# Hamilton - The Musical

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** music\
**Created:** [October 29, 2015, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119 "2015-10-29T20:00:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 10

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**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/181 "2016-10-22T19:50:15Z")

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OK, without reading through this whole thread (sorry), am I the only one outraged at the women in sexy bodysuits while the men are in full period costumes? Ffs, at every turn there is discussion about racism, but including sexism throughout the show is cool cos it’s broadway? Fuck that!

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/182 "2016-10-22T20:14:02Z")

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> [@singular1](#):
>
> OK, without reading through this whole thread (sorry), am I the only one outraged at the women in sexy bodysuits while the men are in full period costumes? Ffs, at every turn there is discussion about racism, but including sexism throughout the show is cool cos it’s broadway? Fuck that!

What in the world are you talking about? The backup dancers? Because they’re all wearing [essentially the same thing](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/03/08/books/review/08OPENBOOK/08OPENBOOK-facebookJumbo.jpg).

Because you’re definitely not talking about [the female cast members with speaking parts](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/theatre/2015/12/23/hamilton-sisters-large_trans++jCfm_5ZIonnrbqhnL8cSr8bS9ClKtKsVyn4KHVnD2uk.jpg).

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**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/183 "2016-10-22T20:39:09Z")

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> [@singular1](#):
>
> OK, without reading through this whole thread (sorry), am I the only one outraged at the women in sexy bodysuits while the men are in full period costumes? Ffs, at every turn there is discussion about racism, but including sexism throughout the show is cool cos it’s broadway? Fuck that!

I have literally no idea what you are talking about.

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**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/184 "2016-10-22T22:02:42Z")

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> [@Munch](#):
>
> What in the world are you talking about? The backup dancers? Because they’re all wearing [essentially the same thing](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2015/03/08/books/review/08OPENBOOK/08OPENBOOK-facebookJumbo.jpg).
> 
> Because you’re definitely not talking about [the female cast members with speaking parts](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/theatre/2015/12/23/hamilton-sisters-large_trans++jCfm_5ZIonnrbqhnL8cSr8bS9ClKtKsVyn4KHVnD2uk.jpg).

> [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](#):
>
> I have literally no idea what you are talking about.

Yeah, \*everyone \*in that chorus line in the first picture, male and female, is wearing boots, breeches/leggings and a tight sleeveless top. That distinguishes them from the fully costumed story characters, makes it possible to use any distribution of dancers of both sexes for that line AND most importantly allows them to move with less encumberment, and you WANT to see the dancers move, else why pay for dancers.

The closest you have to the complaint are some of the styles seen [in this part of the opening number](http://www.thirteen.org/13pressroom/files/2016/07/HamiltonBway1754r-Hamilton-Cast.jpg), in which some of the female dancers are seen with a ribbon-detailed top - but that ISTM was a way of signifying “female background figure” in a stylized number where as you may have noticed everyone is in the same monochromatic scheme save Hamilton and Burr.

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**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\
**Post date:** [October 22, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/185 "2016-10-22T22:09:36Z")

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> [@singular1](#):
>
> OK, without reading through this whole thread (sorry), am I the only one outraged at the women in sexy bodysuits while the men are in full period costumes? Ffs, at every turn there is discussion about racism, but including sexism throughout the show is cool cos it’s broadway? Fuck that!

So, not to pile on but… The show is pretty empowering for females. It portrays the female counterparts of the founding fathers (the founding mothers? See we don’t even have a word for this) as being important and influential. No one else really talks about them at all.

The show is heavily stylized in a minimalist fashion that draws its roots in Brecht. Using levels of costuming to help the audience focus where it is supposed to while allowing background characters to more easily fall into the background. The sets do this too. It’s pretty well done.

Anyone watch the documentary? I thought it was great.

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**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/186 "2016-10-23T01:31:44Z")

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OK, in the Aaron Burr “I got to be in the room where it happens” number, all the men are in period garb and the women dancing behind him are in bodysuits with lace and ribbon. I just relooked - I didn’t make this up.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/187 "2016-10-23T03:34:57Z")

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> [@NAF1138](#):
>
> …It portrays the female counterparts of the founding fathers (the founding mothers? See we don’t even have a word for this)…

Great minds!:

> **[Amazon.com: Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation: 9780060090265:...](https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Mothers-Women-Raised-Nation/dp/006009026X)**
>
> Amazon.com: Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation: 9780060090265: Roberts, Cokie: Books

> **[Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies: Roberts, Cokie, Goode, Diane:...](https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Mothers-Remembering-Cokie-Roberts/dp/0060780029)**
>
> Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies \[Roberts, Cokie, Goode, Diane\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Founding Mothers: Remembering the Ladies

> **[Patriot Hearts: A Novel of the Founding Mothers: Hambly, Barbara: 9780553383379:...](https://www.amazon.com/Patriot-Hearts-Novel-Founding-Mothers/dp/055338337X)**
>
> Patriot Hearts: A Novel of the Founding Mothers \[Hambly, Barbara\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Patriot Hearts: A Novel of the Founding Mothers

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**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\
**Post date:** [October 23, 2016, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/188 "2016-10-23T03:53:19Z")

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> [@singular1](#):
>
> OK, in the Aaron Burr “I got to be in the room where it happens” number, all the men are in period garb and the women dancing behind him are in bodysuits with lace and ribbon. I just relooked - I didn’t make this up.

