In 2016, Hamilton won 11 awards at the Tonys, making it a highly rated and recommended musical . The must see Broadway musical is on tour around the United States and one must wonder if the play is all that it is cracked up to be?  I can officially say that it is very much worth it. The tour is currently in Dallas at the Music City Hall at Fair Park, and I was fortunate enough to check out this production last week.

Hamilton is an updated Broadway show unlike any other for many reasons. The first reason being that this play embraces modern styles of music such as hip hop and rap. Most Broadway musicals are traditional musical theater, pop, and contemporary. The second reason is that Hamilton has one of the most diverse cast that plays a wide range of ethnically diverse characters that come and go during Hamilton’s lifetime. Lastly, it utilizes one set onstage  with pieces that move and allow actors to move not only horizontally but vertically as well. This is unique because many Broadway plays require major piece changes during a change of scene.

After spending many years inside classrooms listening to lectures on men and women that have long been gone from this world. I found it hard to imagine or understand the people behind the events we were discussing. Hamilton brought the American Revolution to the living in the 21st century. We can not only see the misfortune that befell the cast of characters, see the love that grew between Alexander and his wife, and the strength to fight even when you are struggling, but feel sympathy with each character.

I love the theme that surrounds the play of trying to leave our legacies behind so we are not forgotten while escaping our past. Both Hamilton and Burr were orphans and grew up with little money before educating themselves to work their way away from their pasts. They didn’t want to be forgotten by time. Hamilton embraced this in his pursuit for a democratic nation and his shot for more. Burr wanted to please everyone and be remembered as being famous and being the champion of his destiny. However, both realize that only the living controls the narrative of the legacies left behind when you are dead.  I also loved the music score. My favorite song was The Room Where It Happens and had to swipe up a copy of the original cast’s recording from the production company. You can get your own copy here  if you wish to listen to any of the beloved songs.

Due to Hamilton’s popularity, tickets are expensive for a semi-decent seat, a person can easily spend over $350 per ticket when they purchase ahead of time online. However, Hamilton wants to be accessible to everyone within different means of income so they created two different ways to help cut cost if you are willing to take a chance. The first option is the cancellation line (only available at select locations). You can buy tickets at face value from the ticket booth that guest were not able to claim if you are willing to get to the theater early and wait for possibly multiple hours. Tickets could still cost over $150 per ticket, which makes this the second most expensive option. However, in terms of risk I would say this is a medium level of risk. The last option is to enter the lottery for a selection of $10 tickets from the Hamilton production company. The lottery is held for each of their performance in the United States and abroad. The only catch is that the max number of tickets one can get is 2 and there is no guarantee that you will win or that you will receive a good seat. Click here to see the rest of the information for the lottery.

I used the lottery to win my tickets because I live off a college student’s budget and a $300 ticket was completely out of my price range. I sat off to the far right of the theater where the speakers partially blocked my sight but I was more than satisfied because I was able to see this amazing performance at a reasonable price for my budget and I didn’t have to miss it. I wish more Broadway performances embraced others from different incomes, but Hamilton is the only one that has done this so far.

What do you think about Hamilton? Is this play a turning point for Broadway? Did history come alive for you?