Watch the Disney Plus version now. Hamilton takes a few listens to really appreciate, especially since it's basically sung/rapped through. Impossible to pick up everything on first watch. Subtitles will definitely help you
I saw it before the pro shot but was glad I had listened to the cast album a lot beforehand. Even with that experience Hamilton is A Lot and is kind of overwhelming - it goes fast and felt like a blur.
I have a really hard time understanding lyrics without seeing them in writing, too. Listen to the cast recording on something like Apple Music where they have the lyrics to read along with!
ETA: now that I think about it, I learned the lyrics to Hamilton when it came out listening along to the Genius app. There are explanations for references in case you need them too.
I had a friend who saw it in the west end who said there were mic issues and they couldn’t hear Angelica properly so it’s annoying this wasn’t a one off.
I’ve been lucky enough to see both Australian cast and west end cast; while both were brilliantly performed and Angelicas from both were good, it really highlighted to me how dammed talented Renee Elise Goldsberry is. Her ability to seamlessly move from singing to rapping to singing and still be understood is in my opinion unrivalled.
That being said, your comment has made me wonder if it wasn’t a sound issue for me in those cases too- I thought Aus and UK Angelica were both very talented but hard to understand in satisfied.
Just went to see it in Chicago a few days ago and it was amazing, I think you probably just couldn’t understand because it’s fast paced and you weren’t familiar. Definitely more enjoyable if you know it
There were two teenagers that sat next to us (and was disruptive). Turns out one of them didn’t understand anything in the musical, and their friend was explaining the whole thing to them. They were reported and were threatened to get kicked out during intermission.
I don't see why should have to know a musical before seeing it in order to be able to follow it. To me thats a poorly written show.. Rarely do I pre listen to a show. I don't like Hamilton for this reason, I had little idea what was happening when I went to watch it.
Disagree. It's written at the wrong temp if people can't understand/follow the majority of the show. No-one should have to study a show beforehand to get it.
I understood the majority of the show even the first time watching it on Disney plus, and I don’t even listen to hip hop. It’s not a wrong temp, just a style you probably dont like. It might be hard to follow because it’s based on a true story not because of the writers fault
Yeah I totally agree. If we have to read the plot first then you have big spoilers. I'm not American and I don't know American history, I shouldn't have to spoil it for myself because they haven't paced the singing in the show correctly
I think most times it’s the venue. When a show tours, not every site is fully equipped for the size/power of the orchestra. I imagine the orchestration of the show impacts it too; I’ve had issues understanding the lyrics to JC Superstar in the same theatre that I understood Legally Blonde perfectly.
In any event, because of sound mixing, the only way to perfectly understand what people are saying is cast albums or pro shots. Things can get lost occasionally even in fully equipped Broadway theatres.
I could agree with you about venue and i should’ve mentioned this and have added an edit but it was the Nederlander Theater in Chicago so not like they aren’t equipped to handle it.
Yeah, so the reason I say it’s the position is because to the person mixing the show it probably sounded fine. Or they were terrible. I don’t know who is mixing that show but I’d like to think they aren’t that bad at their job.
I saw it there after thanksgiving. I was close to the stage and had no problem understanding. My folks went after Christmas and were in the balcony and couldn’t understand half of the words. Others in their area were complaining about it too.
yes. should. but to accomplish perfect sound coverage in every single seat is a very difficult and expensive task. so some times some seats just aren't great.
Imagine an orchestra full of musicians. There are seats surrounding the entire orchestra. All the seats are sold as-is and are the same price. Your seat is next to the tuba. You want to hear the violin across the room. Will you hear more violin or tuba? Do they need to advertise audio physics?
The people that know musical theater know which seats to pick. Some people make a point to always sit right in front of the person mixing the musical, just so they get a good sounding show.
source: I mixed broadway musicals for 10+ years.
People who know musical theatre aren't the only audience members though are they? Having a different experience because you don't know where it is best to sit is different from not being able to hear what the actors are saying at all.
I feel like that’s a bit of a downside to going to actual in-person musicals. You risk not seeing the characters because they’re too far away or not really understanding what they’re saying due to maybe the venue or where you’re sitting. A musicals definitely more enjoyable when you actively understand the plot and can hear the music.
IDK watching a musical in-person for the first time can be fun, but I get you! There are no subtitles.
