alexander hamilton: what are some things you want more people to know about you? aaron burr, sir: when was the last time you met someone who changed your life? my shot: talk about something you’re determined to accomplish before you die. the story of tonight: talk about some of the best times you’ve had with friends. the schuyler sisters: do you have any siblings? if so, what are they like? farmer refuted: do you ever send letters in the mail? you’ll be back: when was the last time you were dumped? right hand man: who do you look up to most? a winter’s ball: what was the last party you went to like? helpless: when was the last time you had a crush that really hit you hard? satisfied: what has been the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? the story of tonight reprise: do you have any friends who are married? wait for it: what’s something you’re really longing for? stay alive: have you ever had any near-death experiences? ten duel commandments: have you ever been in a physical fight with anyone? meet me inside: talk about a time you got in big trouble with an authority figure that would be enough: do you prefer an eventful or a peaceful life? guns and ships: who is your greatest partner in crime? history has its eyes on you: talk about the best teacher you’ve ever had yorktown: talk about a time you struggled but came out on top what comes next?: are you anxious about the future? dear theodosia: what’s one nice thing you wish you could say to someone right now? non-stop: talk about something you’re talented at, or even just something you can do very quickly and efficiently what’d i miss: do you suffer from fomo (fear of missing out)? cabinet battle #1: do you enjoy debating or arguing with people? take a break: if you could run anywhere for a getaway, where would you go and who would you take with you? say no to this: what’s your biggest guilty pleasure? the room where it happens: talk about a group you would love to be a part of, whether it’s an official group or a group of people schuyler defeated: how do you feel about changing yourself and your image in order to succeed? cabinet battle #2: are you a person that helps yourself, or others first? washington on your side: who is the most important or influential person you’ve ever been friends with? one last time: do you have a hard time quitting things or saying goodbye? i know him: do you enjoy talking smack? the adams administration: talk about a time you’ve clashed with authority we know: do you enjoy gossip? hurricane: what’s the hardest thing you’ve ever managed to make it through in life? the reynolds pamphlet: do you prefer keeping secrets, or being an open book? burn: talk about a time you’ve felt betrayed blow us all away: can you hold yourself back when you hear people speaking badly about someone you like/love? stay alive reprise: have you ever lost anyone? it’s quiet uptown: where do you like to go to think or brood? the election of 1800: do you think it’s important to vote? your obedient servant: how do you feel about passive-aggression? best of wives and best of women: do you prefer sleeping alone or with someone else? the world was wide enough: talk about a time you had to make a decision and ultimately made the wrong one who lives, who dies, who tells your story: how do you want to be remembered when you’re gone?
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The trap of the two-woman love triangle is not one that Hamilton entirely avoids. Angelica and Eliza fall neatly into the old conventional/rebellious dichotomy. Angelica, who stands center stage as she raps, “I’ve been reading Common Sense by Thomas Paine / So men say that I’m intense or I’m insane,” is the rebellious one. Eliza, who has, she tells us, “never been the type to try and grab the spotlight,” is the conventionally feminine one. And because Angelica and Eliza are the only major female characters in the show — Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds, the other two female singing parts, have one song apiece — they stand in for all women. Angelica is not just an intellectual woman in the way that Hamilton and Jefferson are intellectual men; she is the intellectual woman. Eliza is not just a domestic woman but the domestic woman.
But Hamilton does depart from the typical love triangle structure when it comes time to designate one of the women as good and the other as bad. The show has no interest in doing so, and it can be shocking to realize this. Watching Hamilton for the first time it is easy to anticipate, as Als does in his New Yorker review, that because Eliza is “genteel” she must be “therefore dull,” or that because Angelica is politically intelligent she must be angry and shrill, as Noonan is pleasantly surprised to find she is not. Instead, Hamilton treats both its women with respect and admiration. It operates on the assumption that both of these characters are important, that the different ways they perform femininity are valid, and that their contributions to history are valuable.
*What makes Hamilton unique is that it recognizes the tragedy in both women’s lives*
Hamilton recognizes that in the 18th century, both rebellious and conventionally feminine women are trapped. Angelica has the intellect and the drive to make valuable contributions to the emerging republic, but instead she is stuck behind the scenes, “a girl in a world in which / my only job is to marry rich.” Her refrain throughout the show is, “I will never be satisfied,” because it is her tragedy to live in a world where she cannot do the kind of work that would satisfy her. In contrast, Eliza has the opportunity and means to do the kind of domestic work that she loves and is good at, but she lives in a world where this kind of work is not valued, because it’s considered less important than the political work Hamilton does. Eliza is stuck at the fringes of history, whispering, “Oh, let me be a part of the narrative,” and her refrain is, “That would be enough,” because it is her tragedy to live in a world where she is denied the little respect she asks for.
