Hamilton (NYC) NYC Reviews and Tickets

"Yes, it really is that good...I am loath to tell people to mortgage their houses and lease their children to acquire tickets to a hit Broadway show. But 'Hamilton,' directed by Thomas Kail and starring Mr. Miranda, might just about be worth it — at least to anyone who wants proof that the American musical is not only surviving but also evolving in ways that should allow it to thrive and transmogrify in years to come."
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"What is left to say? After every critic in town (including me) praised the Public Theater world premiere to high heaven; and after seeing this language-drunk, rhyme-crazy dynamo a second time, I can only marvel: They used up all the damn words. Wait, here are three stragglers, straight from the heart: I love 'Hamilton.' I love it like I love New York, or Broadway when it gets it right. And this is so right."
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"A second look suggests that something even more significant is going on. The breakthrough isn’t so much the incorporation of those contemporary genres; after all, Miranda already did that, throwing in Latin music to boot, in the charming 'In the Heights.' But 'Hamilton' not only incorporates newish-to-Broadway song forms; it requires and advances them, in the process opening up new territory for exploitation. It’s the musical theater, not just American history, that gets refurbished. And perhaps popular music, too. Call it Miranda’s manifest destiny, though one dreads the caravans of poor imitators that will surely trail behind."
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"Having already become a cultural phenomenon in its off-Broadway premiere run earlier this year at the Public Theater, 'Hamilton' — written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, who previously made a name for himself on Broadway with 'In the Heights' — seems a shoo-in for smash hit status and a slew of awards attention...The musical is a triumph."
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"Lin-Manuel Miranda has turned a Founding Father’s largely forgotten narrative into one of the most joyful, kinetic, and extravagantly original musicals ever imagined for the stage...The play’s intrigue comes mostly from its potent stew of friendship and romance and outsize ambition; it’s as if 'House of Cards' were folded into a sort of 'Days of Our Colonial Lives' fever dream, then filtered through the minds of Tupac and Sondheim. It’s that strange and that spectacular, and you’d be crazy to miss it."
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"This innovative show is shaping up to be just as much of a phenomenon uptown, playing in a Broadway house with four times the seating capacity, and to a more traditional but no less enthusiastic audience. That universal appeal to crossover audiences is one unmistakable sign of a groundbreaking show...Like any true landmark, 'Hamilton' stands up to repeated viewings. After six months, the show’s initial impact hasn’t dulled a bit; in fact, the qualities that made it so extraordinary the first time around are all the more striking."
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"'Hamilton' is the best and most important Broadway musical of the past decade. Why important? Because it sounds as though it had been written last week instead of a half-century ago...So do whatever you have to do short of grand larceny to score a ticket to 'Hamilton.' It’ll make you want to stand on your seat and yell with delight."
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"Every great musical improves on second (and third, and fourth) hearing; 'Hamilton' is no exception. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s magnificent adaptation is not, to use that tired cliché, a game-changer. It is, in truth, the quintessence of a Broadway musical destined for the record books...Like 'Rent' 20 years ago and 'A Chorus Line' 40 years so, 'Hamilton' is accessible without pandering and inspirational in sneaky ways that permeate a skeptic’s shell."
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"'Hamilton' is a captivating mirror of the man whose life it surveys: blazingly original, restlessly innovative, magnetic from start to finish...The intense pride you feel on an evening such as this, when America’s story is retold with such style, verve and imagination, is not of a sort that’s come by easily on Broadway. There’s a magnitude of joy summoned here that suggests that King George is absolutely right. You most certainly will want to be back."
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"The Founding Father never had a friend so loyal and true as Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose audaciously ambitious and supremely executed new musical is surely the most entertaining, provocative and moving civics lesson in Broadway history...Many of the songs are quite staggeringly beautiful — richly melodic and passionately performed ballads of fear, hope, determination and pain. They feel traditional and revolutionary at the same time."