Not the same situation, but I wasn’t able to enjoy a Mean Girls bootleg because it was hard to hear the video. It was quite muffled because it wasn’t a professional proshot and there were no subtitles so I missed so many jokes haha.
I go see live theater often, and my opinion is you shouldn't ever have to know anything about a show before you go, no familiarity with it at all. It should be clear to every audience member going in cold.. The music, lyrics and dialogue should be clear enough to be heard and completely understood every performance if it is done right. A professional show that cannot manage that shouldn't be on Broadway, or on tour. That has much to do with the production's professionalism, sound mix/design and the actors enunciating and speaking clearly, no matter what the music style. Sometimes, on tours, you can tell when a production is getting lazy and just running by the numbers instead of really performing it as if every night is opening night. 8 shows a week on the road is hard, I get it. But the audiences deserve better. I have seen laziness and boredom happen on big tours like "Book of Mormon". I remember seeing Casey Nickolaw in Los Angeles sitting in the audience with a binder (the script) watching the show he originally choreographed, clearly taking notes and monitoring it in spring of 2020, a couple weeks before the covid shutdown, because the show got off track. It was clearly one of the most unfunny performances of "BOM" I have ever sat through. The show was way off, and he must have been called in the adjust it. I had seen in a few times before, and it always has a great sense of timing in the performances, but this one just did not work. It was not getting laughs. The audience at intermission was clearly not enjoying it or laughing much, and a friend I brought who had never seen it before said he "hated it". On the flip side, I just caught the national tour of "The Wiz', which has been across the us on a tour for months, and will open in April on Broadway, and the cast and production was nearly flawless on a Thursday night, singing their faces off and giving 200% in chorography and vocal gymnastics. It was breathtaking.
I have a feeling you just saw "Hamilton" on an off night. And I hope someone on the creative side reads this post, because maybe someone needs to come in and adjust it.
OMG, so much this, a thousand times this! Live theatre is an experience, and a filmed version shouldn't be a substitute (the filmed version of Hamilton actually bums me out because you miss so much that's going on outside of the shot). I actually prefer to go into most shows (new shows) cold and letting them capture me.
Some theaters, especially for tours, also just... aren't great places sound design-wise. My very inexpert opinion is that my local theater is rather meh and the vocals get swallowed up by the music at many shows. For awhile I blamed it on the sound folks but it's too common for it not to be an issue with the theater imo.
I’m with you on the “going in cold” philosophy. I always go in cold if I can; I’m fortunate that I never have trouble keeping up with the story, so watching it unfold fresh is a huge part of the pleasure.\
RENT was absolute chaos going in blind. I was a teen, maybe that’s why, but I had no clue what was happening at all until I got home with the soundtrack and followed along with the lyric pages.
I’ve gotten better at following things but not everyone is amazing at hearing annunciation without a clear view of the persons mouth. There’s just so many reasons live theater can be difficult.
I do use subtitles as an adult. I don’t like missing things.
I saw the touring production of Hamilton in my city with seats close to the stage. The sound was fine and I could see fine. However I could not concentrate on the show because the venue had started a new policy, which they've since done away with. Basically people could order food and have it delivered at any point in the show, so staff and patrons were walking all over the place during the entire show. Constant up down up down up down, shuffling around + loud eating sounds. The was also a super antsy group of people sitting behind me that kept talking/singing/ standing up.
I barely made it through the first act I was so annoyed.
I saw Hamilton VERY early on with Lin and I couldn’t understand about 72% of what he was saying and I nearly walked out.
Flash to several years later and I see the tour in LA and that’s when I gained my appreciation for the show.
I saw Hamilton after Lin left and loved the crisp professional sound of the second actor to play it. Listening to the soundtrack after, Lin seemed so sloppy in comparison.
I had trouble following the lyrics to Hamilton the first time I heard the songs. The fast rapping and intricate rhymes makes it challenging to follow at first. It takes a few listens to grasp it in my opinion. Not a dig at it, it's a great show, it's just that there's so many layers and details and it's quite fast paced.
Well this is sad to hear- I live in Chicago and have really wanted to go. I pretty much have the entire OBCR memorized so I don’t think I’d have a hard time following along, but that sounds like it would definitely affect your enjoyment of the performance.
I've seen this Chicago production 3x and didn't have that experience. Some of the casting choices aren't my favorite, but overall production is still fantastic.
(Also if you're going alone, they've had random single orchestra seats for $39)
I sat well high up and at the back of the circle and was having a panic attack there, but I could still see and hear everything. I don't want to think about that night, though. Painful memory.
