Opinion: Find your ‘Hamilton’
Some people do drugs, some people work out, some people have a lot of sex.
After all, everyone needs a “thing.”
For me, it’s listening to all 46 tracks of the “Hamilton” soundtrack.
Have you ever listened to a song that brought you pure bliss? One that made you feel so content, regardless of what was going on around you? A song that you could get lost in, either whispering the lyrics or belting them?
Now, imagine having almost 50 of those songs and being obsessed with every single one of them.
“Hamilton: An American Musical” was written by playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. The show has only been running for a few years, but it has made waves throughout American entertainment, as well as American history.
I didn’t learn a thing in my APUSH class, but I could tell you the entire story of the American Revolution from start to finish at this point solely because of the lyrics.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, also the composer for Disney’s “Moana,” is pretty much the best example of modern-day genius there is and is at the very top of my “famous people to meet” list (in case you’re reading, Lin, my email is at the bottom.)
I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to see “Hamilton” in Chicago this past January. I would see the show every weekend if it weren’t for being a broke college student. This experience was one I would repeat in a heartbeat, being everything I expected and more, and totally worth the $500 ticket.
I have never really experienced any activity that has brought me quite as much joy as listening to this musical does. Ironically enough, I was never hugely interested in the theater as a kid; I knew the names of some big shows, but nothing too specific.
I stumbled upon the existence of “Hamilton” as a class assignment. I took “The Art of Theatre,” course, and we were assigned to listen through the soundtrack and then to write our own rap or song in the style of the show.
I remember sitting on the floor of my dorm room letting the soundtrack play down the list of songs and becoming increasingly invested throughout the experience. What started as a tedious task soon turned into, “Wow, this is actually pretty good,” which then snowballed into “I am never going to stop listening to this. I need the CD version in my car. I will have to spend lots of dollars to see this in person, oh my God.”
So, one might say I am a fan.
The point is, as dorky as it may be, this is what works for me. I love this show and all of the songs in it, and I could belt out any track at any given point without missing a single beat.
So, find your “Hamilton.” Look for whatever it may be that you love so much, even if it’s kind of silly, and hang onto that.
Mica Pflug is a columnist. Contact her at [email protected].