And Hamilton gives both Angelica and Eliza the space onstage to examine their tragedies. Angelica’s “Satisfied” is widely considered to be one of the best songs in the show — Rolling Stone calls it Hamilton’s “finest moment” — and the musical ends with Eliza in the spotlight and center stage, declaring, “I put myself back in the narrative.” In the world of Hamilton, Angelica’s plight is worth more musical attention than the Federalist Papers; Eliza’s domestic work and contributions to history are so important they become the focus of the finale. Neither of the two women is “bad” or “lesser.”
There’s a moment at the beginning of “My Shot,” the third song in Hamilton, when our protagonist spells out his name in triumphant defiance of the odds against him: “A-L, E-X, A-N-D / E-R / we are / meant to be.”
The first time I heard it, my head snapped, because I recognized the callout immediately. He’s imitating Biggie in “Going Back To Cali”: “Imma spell my name one more time, check it / It’s the, N-O, T-O, R-I, O / U-S / you just / lay down / slow.”
That’s when I was like, oh yes, it is on. Much of the brilliance of Hamilton is in how Lin-Manuel Miranda manages to incorporate every musical style from Sondheim to pop to R&B to create something totally new and infectious (he raps a reference to Gilbert & Sullivan for god’s sake). This piece called Miranda a “human iPod shuffle” and it’s hard to disagree. He elevates American art forms like jazz, musical theater and rap to tell the story of a bunch of old white dudes in the 18th century and makes it downright riveting.
But it’s the hip hop references that really make the show sing.
There’s no way I could go through all of them, but let’s just look at one song as a dope example: “Cabinet Battle #1.” First of all, you’d never know you needed a rap battle between Jefferson and Hamilton in your life until you hear this, and then you’re like, goddamit how did I live without it? A rap battle is, at its heart, a tennis match of wits and verbal one-upsmanship. It’s the perfect frame for something that could be incredibly boring: a debate over policy. And what a debate it is. So let’s go through some of my favorite callbacks, shall we?
The song opens with George Washington–who is officiating the battle, natch–welcoming the crowd: “Ladies and gentleman, you could have been anywhere else in the world tonight, but you’re here with us in New York City!” Sound familiar? It’s borrowed, both in words and delivery, from Jay’s intro to “Izzo” on The Blueprint: “Thanks for coming out tonight, you could have been anywhere in the world, but you’re here with me.” 🙌 🙌 🙌
OK, this is sort of an aside, but it’s too good to not mention. Even though Thomas Jefferson is basically a dick, his swagger is on point, as evidenced by Daveed Diggs’ smug growl on “These are wise words / enterprising men quote em / don’t act surprised you guys / cuz I wrote em.” I need Daveed Diggs to marry me just for that. Oh, and the “yawww” at the end of the line? Totally Drake.
Jefferson doesn’t let up: “Oh, if the shoe fits wear it! / New York’s in debt, why should Virginia bear it?” Umm…that’s an allusion to Eminem’s verse on the Jay/Em joint “Renegade”: “If the shoe fits, I’ll wear it / But if it don’t, then y’all’ll swallow the truth, grin and bear it.”
And then Jefferson takes it all the way back to the godfather of modern hip hop: “Such a blunder, sometimes it makes me wonder why I even bring the thunder” is a direct shout to Grandmaster Flash’s “The Message.” Don’t forget the throat-clearing “aha-ha-ha-ha.”
And that’s not even getting into the devastating lyrics (if I was in the crowd when Hamilton raps “Yeah, keep ranting / We know who’s really doing the planting” I would have been on. the. floor.).
I know I’ve been raving about Hamilton since NPR first streamed the soundtrack two weeks ago, so I figured I owed it to you guys to explain a tiny bit of why it has me enraptured. Best of all, the whole soundtrack is so densely packed, you discover new layers upon every listen. So what are you waiting for?
(also referenced in “Cabinet Battle #2; Miranda sure loves Biggie)
Alexander Hamilton– Life goals/ aspirations? Aaron Burr– Greatest regrets? Marquis de Lafayette– Gender? John Laurens– Sexuality? Hercules Mulligan– Have you ever seen Hamilton? George Washington– Favorite character from Hamilton? Angelica Schuyler– Strongest beliefs? Eliza Schuyler Hamilton– Have you ever been in love/ had your heart broken? Peggy Schuyler– Favorite song from Hamilton? Samuel Seabury– If you could play one character from Hamilton, who would you play? King George– Describe yourself with three words Thomas Jefferson– Pet peeve? James Madison– Do you know all the words to Hamilton? Philip Hamilton– Are you musically talented? Maria Reynolds– Favorite lyric/quote from Hamilton?