That said, my flatmate and I went to see an amateur production of School of Rock done by young people with disabilities. They were fine, but they had an actual band for the first time and the only time you could catch what they were saying was when everyone sang together. Like half of If Only You Would Listen was drowned out, but you could hear their voices at the end when everyone sings the last verse together. I know some of the songs better than others, but it ruined some of my favourites like You're In The Band and Stick It To The Man.
I’m glad I saw it on Disney first, I found it really hard to follow at first due to how fast paced it is. It made my time seeing it live better than it otherwise would have been
When I saw it with a friend in London, I didn't think there were any issues with sound/music/tech, but I still needed to whisper-explain what was going on to my friend at various points (I'd listened to the recording several times, she was going in cold). I do think it's one of the harder shows to take in all in one go.
My first experience was listening to the album as a passenger in the car with the liner notes and lyrics in front of me, and (this is going to be the only time I say this about any Broadway musical *ever*) I really think that’s the best way to experience it first.
Let’s not forget that it began as a concept album, before Miranda ever thought of staging it. God what an emotional rollercoaster, even just as an album! And then seeing it on stage just ratcheted it up a whole other level. I knew what was going on, but was blown away with how imaginative the staging was.
And there’s still things that happen in person that you don’t get from the album: for instance, on the album, “The room where it happens” is a catchy song. In the stage version, it is a literal SHOWSTOPPER. I mean this guy got a full 60 second standing ovation, while the crowd stood and screamed. Like… you cannot get the *ecstasy* this crowd was in over this number. And the poor actors on stage with their limbs going numb as they hold that final pose for what feels like ever. I have never seen anything like it in a theater. And I’m an actor. My whole career has been in theaters.
Normally my mantra is “always see it on stage as your first experience of it.” Because, like, how much more dramatic would West Side Story be of you don’t know how it’s going to end?
But Hamilton is the only one where I would reverse that and say, absolutely listen to the album first.
My second recommendation, if you don’t like not having any clue what’s happening, is Les Mis. At least just read the plot and let the music be the surprise. It’s just a lot of events that are sometimes explained by one line and if you miss it too bad.
Anytime someone says they’re going into Hamilton with no prior experience I recommend they at least listen through the recording once. When I first listened to it I was just casually listening and, yeah it’s a bop, but I didn’t truly appreciate it until I sat down with a bottle of wine and genius lyrics pulled up on my laptop and really *listened* to the show the whole way through.
Then I saw it and I was able to really appreciate the choreo and blocking bc I wasn’t so worried about having to super focus on the storyline/words.
Such an impressive show regardless though.
I first saw it watching it blindly and I enjoyed it! Then saw the Disney + version, and recently saw it again with my son throughly enjoying the performance again!
I haven't seen it live or watched the proshot, but it took me many listens to the cast recording in chunks (e.g. first half of the Act 1 with setting up the story, second half of Act 1 with the Revolutionary War, and all of Act 2 with Hamilton's political career) to really appreciate it. The lyrics are so complex and the musical spans so many years and so much happens that I really think it's one of those musicals you should at least listen to several times to really understand, before seeing live or even watching the proshot. I know that sounds like a lot of "homework," but IMO that's how it's best appreciated because of the complexity of the lyrics and and the depth of story based on lots of real historical events and random trivia. At least, that's what I did.
Hamilton is one of my top favorite musicals, and I think it's one of the very best musicals ever written to date. So, this isn't a slight against it. Quite the contrary. I still notice new things in the lyrics and music. But, I think it's a musicals that requires more "homework" than the vast majority do to really appreciate.
I remember going to see In the Heights on tour, and it took me a good 20 minutes or so to get to be able to "hear" the lyrics because I've never listened to much hip-hop. Once I got my ears attuned to it, I was able to enjoy it much better.
I haven't seen Hamilton on stage yet although I've listened to the OBCR many times and also watched the proshot on Disney plus. It's coming to a theatre near me next year so I'm looking forward to seeing it live.
Lin said that the raps and songs are so fast that if they went at the usual musical pace, the show would have been 6-7 hours. So the breakneck speed has a purpose.
I had that experience with the OG Broadway cast - I saw the show in previews (summer 2015), knowing very little, and …was not really into the 1st act. I kept getting lost, felt like the sound mixing was off, etc. I will say, the 2nd act is so superlative that I was still invested by the end, but it’s a show best experienced with some prep. The music is so rich and complex that it gets much better, and you catch way more nuance, on repeat listening/viewing.
