Celebrating its tenth year on Broadway, Hamilton saw the return of an original cast member. Starting on September 9, fans of the hit musical could watch the show with a familiar face, Leslie Odom Jr., who reprised his iconic role as Aaron Burr in the play. Many fans rushed to get tickets, and I was one of the lucky few who did. Therefore, it only feels right to share my experience seeing my personal GOAT (Greatest of All Time), (as a theater fan who has only seen Hamilton), with all of you, too.
Walking into the theater felt surreal. My cousin managed to snag us good seats, so we had a great view of the stage. That was another moment leaving me starstruck: seeing the stage live. I never realized how intricated the set design was from the movie version on Disney+, but seeing the wooden structure and spinning floorboard in person completely changed my perspective. What seemed small on my television screen is massive in real life.
Then there was the show itself. I knew I was going to enjoy it, with or without Leslie Odom Jr., but hearing him sing my favorite songs live was an unforgettable experience. (One of my cousins mentioned that this compares to seeing One Direction and Five Seconds of Summer on tour together, and I would have to agree.) Most Hamilton fans know that Odom Jr.’s character, Aaron Burr, serves as the narrator throughout the play, especially in the first half. Hearing him sing the opening lines to the musical brought tears to my eyes, which I was not expecting.
On top of that, there were several other moments that brought me to tears, or close to it. My absolute favorite song is “Wait For It”. (It also serves as one of my many studying hype songs, which you can read more about here.) The second the opening chords struck, I squeezed my cousin’s hand and took in a breath. It took everything in me not to record, but I wanted to both live in the moment and respect the rules of the theater. While I know of hundreds of other people were enjoying Odom Jr.’s performance, I felt like he was singing directly to me. Another song featuring his incredible vocals is “Dear Theodosia”, which I didn’t particularly care for until hearing it live. “Dear Theodosia” is much slower compared to the other songs in the first act, so I always skip it when listening to the album. Hearing it live, however, changed my opinion on the song. Despite sitting further away from the stage, I could still see and feel the vulnerability Odom Jr. poured into the performance. The only thing that kept me from crying was my lack of tissues and refusal to let my makeup run. His performance changed my perspective and feelings on the song, quickly making it one of my favorites.
While I attended the show to see Leslie Odom Jr., there were other moments and actors who made it memorable, contributing to the overall experience. The actor who played John Laurens and Phillip Hamilton, David Guzman, was also amazing. He truly embodied both characters in so many ways and was a great addition to the cast. Another memorable moment came from the audience. Aside from the standing ovation at the end of the play, there is one lyric in “Yorktown” where Hamilton and Lafayette, two immigrants, proudly exclaim, “immigrants, we get the job done.” As soon as those words were uttered, the entire theater erupted into cheers. This serves as a great reminder that despite the current political climate, there are still people who believe in the foundational ideas of America. This moment helped me (and the person in front of me) remember that the theater directly connects to the world around us. Despite being ten years old, Hamilton still resonates today.
Leslie Odom Jr. will continue to play Aaron Burr until November 26, so if you’re still looking to see him perform check out the official Hamilton website on how you can grab tickets. There’s also a ticket lottery, so if you’re willing to wait for it and take a shot, then this is another great option to see the show. Overall, seeing Hamilton live was an amazing experience; one I would recommend for any fan.