Watching a performance of Hamilton on Broadway was probably one of the most thrilling experiences I’ve ever had and I’m not taking that lightly. It would be an understatement to say that I liked the show before seeing it; I had a hard copy of the soundtrack and I memorized the entire thing, at one point it was all I talked about. After a few months, though, I had pretty much accepted my fate and told myself that I’d probably never get to see the show in person. It was ridiculously expensive; I thought I’d get a chance sometime in college or something. However, my mom ended up buying us tickets for my sweet sixteen and I couldn’t have asked for a better present. Back in the day, my mom had her own ‘Hamilton’, Les Misérables, back when it was first on Broadway, so she could understand how excited I was to see the show.

After a lovely dinner at my favorite Thai restaurant, we soon found ourselves in some amazing seats just a few rows from the front in the Richard Roberts Theater. The show started right away, and I was captivated by the performance. I was especially impressed with the dancing, which I couldn’t appreciate by just listening to the soundtrack while I walked home. While I didn’t see the show with the original cast, the new cast was just as talented. My favorite song is still “The Battle of Yorktown”, with “The Room Where it Happens” being a close second.

The big question with Hamilton is why it got so popular. Who could possibly make something about history interesting to young people and overall enjoyable up on the stage? With catchy, hip-hop style songs and a multicultural cast, Hamilton was able to show everyone a different spin on American history. The musical brought characters from our textbooks to life, making them seem like real people we could relate to instead of lifeless characters in a history lesson. Of course, I’d highly recommend the show to anyone, but it can get pretty pricy for good seats. I will say though, the entire show is basically the soundtrack, so if you’re up for listening to all the songs; you’ll still be able to enjoy the story. The ticket prices have gone down drastically, too, so it will probably be easier to acquire tickets.