05 July2020
992
R. Linda:
Because there were no fireworks to see this year, no Boston Pops to listen to, and no trip into Boston to celebrate the birthplace of the revolution, we stayed home. Well, of course, we did. Tonya thought it would be nice if we watched the musical Hamilton on Disney Plus.
Knowing none of us will get to see the play in person the way things are, we decided yes, family night in front of the telly watching something that was not only to be entertaining but might teach the young ones some history of what the 4th was about.
The boyos made popcorn, we broke out some Coke-A-Colas, got into our favourite seats and started the play on the telly.
Here's the way I saw it: I be not a hip-hop fan, but having seen two rappers backed up by hip-hop dancers at a school function, I realised for me (at least) this genre be best seen and experienced in person. The show loses that on film because I realised while at the school show, the energy onstage communicates very well with the audience and it be hard not to get into the beat and experience.
I and me Mam, have trouble with rap because it's too fast, and the accent be different, but we caught enough to get what was being conveyed to the audience. Not only that the actors are so superb that just their expressions and movements on stage pull your understanding along, and you "get it." I once saw a performance of La Traviata which was sung in Italian which I do not speak, but the singers were motivated by their roles and in their movements I knew exactly what was happening, same here. Well done.
Everyone in the cast was ultra-talented, no doubt about it. From the leads to the ensemble, it was perfection. Especially the dancing and singing while the centre of the stage spins. Yes, the centre stage could move to give action and to me, it was a genius concept. How the actors found their marks while singing, dancing and being in close proximity to the moving ensemble I don't know.
The costumes were something one could not help noticing. They were made well and looked very authentic. Colour was a focal point, and it aided in the comprehension of the show's plot and the character. For example, Hamilton wore green as the Treasury Secretary, the woman he had the affair with was dressed in red, his wife wore stabilising blue and when Hamilton was going to get his hands dirty, or into his work with the revolution (probably a better way to put it), he wore earthy brown.
Some actors played more than one role and it was not just the costume change, but the subtle redressing of their hair and accents, especially in the case of Daveed Diggs, who had the most laughs as Jefferson.
I liked it, it was very different and I bet the opening night was a nail-biter as to how well the musical would be received, as being completely out of the ordinary and unique. Not only that, the cast was multi-racial which made it more appealing in that actors of colour got to showcase their talents and held their own which made us wonder where most of them had been because they had me convinced they were the roles they played. I forgot I was looking at a multi-racial cast, I was seeing the characters as people who were shaping a nation.
The opening numbers are all set up so the audience gets an idea of the youth, and the dreams mixed with the reality of the time, and by intermission, you know the heavy stuff is coming. The ending leaves you with a profound understanding and a feeling that sticks with you.
There isn't much to say about the lead that hasn't already been said. Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, has a passion for his role that was obvious as he performed it with relish. To me the best performance besides Diggs was Christopher Jackson who portrayed Washington, you got right off the authority figure, the man in charge, the seasoned performer. Renee Goldsberry had the role of Angelica Schuyler and though she comes and goes the power in her presence was enough you couldn't forget her. She has a presence in her performing skills that you believe she is Angelica.
Tonya has a soft spot for Anthony Ramos (John Laurens, the young and teenaged Philip Hamilton) who morphed into his other characters with an ease of a much older performer, he is that good. Daveed Diggs -- what can you say about an actor/singer who can dominate the stage as well as he does? Phenomenal. And one more, Jonathan Groff as King George set the English mood off excellently each time he appeared. He was funny, but you felt the underlying not-so-funny and disapproving guy underneath that Kingly exterior.
Me kiddos loved it, though the wee one wasn't sure what it was about, but he liked the music and the dancing. The only one that sort of was lost was me, Mam. Getting her to watch in the first place was a chore since she was determined to spend the weekend with William Shatner. She was busy watching Seasons 1 and 2 of UnXplained. I tell ya the woman loves the paranormal! Anyway, Irish history she's all about it, American history, not so much. Rapping and hip-hop -- she's not a fan really but she sat through it. She loved the costumes but it wasn't her cuppa tea. This is more like what she'd appreciate:
Gabe
Copyright © 2020 All rights reserved
992
R. Linda:
Because there were no fireworks to see this year, no Boston Pops to listen to, and no trip into Boston to celebrate the birthplace of the revolution, we stayed home. Well, of course, we did. Tonya thought it would be nice if we watched the musical Hamilton on Disney Plus.
 |
| Courtesy Disney + |
The boyos made popcorn, we broke out some Coke-A-Colas, got into our favourite seats and started the play on the telly.
