Hamilton: My Broadway in Boston Recap

In mid-September, Hamilton came to Boston for a two month tour. I’ve always assumed I’d have no chance of going — I’m not sure what tickets looked like before, but the most inexpensive seats for this weekend are in the ballpark of $300 each. My aunt clued me in on the lottery, though, so I downloaded the Hamilton app and entered every single day. It became such a routine thing that I had almost forgotten there was anything at stake.

On Wednesday evening, I was headed home from work and had a notification from the app come in on my phone. I assumed it was the routine “better luck next time!” heads up but to my shock, I had won the lottery! I immediately logged in and claimed my ticket, ecstatic. I texted my closest friends (all Hamilton fans) in disbelief, I posted on Facebook, I thanked my aunt profusely for letting me know about the lottery.

Thursday morning I picked myself out a simple, classy black dress, matched with maroon leggings and black wedges. I did a full face of makeup and went into work dressed to impress. When I got out, I headed over to a coffee shop a couple blocks from the theater to read and get something to eat before the show. Around 6:45pm, I stopped by the box office to grab my ticket, grinning ear-to-ear, and made my way inside. I grabbed a Harpoon cider and waited for the doors to open.

Glad to have beaten the rush (I was among the first seated), I let the usher lead me to my seat at just past 7. I had expected a secluded seat near the back and couldn’t believe it wasn’t a dream when they brought me right up to the second row, congratulating me with a smile. I sat back and gazed at the stage in awe until the show started.

I’m disappointed to have missed the original cast, but the group of actors who performed were absurdly talented, of course. Actually getting to see the visuals enhanced the entire story in a way I could not have even comprehended beforehand. The characters truly came to life for me, and it was so fun to see the different spins that the actors were able to put on them. In particular, Austin Scott (the lead man himself) projected certain lines in a completely different manner than Lin-Manuel Miranda had. Although each character was at their core the same, it is fascinating to see how one person can be interpreted and portrayed so differently — even when restricted to the exact same lines.

Overall it was a truly magical experience that felt like it was over just after it had begun. I wish I had more to say about the play itself, but it really feels like something I would need to see multiple times to even begin to explore in depth. There were so many nuances and points of discussion that flashed through my mind as I watched, but there was no way for me to remember most of them while focusing on experiencing the performance in the moment. All I have left to say is that if you can get yourself to a production, I would highly recommend it.