Leslie Odom's Hamilton Return = A Must See

I saw the matinee yesterday as my first time back since the original cast and it was a similarly electric experience From the moment the curtain rose, you could feel the energy from the entire cast ripple through the audience. Each number landed with such precision and joy, and the chemistry onstage was palpable.

What really stood out were all the little unscripted moments that made the show feel alive: Leslie exchanging playful glances with the ensemble, quick winks, and spontaneous laughter that pulled the crowd right in. Those small interactions gave the performance such warmth and made it feel like a truly unique experience.

By the final curtain call, the theater was buzzing, and now I'm trying to see him in the show one more time.

I don't get how Lin Manuel Miranda, supposedly a champion of the working classes, the ordinary man and woman, can justify such impossible prices. Can Usnavi afford this? The celebrated diversity of this show, to portray the real America, the average Joe etc. Hm, can we revoke the Kennedy Center Honor?

Because this

Is Leslie's return for love of the show, or for a big fat check?

Actual question, as I genuinely can't fathom how high some of these prices are.

Do ticket prices reflect a fair cost/profit?

It's like a grocer charging a hundred dollars for a can of beans, just because he can.

I mean he’s playing himself

Leslie Odom is a working actor. It's very strange to ask someone if they are taking a job because they care or if "it's for the money." Of course he wants lucrative gigs and there isn't anything wrong with that. Seems pretty normal to want to book a well paying gig. I don't see what the problem is.

Jay Lerner-Z said: "I wasn't trying to shame him, just wondering if this is why the prices surged. At least that way there would be some logical reason for it."

Ticket prices were much lower prior to his run, so yes, this is probably the reason.

And you may not be trying to shame Odom (although I'd say you "big fat check" remark in #7 falls under that heading), you certainly seem like you're trying to shame Miranda in post #3.

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Well, in that post, perhaps I was. Look, the main target of my ire is late-stage capitalism."

Really? I don't think we've ever seen you comment in that vein here.

{sarcasm}

Let them keep prices the same and let the scalpers reap the benefits. Why do we never protect the scalpers?!

Based on the extremely positive response Odom is getting, I don't think people who have purchased tickets to see him feel like "victims." Most seem to view it as money well spent, albeit a splurge.

Jay Lerner-Z said: "Do ticket prices reflect a fair cost/profit?"

It's really hard for me to blame producers who want to squeeze every penny out of a cash cow like this, maximizing return for their investors, when most shows lose millions of dollars.

"It's like a grocer charging a hundred dollars for a can of beans, just because he can."

But, of course, they can't, as long as there's a functioning market (and there are laws against it when there isn't a functioning market, as in a natural disaster or other local emergency). But I don't think it's really appropriate to compare Hamilton with Odom to a kitchen staple; it's more like the Lamborghini of theater, a true luxury item, something for which demand would vastly exceed supply if it weren't priced accordingly.

Updated On: 9/16/25 at 11:19 AM

I would like to agree with the point that theater is a luxury item, something you save for, and you might not be able to see a very popular show for many years. Even if it has been around for 10+ years, like Wicked or Hamilton, people just have other priorities to focus on. Saying "it's been around for years" is not a valid argument here. You never know someones financial status, or what they have to cut out due to their budget. Again, can someone please tell me what you expected the ticket prices to be?