Petite Version
A while back ago, I watched Hamilton, the Broadway musical, in San Francisco’s Orpheum Theatre and I absolutely love it! Have you seen it yet? Do you plan to see it? Don’t you want to be in that very room?
[line]Full Post
I’m sure you’ve heard about how good this is, so this post is not a review of Hamilton. Instead, I thought I’d share my favorite things about the musical in a Superlatives edition (similar to what High School yearbooks do for graduating seniors)
Raffle
So I actually won a pair of tickets from this raffle hosted by Lucky Seat. I entered religiously almost everyday, and one day, I finally received notification that I won a pair of tickets for the price of $20 for the pair! What a steal!
Note that when tickets opened up to the public, I made several attempts to purchase them. I was perhaps 90,000th in line. By the time I was able to view tickets, my options were limited to single seats or very expensive tickets (which they are still very expensive in the resale market).
I feel very fortunate to win the raffle. I took my sister to join in on the fun, and it was perfect because the show as a few days before her birthday! And the best part? We got FRONT ROW CENTER seats! These superlatives reflect the cast that performed on Saturday, May 20th.
Superlatives: The Best of Hamilton Edition
Best Actor
Michael Luwoye, Alexander Hamilton (obvi)
This one might be an obvious choice, but the man is talented. From his singing, to acting, to dancing, Michael took this character to the next level.
Note that I related most to the character of Hamilton since time was his main enemy. He had so many things he wanted to accomplish, yet so little time.
Michael Luwoye, Alexander Hamilton
(Instagram: @michaelluwoye)
Photo Credit: Playbill
Best Actress
Solea Pfeiffer, Eliza Hamilton (another obvi choice)
Eliza is probably one of the most beloved character. I love how you see her progress from a youthful spirt to a mature and very forgiving woman.
I think Solea took creative rights and added a gasp to close out one scene. Let me tell you, hot tears instantly rolled down my cheeks.
Solea Pfeiffer, Eliza Hamilton
(Instagram: @_solaylay)
Photo Credit: Twitter
Best Dancer
Jennifer Geller, Ensemble
I absolutely love her execution of the moves and her facials were incredible, which makes sense if she played a cheerleader on Bring It On! The Musical.
And Best Booty also goes to her. You can tell she does her squats!
Jennifer Geller, Ensemble
(Instagram: @spongejenniferbob)
Photo Credit:
About The Artists
Best Singer
Emmy Raver-Lampman, Angelica Schuyler
The lungs on this girl! Not only can she flow and rap, but her vocals are off the charts!
Emmy Raver-Lampman, Angelica Schuler
(Instagram: @emmyraver)
Photo Credit: Playbill
Best Rapper
Joshua Henry, Aaron Burr
So many options to choose from, but I also love how Joshua can both sing and rap!
Joshua Henry, Aaron Burr
(Instagram: @joshuahenrynyc)
Photo Credit: Playbill
Best Upbeat Song
Too many to choose from! I personally could not stop listening to “Helpless” right after experiencing the show! I link the original Ashanti’s remake below.
Best Ballad
“It’s Quiet Uptown” is one the speaks to me a lot. Quite powerful when paired up with the acting. Again, I include both the original and Kelly Clarkson’s remake. I love both, but am partial to Kelly’s rendition.
Best Beat
One thing I love about the musical was the variety of genres they covered. It wasn’t just rap, which is what I originally assumed this musical.
I obviously love the ballads and anything poppy or something that you can dance to.
There were plenty of reggae beats I heard and I am particularly fond of “Wait for It”. The remix doesn’t feature the reggae beat, but it’s still sweet. Usher’s remix is quite sultry.
Best Musical Dance Number
“Satisfied” – hands down!
I am particularly fond of how Angelica Schuyler breaks down the moment that changed her life forever. I love Emmy’s vocals in this, as well as how she flows. I love how they layered in other songs in the musical, including “Helpless”, which I mention above. Sia, Miguel, and Queen Latifah perform the remix.