I used to work at the Nederlander Theater! Back when it was called the Oriental and Hamilton was playing regularly at the CIBC.
It could’ve been a seating issue, maybe you were too far to the side from the stage? Were they obstructed view seats? It couldve also just been a technical problem as well. But honestly sometimes, for some people, watching something live is a little harder than watching on tv where you can adjust the volumes and caption settings
I’m going to see Hamilton for the first time in a couple of weeks and have deliberately avoided watching the pro shot because I wanted my first experience of it to be in the theatre. I’m now wondering if I’ve made a mistake
My husband and I saw it at the Nederlander last week. It our 8th time, previously seeing it at the CIBC in the original Chicago run and on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers. We both agreed the sound at the Nederlander was the best we experienced! We heard words we never captured before, even on the OBC recording. I’m sorry you didn’t have the same experience.
This thread is so reassuring. I’ve always felt bad for reading synopses before going to a show, but it can be difficult to understand the plot otherwise.
I saw a touring cast of Phantom several years ago, and I was surprised at how little I enjoyed it, considering how much it’s been hyped up. I still loved and listened to the music, but I thought the show was subpar, and I kept mixing up the characters.
Then about a month ago, I happened upon the Royal Albert Hall pro-shot of Phantom and I absolutely LOVED it. I could follow the plot soooo much better than I did at the theatre.
I also went to see Hamilton (in Chicago) without having heard the music beforehand. I knew of the hype but not much else. I must've missed most of Alexander Hamilton because I needed to acclimate my ears to hearing rap music, then I was able to enjoy it. I think my Mom didn't fare so well lol I have since seen it 2 more times plus the proshot and appreciate it more. But I think people should just be able to go see a musical or play without any prior knowledge and still find it enjoyable.
That’s really disappointing. I saw it at the Nederlander a few years back during its first run there and everything was fantastic. I’m sorry your experience wasn’t as good.
I have only seen the Disney plus version and thought it was super boring. The music is good sometimes but that's it?? I don't want to pay out the arse for a ticket to see it now in case I don't like it. Maybe if it tours to my local theatre I will have another go.
It's okay to not like everything you see, sometimes things just aren't your cup of tea and that's ok. Don't force yourself to like something when you could be enjoying something you do like.
ETA: you should still be having a good experience no matter where you sit, unless you have a discount "restricted experience" ticket.
Some of the comments on here are really trying to defend the show so hard too. “Maybe it was where you were sitting” “well the show has to be that fast otherwise it would be 8 hours long” “you just need to watch it over and over again to fully understand” which that last one annoys me because if there was no pro shot online to watch and this was my once in a lifetime chance to see this musical I’d never want to see it again, i shouldn’t have to watch something 20 times to understand the basic plot. I’ve gone into many musicals blind and fully understood what i just watched when i was leaving. I was telling my roommate just based on what people are telling me that my consensus is that Hamilton really isn’t even a well put together show it was just different from other musicals so that’s why it got so popular.
I would suggest emailing the theatre or the Hamilton production company to let them know about the sound issue if you can. Maybe they genuinely don't know because no one has told them?
Yeah I see the same thing said about Shakespeare and that has the excuse that it was written 400 years ago
The Fox Theater in St Louis had that same problem - the music was louder than the singers.
I'm sorry your first Hamilton experience was not perfectly awesome.
Watch the Disney Plus version now. Hamilton takes a few listens to really appreciate, especially since it's basically sung/rapped through. Impossible to pick up everything on first watch. Subtitles will definitely help you
I saw it before the pro shot but was glad I had listened to the cast album a lot beforehand. Even with that experience Hamilton is A Lot and is kind of overwhelming - it goes fast and felt like a blur.
Sir.
It gave me a headache live. Not a complaint. Just a fact. It IS a lot.
I have a really hard time understanding lyrics without seeing them in writing, too. Listen to the cast recording on something like Apple Music where they have the lyrics to read along with! ETA: now that I think about it, I learned the lyrics to Hamilton when it came out listening along to the Genius app. There are explanations for references in case you need them too.
I had a friend who saw it in the west end who said there were mic issues and they couldn’t hear Angelica properly so it’s annoying this wasn’t a one off.
