Hamilton Previews — Page 14

Did anyone see Jackson's understudy tonight?

Thanks! Miranda tweeted that it was Harcourt tonight. I'll be interested to hear how he is!

Updated On: 7/25/15 at 12:53 AM

I'll be back in NYC in October/November and was amazed that even on those months the show only has "few seats left" on ticketmaster. Wow! I even checked the month of March 2016 and half the show's seats were already sold!

Does anyone know whether ticketmaster releases more seats as the date comes closer? Something fishy seems to be going on, hence why I asked that question.

As far as seats go, I was thinking of getting a mezz seat to get a full aerial view of the show. At $167 a ticket, I want the best seat possible for that price! Any advice/tips are welcomed.

I've been stalking ticketmaster and they've been releasing a smattering of premium seats and, less often, non-premium far side or rear orchestra, a day or two before the show. A couple of times the entire row w has gone on sale. I finally gave in and bought one of those for Monday.

On my way to do Ham4Ham lottery. Pray for me

Ms. Bungee,

The lottery is a lottery, the standing room is not. The reason for the $10 price is as a bow to the $10 bill. If you win the lottery, you would not buy SR. If you lose the lottery, you may wish you had gotten in line for the SR tix. Or not. The odds of the latter are, obviously, considerably higher.

Oops I don't know how I just pocket posted. Accidental post. Sorry.

Updated On: 7/27/15 at 11:50 PM

getatme-they continue pulling names for SR after the front row is filled?

Saw it tonight with the Bidens in attendance. The "John Adams doesn't even have a real job" line got a big extended laugh with our current VP in the room where it happens.

Tonight was my first Hamilton and I was absolutely blown away. What a joy to see something so fresh, so brilliant, and so fun. (I had no idea it was so damn funny.) I was in Row W, and the audience was completely with the show, ooohing at the insults in the Jefferson/Hamilton policy rap battles, laughing, fully engrossed. I was frequently stunned at how brilliant the show is, truly a masterpiece. The performances are extraordinary, and I found it really moving to see a cast of mostly non-white actors killing it as the founding fathers.

Row W did have some short scenes on the second level cut off, although I could see them if I leaned down. My ticket was labeled partial view but cost full price. I don't think they should be charging full price, but on the other hand I don't regret paying it. It's a business and they'll charge what they can, I guess.

Finally won lotto last night, and I agree with many of you here that the show has improved since the Public. I didn't know it was possible. Having Biden there was a treat but the real stars are everyone on (and behind) that stage. They work so hard to present us with such a raw, moving, educational, and smart piece. I hope and expect them to be in the Rodgers for a long time and truly believe they deserve all the praise they're getting (though yes, the random pointless headlines may be a bit much).

While I miss some of the minor things that were cut, harmonies and little lines here or there, I really appreciated the changes made (mentioned earlier in the thread). The biggest improvements are to Washington's character and the tension between Hamilton and Burr towards the end. "One Last Time" gives Washington the proper exit he deserves. I found it to be very emotional and made you realize that the new country is entering unknown and scary territory where new leaders have to emerge. I liked the Whiskey Rebellion in the old version of the song but it added a level of levity that seemed out of place so it was a good call to cut it. It allows the rest of the second act to flow seamlessly, and I found myself enjoying Act 2 much more this time around. The changes to “Your Obedient Servant” were also for the better in setting up the final duel. I miss the “Dear Thedosia” reprise. I know why it was cut but I always thought that song added another layer to Burr’s character that was important for his ultimate downfall. There is also now no mention of losing his wife until the duel, which may be easy to miss for someone who has never seen the show before.

Yes, it’s true that Lin-Manuel gives such an emotional performance. I hope he stays well-hydrated with the amount of tears in his eyes from the first song to the last. I enjoy his performance immensely but remember enjoying Javier at the Public just as much. Both men really find themselves in Hamilton. Leslie Odom, Jr. is giving such a powerful performance, even moreso than at the Public. Just one of his tears alone deserves a Tony nod. I love watching the fire build in his eyes over the course of the show. It gives me the chills. I hope his subtle and genuine performance reads as well from further back as it does from the front of the orchestra. Daveed Diggs also continues to improve and he knocks the Jefferson role out of the park. Jonathan Groff has settled comfortably into his role as Kind George. He finds great humor in his few minutes onstage without overdoing it. I still miss Brian D’Arcy James and the power behind his voice but Groff is excellent. Pippa Soo breaks my heart, she is that good. Her calmer, quieter, sweeter performance in Act 1 juxtaposes nicely with the louder, more aggressive characters and actors on that stage. Then in Act 2 she really takes off and shows that she isn’t just a girl with a rich father you marry for money. It’s so moving. Renee Elise Goldsberry is perfection in her role. She masters the complexity of Angelica and the position she is in in Hamilton’s story. Pay special attention to her in “Helpless” because it makes watching her “Satisfied” that much more meaningful. Chris Jackson was back, and this was the most I’ve enjoyed his performance. I think a lot of it has to do with the aforementioned changes made but he also sounded much stronger. I’m relieved that he has such a supportive group with his Hamilton family to raise him up during this time. It was nice to see him back for sure. Jasmine Cephas Jones – her voice is liquid gold. I feel like they cut some of her riffs in “Say No To This” and added more background singing. I’m not sure how I feel about that change, but it’s minor. Okierte and Anthony round up the principal cast nicely and have also perfected their roles since the Public run.

Then of course there is the outstanding ensemble of dancers. Each one of them at any given time is telling a unique story, and I would see the show 10 times just to focus on only one of them each time. Some captivate me more than others, but none of weak links at all. The two added ensemble tracks don’t add much, in my opinion. They are definitely there to amplify the sound and they aren’t core dancers at all. Most of the time they are paired off to one corner together singing while the rest of the cast dances. It was almost like finding Waldo and I found it distracting sometimes. I suppose the production team felt they wanted to fill the space a little more but I honestly don’t think they add much (if anything) to the show. It must have been hard to add two new pieces to an already well-oiled machine.

Lin, Tommy, Alex, and Andy have proven that they are the perfect team working with history to make history. It’s one all-star after another creating a show that tells an important story we should already know but most don’t. Hamilton is so fluid in its new home, it’s surprising there have only been 15 performances. So congratulations to them, and more importantly, thank you to them for bringing this to all of us.

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Also, I heard re: SRO. After opening they will sell SRO day of performance, separate from lotto. No word on if there are only 6 slots or more but it seems that it will no longer be lottoed off after August 6.

Updated On: 7/28/15 at 09:27 AM

How was the view from the front row? I mean for $10 I know you can't possibly go wrong but do you miss anything being that close?

"Lin, Tommy, Alex, and Andy have proven that they are the perfect team working with history to make history. It’s one all-star after another creating a show that tells an important story we should already know but most don’t. Hamilton is so fluid in its new home, it’s surprising there have only been 15 performances. So congratulations to them, and more importantly, thank you to them for bringing this to all of us."

I agree with your whole review, MyLife, but particularly with this part. I think many people will try to imitate Hamilton in the years to come, but I don't think any will succeed. It's truly a one-off. Thanks for posting your thoughts!