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"Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 'In the Heights' may have been a hit — but his 'Hamilton' is a phenomenon...But “revolutionary” the show is not. Truly radical art is divisive, and under its brash exterior, 'Hamilton' is warmly reassuring — a love letter to a land of opportunity where 'The 10-dollar founding father without a father/Got a lot farther by working a lot harder/By being a lot smarter/By being a self-starter.'”
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"With 'Hamilton,' Broadway is officially the coolest place on the planet. And the smartest. And most exhilarating. Yes, composer, lyricist, author and leading man Lin-Manuel Miranda’s magical musical tour of the life of the '10-dollar Founding Father,' Alexander Hamilton, is that great. It’s even richer and more eloquent since its run earlier this year at the Public Theater."
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"I must confess that I gave one of the less enthusiastic reviews of 'Hamilton' back in February, finding the plot to be too dense (it is, after all, a biography) and the hip-hop sound to be monotonous. On second viewing, I was determined to accept the show on its own terms, and I ended up being absolutely entranced by Miranda's inventive writing, Thomas Kail's masterful direction and Andy Blankenbuehler's nonstop movement. I may be the last critic to join the 'Hamilton' fan club, but better late than never."
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"It was phenomenal off-Broadway. It's even better now. 'Hamilton' is that rare musical that fires on all cylinders, even ones we never knew existed...In a sense, the collective talents of this bravura company pay homage to Broadway's founding fathers - and mothers - by pushing the envelope on an artform that at best, teaches us, enlightens us and entertains us like nothing else."
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"Yes, it's as incredible as everyone says....With his new musical, 'Hamilton,' Lin-Manuel Miranda has an eye on both. He's created a work sure to be enjoyed by generations to come, proudly drawing on America's past as a guiding light to the future. It unequivocally asserts that the revolutionary ideals of 1776 are still valid in 2015. It is nothing short of a masterpiece, destined to change Broadway forever."
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"As with 'In The Heights', Miranda's ear-popping material kinetically fuses with the exemplary work of director Thomas Kail to explosively tell the story of a man considered one of the first quintessential New Yorkers - a poor immigrant with radical ideas who pushed his way to prominence for the betterment of society."
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"Does 'Hamilton' live up to all — any — of this hype? And does it need to? From my perspective, the answers are, respectively, a definite no and a solid yes...Though much has been made of the myriad musical and lyrical references that pockmark the evening, they're more about calling attention to themselves than contributing to a consistent texture or sensible narrative. To my reckoning they brand 'Hamilton,' even in its slightly altered, more precise uptown incarnation, as unsatisfying and unrealized dramatically, and a piece that's forever at war with itself."
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“‘Hamilton’ does for the American Revolution what ‘Les Miserables’ does for French 19th century history. However, its contemporary sound turns ‘Hamilton’ into a theatrical revolution that is just short of titanic. From the expert cast to the impeccable design team to the splendid score and text, ‘Hamilton’ makes musical theater history. Just a warning: don’t come tired! ‘Hamilton’ is fast moving and jam-packed with information. You will want all your faculties about you.”
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"With Kail's clever direction and Blankenbuhler's athletic choreography, 'Hamilton's' large cast embodies a bloody war, heated political rivalries, and the outright joy of starting a new nation...Miranda's score is a triumph by itself with a wide range of influences and some of the best lyric writing seen yet this century...The modernity of the production is refreshing and prescient—we might actually be entering a new era of musical theatre."
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"I was intoxicated by 'Hamilton', exquisitely directed by Thomas Kail...It has an energy, a beat, a rhythm, and a rebelliousness that swept me up and kept me thoroughly engaged and enchanted. It’s a powerhouse three-hour telling of this pushy historical figure...Act One is an adrenaline-fueled history lesson in politics, war, revolution and love but Act Two is the clincher, which gives this show its emotional core and depth. It is truly amazing what Miranda has done here."
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"With a refreshing book, profoundly innovative music that includes hip-hop, jazz, blues, R&B, and Broadway, and scintillating lyrics, 'Hamilton' exceeds all expectations of theatergoers and rocks the stage with engaging performances and exhilarating choreography...The diverse cast is uniformly outstanding and brilliant...Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography is innovative and precise."