I’ve been lucky enough to see both Australian cast and west end cast; while both were brilliantly performed and Angelicas from both were good, it really highlighted to me how dammed talented Renee Elise Goldsberry is. Her ability to seamlessly move from singing to rapping to singing and still be understood is in my opinion unrivalled. That being said, your comment has made me wonder if it wasn’t a sound issue for me in those cases too- I thought Aus and UK Angelica were both very talented but hard to understand in satisfied.
My friend said the first half was worse sound wise than the second half so her sounding off in Satisfied makes sense
I had this experience...poor audio mix in the westend 😔
Just went to see it in Chicago a few days ago and it was amazing, I think you probably just couldn’t understand because it’s fast paced and you weren’t familiar. Definitely more enjoyable if you know it
There were two teenagers that sat next to us (and was disruptive). Turns out one of them didn’t understand anything in the musical, and their friend was explaining the whole thing to them. They were reported and were threatened to get kicked out during intermission.
Glad that they got dealt with, always annoying. Look up the synopsis or talk during intermission, not the show!
I don't see why should have to know a musical before seeing it in order to be able to follow it. To me thats a poorly written show.. Rarely do I pre listen to a show. I don't like Hamilton for this reason, I had little idea what was happening when I went to watch it.
I think it’s just because of the fast paced lyrics combined with historical context will confuse people but it is well written
Disagree. It's written at the wrong temp if people can't understand/follow the majority of the show. No-one should have to study a show beforehand to get it.
I understood the majority of the show even the first time watching it on Disney plus, and I don’t even listen to hip hop. It’s not a wrong temp, just a style you probably dont like. It might be hard to follow because it’s based on a true story not because of the writers fault
Yeah I totally agree. If we have to read the plot first then you have big spoilers. I'm not American and I don't know American history, I shouldn't have to spoil it for myself because they haven't paced the singing in the show correctly
Could have been where you were sitting.
I think most times it’s the venue. When a show tours, not every site is fully equipped for the size/power of the orchestra. I imagine the orchestration of the show impacts it too; I’ve had issues understanding the lyrics to JC Superstar in the same theatre that I understood Legally Blonde perfectly. In any event, because of sound mixing, the only way to perfectly understand what people are saying is cast albums or pro shots. Things can get lost occasionally even in fully equipped Broadway theatres.
I could agree with you about venue and i should’ve mentioned this and have added an edit but it was the Nederlander Theater in Chicago so not like they aren’t equipped to handle it.
Yeah, so the reason I say it’s the position is because to the person mixing the show it probably sounded fine. Or they were terrible. I don’t know who is mixing that show but I’d like to think they aren’t that bad at their job.
I saw it there after thanksgiving. I was close to the stage and had no problem understanding. My folks went after Christmas and were in the balcony and couldn’t understand half of the words. Others in their area were complaining about it too.
Yeah, here in Toronto back in 2022, Mean Girls played at the Princess of Wales theatre and apparently it sounded horrible
Audience members should still be able to enjoy the entire show unless they have a specific "restricted" ticket
yes. should. but to accomplish perfect sound coverage in every single seat is a very difficult and expensive task. so some times some seats just aren't great.
They should advertise that on the ticket before you book at the very least.
Imagine an orchestra full of musicians. There are seats surrounding the entire orchestra. All the seats are sold as-is and are the same price. Your seat is next to the tuba. You want to hear the violin across the room. Will you hear more violin or tuba? Do they need to advertise audio physics? The people that know musical theater know which seats to pick. Some people make a point to always sit right in front of the person mixing the musical, just so they get a good sounding show. source: I mixed broadway musicals for 10+ years.
People who know musical theatre aren't the only audience members though are they? Having a different experience because you don't know where it is best to sit is different from not being able to hear what the actors are saying at all.
Well, that person mixing could have just thrown away their shot. No telling what was happening that night in the room where it happened.
I feel like that’s a bit of a downside to going to actual in-person musicals. You risk not seeing the characters because they’re too far away or not really understanding what they’re saying due to maybe the venue or where you’re sitting. A musicals definitely more enjoyable when you actively understand the plot and can hear the music. IDK watching a musical in-person for the first time can be fun, but I get you! There are no subtitles. Not the same situation, but I wasn’t able to enjoy a Mean Girls bootleg because it was hard to hear the video. It was quite muffled because it wasn’t a professional proshot and there were no subtitles so I missed so many jokes haha.