No.

There are backup dancers, both men and women, in white bodysuits.

The named characters are in period costumes, both men and women.

It’s true that specifically “Room Where It Happens,” has only Jefferson, Madison, Hamilton, and Burr as named characters, and those four are men.

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/189 "2016-11-18T05:16:16Z")

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The October issue of _Harper’s_ has a cover essay by Robert Sullivan about the musical. It’s a scattershot, almost stream-of-consciousness critique that has at least one historical error that I noticed. I can’t really recommend it, but thought I’d at least mention it here.

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**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/190 "2016-11-18T13:13:26Z")

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I’m going next Wed - wish I were more excited…

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**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2016, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/191 "2016-11-18T23:05:22Z")

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Lin-Manuel Miranda was on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast earlier this week:

> **[Episode 759 - Lin-Manuel Miranda — WTF with Marc Maron Podcast](http://www.wtfpod.com/podcast/episode-759-lin-manuel-miranda)**
>
> Lin-Manuel Miranda is not only the creator of Hamilton and In The Heights, he's also a long-time WTFer. So he's well prepared to get into everything with Marc during a visit to the garage, including his multicultural upbringing, his early exposure to...

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**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2016, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/192 "2016-11-19T02:32:05Z")

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**Dinsdale** - I’ll go in your place!

I feel so dirty - I downloaded a bootleg copy of the musical from Youtube and watched it. I’m very good about not pirating anything, because I believe strongly in intellectual property rights. But it’ll be years before it comes to Nashville. I will go when it comes here, though.

StG

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [November 21, 2016, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/193 "2016-11-21T02:22:23Z")

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_Hamilton_ has been in the news lately after a visit from Vice President-elect Mike Pence: [http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/20/politics/mike-pence-hamilton-message-trump/](http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/20/politics/mike-pence-hamilton-message-trump/)

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**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\
**Post date:** [November 24, 2016, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/194 "2016-11-24T02:15:32Z")

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Well, it was pretty good. But, if you’re not a huge fan of musicals - as I’m not - well, it was an enjoyable enough way to spend a couple of hours. But to hear the folk around us, they acted as tho it was some life-changing experience or something.

And - yeah - the women in the chorus were definitely wearing tighter breeches than the men, and in several scenes they were sleeveless when the men were wearing shirts. Didn’t bother me, but there clearly was a difference.

My wife said it was the best play she’d ever seen. Well, maybe it was the best play I’ve ever seen too. But then, I might be pretty honest for a lawyer - but I’m still a lawyer! 🆒

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**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/195 "2017-01-16T13:25:24Z")

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I feel the need to revive this thread to say that I just got tickets to see Hamilton in London! And I have a delightful stretch of time to look forward to the experience, because my tickets are for May 2018. I’m ridiculously thrilled!

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**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/196 "2017-01-16T18:34:53Z")

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Congratulations, **shantih**! I hope you love it.

I’m going through _Hamilton_ envy right now. I saw it a year and a half ago with my sister and brother-in-law (sitting next to us, not in the cast). Last weekend, they saw it for the third time.

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**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\
**Post date:** [January 16, 2017, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/197 "2017-01-16T18:50:09Z")

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> [@shantih](#):
>
> I feel the need to revive this thread to say that I just got tickets to see Hamilton in London! And I have a delightful stretch of time to look forward to the experience, because my tickets are for May 2018. I’m ridiculously thrilled!

Do you live in the the UK? I’ve said before - it seems like it’ll be cheaper to see it in London, even with air travel and hotel, than here in the US.

StG

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**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/198 "2017-01-17T01:20:08Z")

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I live in Germany. My family did a week in London over Fall Break last October, which was my first visit there, and we all absolutely adored it. When I mentioned to good friends of ours (who both spent part of their university years in London) that I had signed up for priority access to Hamilton tickets, they immediately said to get tickets for them, too, and we’d make a weekend of it, and that’s just what I did! Kickass seats, too – 5th row right in the center! Huzzah! Last October, we did a special trek over to the Victoria Palace Theatre so that I could take a picture of myself next to the Hamilton signs. My kids can hardly stand what a cool mother I am.

Oh boyohboyohboy, I’m excited!!

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/199 "2017-01-17T05:11:56Z")

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A friend of mine is going with his wife later this month in NYC. He got two tickets for $352 apiece. Too rich for my blood.

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**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\
**Post date:** [January 17, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hamilton-the-musical/736119/200 "2017-01-17T19:20:50Z")

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$352 is a great price, compared to last year’s original-cast prices.

StG

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