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“In telling the story of the Founding Father...Miranda found several ways to unfold the larger history of the early years of the American experiment...The 2019 cast is a revelation, though perhaps somewhat double-edged...Perhaps the memory of the original cast will fade. Perhaps the new leads will grow into their roles. But one of the things...‘Hamilton’ on Broadway made clear...is that the replacement cast members don’t have to give star quality performances for the show to shine.”
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"The show creates a swirling intellectual and emotional portrait of one individual that matches, if not bests, any we’ve previously seen on stage. To accomplish this rare feat, Miranda is aided by the seamless direction of Thomas Kail, the extraordinary, and the stirring orchestrations of Alex Lacamoire, who finds the precisely right sounds for Miranda’s wonderfully wide musical vocabulary…Its inventiveness is practically unparalleled. Miranda’s book is a marvel, as well."
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"'Hamilton' joins the ranks of great American musicals...Considered as an American musical dealing directly with Americana an argument could eventually be made for 'Hamilton' as the nation’s greatest musical...If a musical even close in quality to this one emerges this season, we’re lucky. If a musical even close in quality emerges in the next 10 years, we’d better count our lucky stars."
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"This ambitious, inventive show remains strong across the board: the entertaining, informative and emotionally involving book is filled with moments of humor and pathos, the characters are vividly drawn, the lyrics are extremely clever, the choreography supports the action brilliantly, the cast is uniformly strong and the direction is fluid and assured...The good news is that the newcomers to the cast are generally fine and the production is as sharp as ever."
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"'Hamilton' is not just an excellent and rousing musical; it brings something new to the musical theatre, and does it so very compellingly that superlatives are in order. I--and I expect just about all my critical colleagues--would tell you to stop reading right now and get yer tickets, except there aren't likely many to be had for the next year or three."
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"It’s the question most asked of theater critics these days: 'Is ‘Hamilton’ really that good?' Yes, 'Hamilton' is that good, and the still youthful Lin-Manuel Miranda can be mentioned in the same sentence with Sondheim and even Cole Porter."
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"There has been nothing on Broadway in the past 20 years to rival the riveting, exhilarating and haunting 'Hamilton,' its vitality and ingenuity fully intact...American musicals have long combined social criticism with unabashed romance, a sharp eye with an open heart. Watching that tradition move boldly forward in 'Hamilton,' a fan can't help but feel a little pride."
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"With the delirious praise swirling around 'Hamilton' since its Public Theater run, there was danger that Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop masterwork would seem anticlimactic - or at least overhyped - at its Broadway premiere. Instead, the show is even more nuanced, more cohesive in individual performances and its more focused finale. Most important, Miranda and director Thomas Kail have fine-tuned it without losing a shiver of its audacity and thrill."
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"The landmark new musical presents a soulful, electrifying retelling of America’s birth. Its ingenious use of hip-hop, a medium and a culture in many ways born from that oppression, to reclaim American history is nothing short of revolutionary...The musical’s ability to combine the sensational with the theoretical is one of its greatest strengths."
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"The first question critics usually consider when a hit off-Broadway show moves to Broadway is whether it works as well in a larger space. 'Hamilton' does. Emphatically...It’s an event that hasn’t been over-hyped. The show is spectacularly unique, an endlessly clever history lesson that links us to the country’s Founding Fathers in an ingenious and compelling theatrical way...There are probably a half-dozen more things I could rave about, but, essentially, 'Hamilton' is just a really, really terrific show."
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"Miranda’s sweeping, largely sung-through musical about Alexander Hamilton, an orphan who became George Washington’s right-hand man, took on a second life as a master class in musical theater creation...Miranda’s music and lyrics are too textured to be absorbed in one sitting. Turns out, once you’ve gotten over the first wow, there’s plenty more wow to be uncovered."