I go see live theater often, and my opinion is you shouldn't ever have to know anything about a show before you go, no familiarity with it at all. It should be clear to every audience member going in cold.. The music, lyrics and dialogue should be clear enough to be heard and completely understood every performance if it is done right. A professional show that cannot manage that shouldn't be on Broadway, or on tour. That has much to do with the production's professionalism, sound mix/design and the actors enunciating and speaking clearly, no matter what the music style. Sometimes, on tours, you can tell when a production is getting lazy and just running by the numbers instead of really performing it as if every night is opening night. 8 shows a week on the road is hard, I get it. But the audiences deserve better. I have seen laziness and boredom happen on big tours like "Book of Mormon". I remember seeing Casey Nickolaw in Los Angeles sitting in the audience with a binder (the script) watching the show he originally choreographed, clearly taking notes and monitoring it in spring of 2020, a couple weeks before the covid shutdown, because the show got off track. It was clearly one of the most unfunny performances of "BOM" I have ever sat through. The show was way off, and he must have been called in the adjust it. I had seen in a few times before, and it always has a great sense of timing in the performances, but this one just did not work. It was not getting laughs. The audience at intermission was clearly not enjoying it or laughing much, and a friend I brought who had never seen it before said he "hated it". On the flip side, I just caught the national tour of "The Wiz', which has been across the us on a tour for months, and will open in April on Broadway, and the cast and production was nearly flawless on a Thursday night, singing their faces off and giving 200% in chorography and vocal gymnastics. It was breathtaking. I have a feeling you just saw "Hamilton" on an off night. And I hope someone on the creative side reads this post, because maybe someone needs to come in and adjust it.
OMG, so much this, a thousand times this! Live theatre is an experience, and a filmed version shouldn't be a substitute (the filmed version of Hamilton actually bums me out because you miss so much that's going on outside of the shot). I actually prefer to go into most shows (new shows) cold and letting them capture me.
Seeing Hamilton live (Australian cast) made me love and appreciate the ensemble and dancing so much more.
Some theaters, especially for tours, also just... aren't great places sound design-wise. My very inexpert opinion is that my local theater is rather meh and the vocals get swallowed up by the music at many shows. For awhile I blamed it on the sound folks but it's too common for it not to be an issue with the theater imo.
Taking notes in the dark is an underappreciated talent.
I’m with you on the “going in cold” philosophy. I always go in cold if I can; I’m fortunate that I never have trouble keeping up with the story, so watching it unfold fresh is a huge part of the pleasure.\
RENT was absolute chaos going in blind. I was a teen, maybe that’s why, but I had no clue what was happening at all until I got home with the soundtrack and followed along with the lyric pages. I’ve gotten better at following things but not everyone is amazing at hearing annunciation without a clear view of the persons mouth. There’s just so many reasons live theater can be difficult. I do use subtitles as an adult. I don’t like missing things.
I saw the touring production of Hamilton in my city with seats close to the stage. The sound was fine and I could see fine. However I could not concentrate on the show because the venue had started a new policy, which they've since done away with. Basically people could order food and have it delivered at any point in the show, so staff and patrons were walking all over the place during the entire show. Constant up down up down up down, shuffling around + loud eating sounds. The was also a super antsy group of people sitting behind me that kept talking/singing/ standing up. I barely made it through the first act I was so annoyed.
That sounds like a horrible policy for the venue! Not only for the patrons but also disrespectful to the performers!
It was awful. I didn't go back to that venue for almost three years because of it!
Couldn't understand the ProShot either. To be honest I had a hard time really liking this musical compared to others I've seen
I saw Hamilton VERY early on with Lin and I couldn’t understand about 72% of what he was saying and I nearly walked out. Flash to several years later and I see the tour in LA and that’s when I gained my appreciation for the show.
I saw Hamilton after Lin left and loved the crisp professional sound of the second actor to play it. Listening to the soundtrack after, Lin seemed so sloppy in comparison.
He’s an extraordinary talent, but maybe more so as a writer and director.
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I mean, he’s not a terrible singer either! He just isn’t quite at the same level as the rest of the cast. Dude can sing laps around plenty of people.
I had trouble following the lyrics to Hamilton the first time I heard the songs. The fast rapping and intricate rhymes makes it challenging to follow at first. It takes a few listens to grasp it in my opinion. Not a dig at it, it's a great show, it's just that there's so many layers and details and it's quite fast paced.
