New Yorker's Hilton Als Review of Hamilton- Page 2
New Yorker's Hilton Als Review of Hamilton
After Eight
Broadway Legend Joined: 6/5/09
#25New Yorker's Hilton Als Review of Hamilton
Posted: 3/10/15 at 6:56pm
"Miranda’s men aren’t doing the usual “gay” work of the musical, which is to say singing about their feelings (at least, not at first)"
Yeah, since Billy Bigelow, Emile de Becque, Lt. Cable, Ravenal, Porgy, Sky Masterson, Harold Hill, Pal Joey, Don Quixote, etc. are all such gay characters doing the"usual 'gay' work of the musical."
What a stupid and offensive comment.
And what a vulgar, loutish review.
As deficient as Hamilton is (overlong, overblown, overwrought, overstuffed), and as overhyped as it is, it is nowhere as bad as this bilge.
This is what the New Yorker has descended to?
Heaven help us all!
ZannaDo
Stand-by Joined: 12/1/14
#26New Yorker's Hilton Als Review of Hamilton
Posted: 3/10/15 at 7:04pmPalJoey, how does his past work, however credible or not it is, change the fact that this piece is ridiculous and offensive?
neonlightsxo
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/08
#27New Yorker's Hilton Als Review of Hamilton
Posted: 3/11/15 at 9:47am^ I'm with Zanna. It's great Hilton is a "longtime out-and-fierce black gay queen" but the piece is stupid and absurd.
#28New Yorker's Hilton Als Review of Hamilton
Posted: 3/11/15 at 9:50amConsidering how much he harps on the show's masculinity- and its perceived failure to sustain it- I am kind of surprised to learn he's gay.
"...everyone finally shut up, and the audience could enjoy the beginning of the Anatevka Pogram in peace."
VirginiaK
Chorus Member Joined: 4/15/12
#29New Yorker's Hilton Als Review of Hamilton
Posted: 3/20/15 at 8:50pm
Hilton Als is a brilliant critic as far as I'm concerned, and very often especially astute about themes or subtexts about race, gender, and gender performativity. I feel I know what he means when he talks about the testosterone quotient of the show, it's got strong male energy, BUT I find him really off-base about the second half in ways other people here have noted AND about the duel: I didn't see Hamilton's anguished and surprised expression as having to do with his male bonding with Burr -- the play skillfully tells us that in general, in a duel, the duellers did not actually try to kill each other. He didn't expect to kill or be killed. I don't think you need to assign this to the "bromance."
As to the comment about the usual"gay" work of the musical, what I believe he means is that in general the musical form gives you men singing about feelings, which is conventionally a "gay" idea. And then here, he says, that's not what's going on.
Videos