Best Musician
The percussionist. He said hi to me and my sister during intermission. I believe the name of this Synthesizer and Drum Programming might by Randy Cohen.
Best Guns
Raymond Baynard, Ensemble
Let’s just say I thank the costume designer who decided this man should go sleeveless in quite a few of the scenes LOL
Raymond Baynard, Enemble
(Instagram: @raymondbaynard)
Photo Credit: IG
Best Hair
Emmy Raver-Lampman, Angelica Schuyler
The girl’s hair is bangin’!
How she makes it work with this outfit from the late 1700’s, I do not know, but I love it!
The Schuyler Sisters:
Eliza, Angelica, Peggy
(Photo Credit: Mercury News)
Best Costume
The costumes are so good! My favorite though is how Eliza Schuyler’s dress (see above). First off, what girl doesn’t love the color Tiffany Blue? Secondly, I thought it was well thought out how her costume evolved with her character, making her more modest during marriage and for some reason, she was constantly pregnant and had the cutest bump!
Best Costume Changes
This goes out to the Ensemble with all of the roles that they had to play. They strategically used the neutral color khaki , but added slight tints of yellow or blue or purple to differentiate some of the females. I found it clever how the costume designers layered various articles of clothing to transform them from one character to another. Sometimes, the ladies had skirts over their base costume. Other times, the entire ensemble wore a trench coat in order to portray a combat scene. Being in the front row, I could see the workmanship of the costumes was of great quality, which is to be expected in order for these costumes to last show after show.
Class Clown
Rory O’Malley, King George
King George is such a character! I love how spoiled and bratty he is in the most comical way. I think it’s genius how his them song reminds me a lot of The Beatles!
Rory O’Malley, King George
(Instagram: @mrroryomalley)
Photo Credit: roryomalley.com
Life of the Party
Jordan Donica, Marquis de Lafayette / Thomas Jefferson
Jordan played a dual role, but he definitely “brought the thunder” while playing Thomas Jefferson. His hair with the big afro totally made Mr. Jefferson that much more fab!
Jordan Donica, Marquis de Lafayette / Thomas Jefferson
(Facebook: jordandonicaofficial)
Photo Credit: IndyStar
Cutest Couple that Never Was
Alexander Hamilton and Angelica Schuyler
It is clear that these two are soul mates. Now, in real life, I believe Angelica was already married when she met Alexander, but in order to make this connection more powerful, the playwright, Lin-Manuel Miranda, took some creative liberties.
Most Likely to be Beyonce’s Backup Dancer
Sabrina Imamura, Ensemble
As much as I love Jennifer Geller (Best Dancer), I also had my eyes on was Sabrina! The way she moves, sister has soul!
Sabrina Imamura, Ensemble
(Instagram: @sabrinamiko)
Photo Credit: SHN Magazine
Best Bromance
Jordan Donica, Marquis de Lafayette / Thomas Jefferson & Mathenee Treco, Hercules Mulligan / James Madison
The Jefferson + Madison duo was quite hilarious. They have very good rapport with one another and I love how Madison supported Jefferson and how he “brought the thunder.”
Matthenee (left) and Jordan (second to left)
Madison cheering on Jefferson
Most Likely to be President
Alexander Hamilton, obvi.
Except he died (obvi). Although events turned up that made Hamilton unelectible, his opinion was still powerful enough to carve politics.
[line]Conclusion
If you are able to score some tickets that hopefully don’t cost a fortune, I high encourage you to go see the musical!
I’ve been a fan of musicals growing up and this is one of my favorite musicals, if not, THE fave!
To watch this from the front row (on a Saturday night!) and to see the raw emotions these actors and actresses delivered is truly quite special.
I truly believe Hamilton’s success is a due to how relatable these characters are. Even after I won the raffle, I still kept entering in hopes of winning again.
Bringing you the thunder,
Berniedette