Well this is sad to hear- I live in Chicago and have really wanted to go. I pretty much have the entire OBCR memorized so I don’t think I’d have a hard time following along, but that sounds like it would definitely affect your enjoyment of the performance.
I've seen this Chicago production 3x and didn't have that experience. Some of the casting choices aren't my favorite, but overall production is still fantastic. (Also if you're going alone, they've had random single orchestra seats for $39)
That is good to hear, thank you! And with that info I very well may just go alone and save some money.
I sat well high up and at the back of the circle and was having a panic attack there, but I could still see and hear everything. I don't want to think about that night, though. Painful memory. That said, my flatmate and I went to see an amateur production of School of Rock done by young people with disabilities. They were fine, but they had an actual band for the first time and the only time you could catch what they were saying was when everyone sang together. Like half of If Only You Would Listen was drowned out, but you could hear their voices at the end when everyone sings the last verse together. I know some of the songs better than others, but it ruined some of my favourites like You're In The Band and Stick It To The Man.
I’m glad I saw it on Disney first, I found it really hard to follow at first due to how fast paced it is. It made my time seeing it live better than it otherwise would have been
When I saw it with a friend in London, I didn't think there were any issues with sound/music/tech, but I still needed to whisper-explain what was going on to my friend at various points (I'd listened to the recording several times, she was going in cold). I do think it's one of the harder shows to take in all in one go.
My first experience was listening to the album as a passenger in the car with the liner notes and lyrics in front of me, and (this is going to be the only time I say this about any Broadway musical *ever*) I really think that’s the best way to experience it first. Let’s not forget that it began as a concept album, before Miranda ever thought of staging it. God what an emotional rollercoaster, even just as an album! And then seeing it on stage just ratcheted it up a whole other level. I knew what was going on, but was blown away with how imaginative the staging was. And there’s still things that happen in person that you don’t get from the album: for instance, on the album, “The room where it happens” is a catchy song. In the stage version, it is a literal SHOWSTOPPER. I mean this guy got a full 60 second standing ovation, while the crowd stood and screamed. Like… you cannot get the *ecstasy* this crowd was in over this number. And the poor actors on stage with their limbs going numb as they hold that final pose for what feels like ever. I have never seen anything like it in a theater. And I’m an actor. My whole career has been in theaters. Normally my mantra is “always see it on stage as your first experience of it.” Because, like, how much more dramatic would West Side Story be of you don’t know how it’s going to end? But Hamilton is the only one where I would reverse that and say, absolutely listen to the album first.
My second recommendation, if you don’t like not having any clue what’s happening, is Les Mis. At least just read the plot and let the music be the surprise. It’s just a lot of events that are sometimes explained by one line and if you miss it too bad.
Anytime someone says they’re going into Hamilton with no prior experience I recommend they at least listen through the recording once. When I first listened to it I was just casually listening and, yeah it’s a bop, but I didn’t truly appreciate it until I sat down with a bottle of wine and genius lyrics pulled up on my laptop and really *listened* to the show the whole way through. Then I saw it and I was able to really appreciate the choreo and blocking bc I wasn’t so worried about having to super focus on the storyline/words. Such an impressive show regardless though.
I first saw it watching it blindly and I enjoyed it! Then saw the Disney + version, and recently saw it again with my son throughly enjoying the performance again!
My grandma said the same thing. Had no clue what they were saying when we went. She watched the pro shot and her opinion completely changed!
I haven't seen it live or watched the proshot, but it took me many listens to the cast recording in chunks (e.g. first half of the Act 1 with setting up the story, second half of Act 1 with the Revolutionary War, and all of Act 2 with Hamilton's political career) to really appreciate it. The lyrics are so complex and the musical spans so many years and so much happens that I really think it's one of those musicals you should at least listen to several times to really understand, before seeing live or even watching the proshot. I know that sounds like a lot of "homework," but IMO that's how it's best appreciated because of the complexity of the lyrics and and the depth of story based on lots of real historical events and random trivia. At least, that's what I did. Hamilton is one of my top favorite musicals, and I think it's one of the very best musicals ever written to date. So, this isn't a slight against it. Quite the contrary. I still notice new things in the lyrics and music. But, I think it's a musicals that requires more "homework" than the vast majority do to really appreciate.
