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re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON?

Posted by: Chromolume 12:13 am EST 11/02/15
In reply to: re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON? - Michael_Portantiere 11:49 pm EST 11/01/15

Well, I think it comes down to semantics. "Sondheim can't write a melody" isn't factual, but "I don't hear satisfying melodies in Sondheim's shows" is opinion.

"Heartless" may go against what you see as the substance of Hamilton but "I don't feel the heart in it" is an entitled opinion, even if you can't understand how someone would say that.


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re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON?

Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 10:57 am EST 11/02/15
In reply to: re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON? - Chromolume 12:13 am EST 11/02/15

"'Heartless' may go against what you see as the substance of Hamilton but 'I don't feel the heart in it' is an entitled opinion, even if you can't understand how someone would say that."

Fair enough, but I think there's quite a big difference between saying a show is "heartless" and saying "I don't feel the heart in it." Someone might say, "I wasn't moved by A CHORUS LINE because I don't relate to the characters," but would anyone ever describe that show as "heartless?"

So I think you're right that it comes down to semantics, but also, I think it's a good thing to be careful in choosing one's words, especially when being critical of something.


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re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON?

Posted by: jero 09:47 pm EST 11/02/15
In reply to: re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON? - Michael_Portantiere 10:57 am EST 11/02/15

I'm still analyzing how I feel and think... and my heartless comment.... well for me a show has heart when I'm made to feel what the actors are feeling.. I'm not hearing about or being told about what they're going through, I feel with them... it's not the same thing as a character having convictions but it's similar.


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re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON?

Posted by: MikeR 01:44 pm EST 11/03/15
In reply to: re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON? - jero 09:47 pm EST 11/02/15

I wept at Hamilton. Both times I saw it. And I cry listening to the cast recording. And if I'm lucky enough to see it again, I'm sure I'll weep again.


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re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON?

Posted by: clb1016 12:56 pm EST 11/03/15
In reply to: re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON? - jero 09:47 pm EST 11/02/15

And yet you stated that you laughed at the sight of a mother sobbing over the body of her dead child.


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re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON?

Posted by: jero (jrossmrv@comcast.net) 08:16 pm EST 11/03/15
In reply to: re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON? - clb1016 12:56 pm EST 11/03/15

my name is jerry.. my email is below.


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re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON?

Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 11:43 pm EST 11/02/15
In reply to: re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON? - jero 09:47 pm EST 11/02/15

Although there is quite a bit of narration in HAMILTON, and several instances of characters telling us what happens or has happened offstage, there are also a great many scenes of characters experiencing emotions in the moment as events are occurring. If you were "not made to feel what the actors are feeling" (I think you meant the characters), that's your experience and it's valid, but your description of the storytelling is misleading.


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re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON?

Posted by: ryhog 12:49 pm EST 11/03/15
In reply to: re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON? - Michael_Portantiere 11:43 pm EST 11/02/15

I've written this somewhere before but there is actually not much narration. Much of what Burr does through the show is actually singing about his interior thoughts-something that is essential to his character development. Singing what you are thinking but not saying is not at all uncommon in musical theatre, or in non-musical theatre. Is Hamlet narrating?


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re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON?

Posted by: jero 06:46 am EST 11/03/15
In reply to: re: Did I miss something at HAMILTON? - Michael_Portantiere 11:43 pm EST 11/02/15

there's a link above by kiernan .. here's one quote. "The greatest hip-hop packs in so much information, allowing the listener to dig into layer upon layer of meaning." I went in unaware Manuel Manuel wrote this with a secondary motive in mind, beyond writing a musical he's exalting the spoken word form. It's taken days of discussion, varying opinions and I'm beginning to listen to the recording (which has NO extras like photos from the show-which is what I was hoping for when I bought it before the show) to come to this realization.

It makes me think I was right about In The Heights when I thought Manuel and Blankenbuehler were taking musical theater to a new and different place...and this props up my opinion in my mind and I stand by my initial thoughts. Manuel in Hamilton is majorly concerned with us acquiring layered information through listening, not feeling.

That's not a bad thing, but it's a different thing and it really is going to lead us into the next phase of musical theater. And don't underestimate Blankebuehler's contribution. This kind of movement has been around for years on the dance competition circuit but it's new for broadway audiences.

Now I'm wondering how shows like So You Think You Can Dance and Dance Moms have softened up the public to appreciate this more?? boy that's an early morning thought.


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