Writing Update
Nothing to see here. Yes, that’s TWO zero-scene days in a row. We’re going to fix that today.
Reading Update
Vengeful: 63%
Perelandra: 49%
I’m enjoying Perelandra quite a bit more than I did Out of the Silent Planet. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m used to the writing style now so I’m “decoding” what is happening easier or if the story is just more interesting, but it’s actually pretty great.
Personal Update and Discussion
HAMILTON
I intended to write up my review of the Hamilton musical by the touring company yesterday, but a funny thing happened. I took Thursday off of work because the timing was pretty tight to get to dinner before the show. Coming back yesterday was like getting hit in the face with a telephone book. Timelines had moved while I was gone (even if just the day I was out) and I had more on my plate than I could stomach before I left. So, in an effort to play catch up, I started working very early. 6am. That’s usually my blog time. My thought at the time was “If I can get a few things done, I’ll feel better and more settled about work and then I can write my blog.”
And then it was 10:15pm.
The day just flew by and I didn’t blog. First time I’ve broken my streak in about three weeks. So now we start over. I’m committed to my blog all over again as well as the writing it supports. So for today, we’re going to discuss Hamilton.
My wife and I saw it on Broadway last Valentine’s Day while we were on our honeymoon. We kind of built our honeymoon around it. Short review: it was incredible then and it was incredible now.
Now, obviously the cast was entirely different so my wife and I noticed some things. The touring cast seemed more relaxed than the Broadway cast (not the Original Broadway Cast, unfortunately). I didn’t particularly care for the touring cast’s portrayal of Hamilton or Burr; I felt they were overacted in the former’s case and underacted in the latter. My wife, however, preferred BOTH of them over the Broadway cast so I clearly don’t know what I’m talking about. This cast’s Lafayette/Jefferson was fantastic and King George was hysterical. I also felt that Angelica lacked the power I expected in her voice. She was a great singer and portrayed the role well, I just expected her voice to fill the PAC and it oftentimes didn’t. Washington was good but missed a few high notes that I wished he’d hit.
Hamilton the musical itself was expertly performed. Every song was on point. The choreography was impeccable. The stage was EXACTLY the same, for which I was impressed and pleased. There’s an aspect of the stage itself that is unique to any other play I’ve seen and really makes the play that much more revolutionary (Ha!) and innovative.
All in all, it was a phenomenal performance and I’m so glad we, including our kids, were able to see it while it was here. The PAC was packed with people. I’ve never seen it so full. And everyone was dialed into the play from the moment the house lights came in until the orchestra was giving us an exit soundtrack. I had a great time and loved it, even if I was critical of certain deficiencies that I noticed. I wish we could see it again because I got emotional during Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story both from the poignant performance of the entire cast and from the realization that this event that we had all been eagerly anticipating was about to be over.
If you have the chance, you should definitely take in local theater. Whether it’s true locals or traveling Broadway tours, it’s fun, moving, and it enriches your life. I’m glad we made the decision to get a season ticket this year and we will definitely repeat it next year as well.
May the tide carry you to safer shores.
BSG