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"This show, despite a major cast change, is a 10 out of 10. It's crisp, loud, and strong. I saw the swing cast - and even with these 3rd stringers - the show was magnificent and I cannot imagine it being better...To be fair - it's dense - very dense...I think the ensemble may just be the hardest working ensemble on Broadway today...It's a bona-fide hit and I am incredibly thankful for the ticket and will treasure my experience even more because of it."
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"Revolutions are messy, sudden, often brutal things. They're not meant to mature gracefully. Thankfully, no one told the creators of the pulsating 'Hamilton,' which arrives on Broadway sharper, tighter and cleaner than just a few months ago....It's all like nothing you've ever heard or seen before. In one song, the main ladies sing euphorically, 'Look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now! History is happening in Manhattan.' We couldn't agree more."
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"It’s even better than I remembered. 'Hamilton' is something entirely new to Broadway. And also something entirely old...You’ll leave 'Hamilton' humming. And teary-eyed. And in awe that someone – Lin-Manuel Miranda in this case – can conceive of, write, and star in something so moving, so compelling, so…well, genius."
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"Director Thomas Kail keeps the story moving along with fluid precision and at an exhausting, nonstop pace at all times. The fusion of direction and choreography complement each other in the frenetic goings-on in this nearly three-hour, monumental show. 'Hamilton' has truly started a Broadway revolution and will continue to influence the American musical theater for years to come."
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“Miranda puts eloquence in every mouth…‘Hamilton’ does offer enough musical theater touchstones to please the purist...Tom Kail’s direction and Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography make for a seamless, sure-handed musical replete with stunning stage pictures...So Miranda has become one of those comparatively rare musical theater writers who follows his first success ('In the Heights') with a much greater triumph.”
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"What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this lauded new musical, perhaps the best this art form has seen in decades? It lives up to the hype. It is indeed brilliant...Composer, lyricist, and star Lin-Manuel Miranda seamlessly blends musical theater and hip hop in a wholly original way...'Hamilton' is as epic as 'Les Mis' and as relevant as a Jay Z album. It is nothing less than revolutionary."
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"This show is so special and unlike anything we have ever seen on Broadway...What strikes me is that it is so commercially successful, but before it was popular it was extremely well written and artistic. It is rare that these combine in a musical...'Hamilton' has shown the next generation of composers that you can write something intelligent with artistic merit and still sell tickets."
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“'Hamilton' is still a perfect 10!...This tuneful sampling is a brilliant reflection of the spirit of revolution and renewal that 'Hamilton' (and the period it depicts) represents...'Hamilton,' under Thomas Kail’s direction of the no-less than brilliant cast and with Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography for the excellent ensemble of 'back-up' dancers and players, is the most entertaining history lesson ever devised. 'Hamilton' is no less than genius!"
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"In his stylish and electrifying 'Hamilton,' Miranda fuses the immediacy and storytelling power of hip-hop and R&B with the revolutionary passions of a new nation heaving itself into existence... Arriving on Broadway burdened with the weight of expectation, having become a much-coveted ticket, 'Hamilton’ proves more than able to carry that weight. This musical is young, scrappy, hungry — and exhilarating."
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"You will never enjoy a story of the American Revolution more than this one as written and told by Lin-Manuel Miranda...This was not so much about the story for me as it was about how the story was told by this beautifully sculpted and colorful; mainly African-American and Latino cast...This production is truly masterful, and brings a modern twist to nearly 300-year-old history...This show fills the stage, and will fill every one of your senses."
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"The question asked by many who see 'Hamilton' is whether it is worth the investment of time and money. This reviewer's answer, 'Absolutely!'"
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"Would 'Hamilton' really live up to the hype? The evening I went, there was electricity in the air. A great sense of excited anticipation. And when the lights dimmed, before the first note was sung, the audience began to cheer. Does 'Hamilton' live up to all of this? Well, yes, it actually does...Even though 'Hamilton' is nearly three hours long, it does not feel tedious...As soon as 'Hamilton' ended, I wanted to see it again. Now, that is the way to kick off a Broadway season."
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