Here's the way I saw it: I be not a hip-hop fan, but having seen two rappers backed up by hip-hop dancers at a school function, I realised for me (at least) this genre be best seen and experienced in person. The show loses that on film because I realised while at the school show, the energy onstage communicates very well with the audience and it be hard not to get into the beat and experience.
I and me Mam, have trouble with rap because it's too fast, and the accent be different, but we caught enough to get what was being conveyed to the audience. Not only that the actors are so superb that just their expressions and movements on stage pull your understanding along, and you "get it." I once saw a performance of La Traviata which was sung in Italian which I do not speak, but the singers were motivated by their roles and in their movements I knew exactly what was happening, same here. Well done.
Everyone in the cast was ultra-talented, no doubt about it. From the leads to the ensemble, it was perfection. Especially the dancing and singing while the centre of the stage spins. Yes, the centre stage could move to give action and to me, it was a genius concept. How the actors found their marks while singing, dancing and being in close proximity to the moving ensemble I don't know.
The costumes were something one could not help noticing. They were made well and looked very authentic. Colour was a focal point, and it aided in the comprehension of the show's plot and the character. For example, Hamilton wore green as the Treasury Secretary, the woman he had the affair with was dressed in red, his wife wore stabilising blue and when Hamilton was going to get his hands dirty, or into his work with the revolution (probably a better way to put it), he wore earthy brown.
Some actors played more than one role and it was not just the costume change, but the subtle redressing of their hair and accents, especially in the case of Daveed Diggs, who had the most laughs as Jefferson.
I liked it, it was very different and I bet the opening night was a nail-biter as to how well the musical would be received, as being completely out of the ordinary and unique. Not only that, the cast was multi-racial which made it more appealing in that actors of colour got to showcase their talents and held their own which made us wonder where most of them had been because they had me convinced they were the roles they played. I forgot I was looking at a multi-racial cast, I was seeing the characters as people who were shaping a nation.
The opening numbers are all set up so the audience gets an idea of the youth, and the dreams mixed with the reality of the time, and by intermission, you know the heavy stuff is coming. The ending leaves you with a profound understanding and a feeling that sticks with you.
There isn't much to say about the lead that hasn't already been said. Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, has a passion for his role that was obvious as he performed it with relish. To me the best performance besides Diggs was Christopher Jackson who portrayed Washington, you got right off the authority figure, the man in charge, the seasoned performer. Renee Goldsberry had the role of Angelica Schuyler and though she comes and goes the power in her presence was enough you couldn't forget her. She has a presence in her performing skills that you believe she is Angelica.
Tonya has a soft spot for Anthony Ramos (John Laurens, the young and teenaged Philip Hamilton) who morphed into his other characters with an ease of a much older performer, he is that good. Daveed Diggs -- what can you say about an actor/singer who can dominate the stage as well as he does? Phenomenal. And one more, Jonathan Groff as King George set the English mood off excellently each time he appeared. He was funny, but you felt the underlying not-so-funny and disapproving guy underneath that Kingly exterior.
Me kiddos loved it, though the wee one wasn't sure what it was about, but he liked the music and the dancing. The only one that sort of was lost was me, Mam. Getting her to watch in the first place was a chore since she was determined to spend the weekend with William Shatner. She was busy watching Seasons 1 and 2 of UnXplained. I tell ya the woman loves the paranormal! Anyway, Irish history she's all about it, American history, not so much. Rapping and hip-hop -- she's not a fan really but she sat through it. She loved the costumes but it wasn't her cuppa tea. This is more like what she'd appreciate:
 |
| Courtesy -- a follower |
Copyright © 2020 All rights reserved