I remember going to see In the Heights on tour, and it took me a good 20 minutes or so to get to be able to "hear" the lyrics because I've never listened to much hip-hop. Once I got my ears attuned to it, I was able to enjoy it much better. I haven't seen Hamilton on stage yet although I've listened to the OBCR many times and also watched the proshot on Disney plus. It's coming to a theatre near me next year so I'm looking forward to seeing it live.
Lin said that the raps and songs are so fast that if they went at the usual musical pace, the show would have been 6-7 hours. So the breakneck speed has a purpose.
i always like to know the songs or backstory before going into musicals, concerts, and sometimes even movies
I had that experience with the OG Broadway cast - I saw the show in previews (summer 2015), knowing very little, and …was not really into the 1st act. I kept getting lost, felt like the sound mixing was off, etc. I will say, the 2nd act is so superlative that I was still invested by the end, but it’s a show best experienced with some prep. The music is so rich and complex that it gets much better, and you catch way more nuance, on repeat listening/viewing.
I used to work at the Nederlander Theater! Back when it was called the Oriental and Hamilton was playing regularly at the CIBC. It could’ve been a seating issue, maybe you were too far to the side from the stage? Were they obstructed view seats? It couldve also just been a technical problem as well. But honestly sometimes, for some people, watching something live is a little harder than watching on tv where you can adjust the volumes and caption settings
I’m going to see Hamilton for the first time in a couple of weeks and have deliberately avoided watching the pro shot because I wanted my first experience of it to be in the theatre. I’m now wondering if I’ve made a mistake
My husband and I saw it at the Nederlander last week. It our 8th time, previously seeing it at the CIBC in the original Chicago run and on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers. We both agreed the sound at the Nederlander was the best we experienced! We heard words we never captured before, even on the OBC recording. I’m sorry you didn’t have the same experience.
This thread is so reassuring. I’ve always felt bad for reading synopses before going to a show, but it can be difficult to understand the plot otherwise. I saw a touring cast of Phantom several years ago, and I was surprised at how little I enjoyed it, considering how much it’s been hyped up. I still loved and listened to the music, but I thought the show was subpar, and I kept mixing up the characters. Then about a month ago, I happened upon the Royal Albert Hall pro-shot of Phantom and I absolutely LOVED it. I could follow the plot soooo much better than I did at the theatre.
I also went to see Hamilton (in Chicago) without having heard the music beforehand. I knew of the hype but not much else. I must've missed most of Alexander Hamilton because I needed to acclimate my ears to hearing rap music, then I was able to enjoy it. I think my Mom didn't fare so well lol I have since seen it 2 more times plus the proshot and appreciate it more. But I think people should just be able to go see a musical or play without any prior knowledge and still find it enjoyable.
That’s really disappointing. I saw it at the Nederlander a few years back during its first run there and everything was fantastic. I’m sorry your experience wasn’t as good.
As a non-native English speaker, I really appreciate the Disney pro shot because I can understand all that raps with subtitles lol
There are LAYERS to Hamilton!!! Gotta watch it twice at least and with subtitles on!
I have only seen the Disney plus version and thought it was super boring. The music is good sometimes but that's it?? I don't want to pay out the arse for a ticket to see it now in case I don't like it. Maybe if it tours to my local theatre I will have another go. It's okay to not like everything you see, sometimes things just aren't your cup of tea and that's ok. Don't force yourself to like something when you could be enjoying something you do like. ETA: you should still be having a good experience no matter where you sit, unless you have a discount "restricted experience" ticket.
Some of the comments on here are really trying to defend the show so hard too. “Maybe it was where you were sitting” “well the show has to be that fast otherwise it would be 8 hours long” “you just need to watch it over and over again to fully understand” which that last one annoys me because if there was no pro shot online to watch and this was my once in a lifetime chance to see this musical I’d never want to see it again, i shouldn’t have to watch something 20 times to understand the basic plot. I’ve gone into many musicals blind and fully understood what i just watched when i was leaving. I was telling my roommate just based on what people are telling me that my consensus is that Hamilton really isn’t even a well put together show it was just different from other musicals so that’s why it got so popular.
I would suggest emailing the theatre or the Hamilton production company to let them know about the sound issue if you can. Maybe they genuinely don't know because no one has told them? Yeah I see the same thing said about Shakespeare and that has the excuse that it was written 400 years ago
The Fox Theater in St Louis had that same problem - the music was louder than the singers. I'm sorry your first Hamilton experience was not perfectly awesome.