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cjlasky7I am on vacation!
I took a full week off. It's been awhile since I've done that. But it was long overdue. I've been under a lot of pressure at the bank; with our assistant branch manager out on maternity leave (and no replacement coming), everybody gets a much bigger workload. I've been training the new tellers, and they've picked up enough of the job to the point where I can leave the line in their hands for awhile. (I'll clean up any messes when I get back.)
My birthday was on Sunday (#66...6). I already gave myself the best-est present ever (see previous post), but my wife wanted to know if I had anything in mind for the actual day. I had no idea. I hemmed and hawed and put it off (which irritated her no end).
Finally, she said: Hamilton is playing at our favorite Staten Island movie theater on Sunday morning. Wanna go?
Sold!
I was coming in to Hamilton cold. I hadn't studied the libretto, and I didn't know the numbers (aside from a brief snippet from a Tony awards ceremony). The performers? Those I knew: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Jonathon Groff and Renee Elise Goldsberry were familiar from other projects. (And I have to compliment Miranda for giving these scene-stealers room to strut--literally, in Daveed Diggs' case. A less secure showrunner might not be so generous with the spotlight.)
Remember how I whined about the long runtime of Wicked (the movie)? Well, Hamilton ran just as long--but it flew by. I read about how much historical material was packed into this libretto, but I was still amazed by how DENSE it all was and yet didn't bog down into boring exposition. Miranda balanced the serious matter of nation building with biting humor and he used the anachronistic contrast of a hip hop soundtrack and colonial America to keep the audience off balance and engaged. (I freaking LOVED that cabinet meetings in the Washington administration were framed as rap battles.)
Diggs pranced like a rock star as Lafayette AND Jefferson(!!), and Groff was incredible, sauntering on stage as King George III, charming and terrifying the audience with a naked display of old world power. (Brilliant choice by Miranda to make the King's solo an old British music hall number. Made it SCARIER.) But the pleasant surprise for me was Philipa Soo as Hamilton's wife, Eliza. She was the emotional backbone of the entire production, and Miranda actually gave her the last word.
[Nitpicks? Not this time! Score, libretto, staging, performances--all top quality. I was puzzled, though, at the omission of John Adams as a major player. I guess Miranda had to cut somewhere; otherwise, we'd be running close to four hours.
The 10th anniversary edition has reminiscences from all the major players about the creation of Hamilton, the initial production off Broadway and the move to the Richard Rodgers Theater for its epic run. Pleasant, but not essential.]
To wrap things up, I was treated to a deluxe burger at the Parkway Diner and pastries from Villa Abbate.
Right now, I'm on the bus, heading for the UA Sheepshead Bay and an afternoon showing of Weapons. Tomorrow night: Spinal Tap! Thursday (or Friday): Spike Lee and Denzel! This weekend: Darren Aronofsky! (And maybe some actual house maintenance.)
I'll try to keep up with reviews. Watch this space.
I took a full week off. It's been awhile since I've done that. But it was long overdue. I've been under a lot of pressure at the bank; with our assistant branch manager out on maternity leave (and no replacement coming), everybody gets a much bigger workload. I've been training the new tellers, and they've picked up enough of the job to the point where I can leave the line in their hands for awhile. (I'll clean up any messes when I get back.)
My birthday was on Sunday (#66...6). I already gave myself the best-est present ever (see previous post), but my wife wanted to know if I had anything in mind for the actual day. I had no idea. I hemmed and hawed and put it off (which irritated her no end).
Finally, she said: Hamilton is playing at our favorite Staten Island movie theater on Sunday morning. Wanna go?
Sold!
I was coming in to Hamilton cold. I hadn't studied the libretto, and I didn't know the numbers (aside from a brief snippet from a Tony awards ceremony). The performers? Those I knew: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Jonathon Groff and Renee Elise Goldsberry were familiar from other projects. (And I have to compliment Miranda for giving these scene-stealers room to strut--literally, in Daveed Diggs' case. A less secure showrunner might not be so generous with the spotlight.)
Remember how I whined about the long runtime of Wicked (the movie)? Well, Hamilton ran just as long--but it flew by. I read about how much historical material was packed into this libretto, but I was still amazed by how DENSE it all was and yet didn't bog down into boring exposition. Miranda balanced the serious matter of nation building with biting humor and he used the anachronistic contrast of a hip hop soundtrack and colonial America to keep the audience off balance and engaged. (I freaking LOVED that cabinet meetings in the Washington administration were framed as rap battles.)
Diggs pranced like a rock star as Lafayette AND Jefferson(!!), and Groff was incredible, sauntering on stage as King George III, charming and terrifying the audience with a naked display of old world power. (Brilliant choice by Miranda to make the King's solo an old British music hall number. Made it SCARIER.) But the pleasant surprise for me was Philipa Soo as Hamilton's wife, Eliza. She was the emotional backbone of the entire production, and Miranda actually gave her the last word.
[Nitpicks? Not this time! Score, libretto, staging, performances--all top quality. I was puzzled, though, at the omission of John Adams as a major player. I guess Miranda had to cut somewhere; otherwise, we'd be running close to four hours.
The 10th anniversary edition has reminiscences from all the major players about the creation of Hamilton, the initial production off Broadway and the move to the Richard Rodgers Theater for its epic run. Pleasant, but not essential.]
To wrap things up, I was treated to a deluxe burger at the Parkway Diner and pastries from Villa Abbate.
Right now, I'm on the bus, heading for the UA Sheepshead Bay and an afternoon showing of Weapons. Tomorrow night: Spinal Tap! Thursday (or Friday): Spike Lee and Denzel! This weekend: Darren Aronofsky! (And maybe some actual house maintenance.)
I'll try to keep up with reviews. Watch this space.
