gotten better. Nothing is lost from no longer having the intimacy of the off-Broadway space – if anything, the production and cast are filling this stage so well that it really feels like the energy, story, emotions, excitement, etc. are pushing well past the proscenium and filling the whole room. The energy and passion that is in this production makes it almost like it is happening all around you.

The performances have only deepened (and the cast was already – top to bottom - excellent). Leslie Odom, Jr., in particular, who I already thought was fantastic at the Public, just had a little something new to his performance that took it over the edge to brilliance. I’m not even sure I can put my finger on the difference, but he is extraordinary.

I saw Javier perform at the Public and he was great then, but he has grown even more into the role now. He was a joy to watch – he has really found many new, nuanced moments within the show and he makes it all look so easy in the process. The character growth and journey he goes through as Hamilton is extremely natural and full. It makes the rap during his final duel all the more rewarding.

The staging and choreography of this show really is astounding. There is always so much going on, but it’s never distracting and flows so naturally. It’s brilliant, if only for figuring out those traffic patterns!

The real star truly is the piece itself. Everything – direction, choreography, performances, etc. – live up to the bar that script sets, but it still is the stand out. Lin-Manuel Miranda has truly created a masterpiece. I don’t feel like there is one word in the entire piece that hasn’t been thoughtfully placed there. And the ways in which they are executed – either through melody or rap – feel just as purposeful as well. This is also one of those scores where every single song is exceptional. From the big showstoppers to the quieter numbers (“Let That be Enough,” one of my personal favorites), there really are no moments that are lost or drag. There is so much to immerse yourself in with this show – it’s continuously rewarding; both in the theatre and well after the performance is over.

Add me to the group that is a big fan of the ending. It’s actually one of my favorite things about the show. It’s beyond powerful to see Eliza take the center stage and be the true hero of the story – and the reason we KNOW the story. An incredible woman. If one of the main themes of the show is “Who Tells Your Story” and paying homage to those who choose to tell the stories of others, it seems perfectly appropriate to end the show with Eliza center stage.

And a few random notes…

I was in the orchestra, row Q, center, and they really were perfect seats (I often prefer seats as close as possible, but I honestly would pick these seats over any of the premium priced ones).

I could hear every word clearly. They really do an excellent job of making sure the words are understandable. The woman sitting next to me was in her 80s and it seemed she could hear everything clearly as well.

Speaking of this woman, it was beyond exciting to see her just as engaged with the show as any twenty-something in the audience. She was nodding along to the songs, picking up on the jokes before the rest of the audience, and was the first one to start clapping at the “Immigrants: We get the job done” line. For all I know, she could be a big hip-hop/rap fan herself, but, assuming she isn’t, her reaction to the show gave me even more proof at the strength of the show. “Hamilton” spans all kinds of demographics, regardless of the style of the piece.

All of the seats I could see were filled. It seems that even if many of these were scooped up by scalpers, they are finding willing people to pay those exorbitant prices for the tickets.

So, I've seen both Lin & Javier this past week, and they're both really good. Some inflections are different between the two, but it still works. I know that many have said that Javi's rapping isn't as strong but I thought it was great. I don't think you miss out on anything if you see him instead of Lin.

May I say that Leslie was on fire on Saturday? I was in the back orchestra on Tuesday but in the box on Saturday, and the tears rolling down his face during "The World Was Wide Enough"... so heart-breaking. I know that this is a Hamilton piece but it also paints a picture of Burr that's different than just "that guy who shot Alexander Hamilton".

"One Last Time" grew on me the second time around but "Your Obedient Servant" is the one that still comes out strange to me. The off-Broadway version - the lyrics are faster; the Broadway version - the orchestration are the same but the lyrics are slower.

BTW, I got my Tuesday the 14th ticket on Friday the 10th by going to the box office. It was Row V, seat 10. I got my Saturday matinee the 18th ticket on Thursday the 16th also at the box office. It was in the lower right box. Each ticket was $167. Sooo... if you really want to see it and you live in New York, stop by the box office. They might have tickets available. The box seats weren't bad. at. all.

"May I say that Leslie was on fire on Saturday? I was in the back orchestra on Tuesday but in the box on Saturday, and the tears rolling down his face during "The World Was Wide Enough"... so heart-breaking. I know that this is a Hamilton piece but it also paints a picture of Burr that's different than just "that guy who shot Alexander Hamilton". "

I assume you mean Saturday matinee because I know you saw Javier, but he was on fire Saturday night too. I remembered Wait for It being my favorite song and crying through the whole thing at the Public. His performance this time around seemed even more..... I really don't know what the word is. Visceral? There is another word I am searching for but it is escaping me. I was in the rear orchestra and am looking forward to returning in September when I'm sitting closer because I think it will be even more powerful to really see the emotions on his face. (That was part of what got me about his performance at the Public--I was so close to him and I felt like his words were piercing my soul.)

Basically for all of his sad songs I have tears streaming down my face the whole time. It's amazing how the "villain" becomes so sympathetic--you don't even come remotely close to hating him, and I hesitate to call him a villain at all. (Incidentally, I see a Valjean/Javert parallel to the Hamilton/Burr relationship and can definitely see Les Mis's influence on Miranda.)

The crazy amazing thing about this show is that everyone has a different favorite performance. His is easily my favorite, but others I've spoken with who have seen it have named Miranda, Diggs, Jackson, and Goldsberry. Any other member of the cast could certainly be added to that list and it would not surprise me. They're all just so so so freaking good.

Why do people care so much about the lottery numbers? It's still a lot of freaking people every day. It hasn't gone from 706 to 100. The lottery is still constantly packed with 300+ people

Lin said that the Ham4Ham show will be happening throughout previews

Sadly, Christopher Jackson's father passed away and he's out of the show until next week.

https://twitter.com/ChrisisSingin/status/624595526348963840

His two understudies at Sydney Harcourt (who's in the ensemble as Mr. Schuyler/Mr. Reynolds) and Austin Smith (who's a swing).