I finally get it.
The hype, the reviews that include words like "phenomenon," "revolutionary" and "thrilling." The crazy ticket sales and the overnight long lines for a chance to score them. After seeing Friday night's performance at the Orpheum Theatre, I get it.
Minneapolis has been waiting several years for "Hamilton" to grace us with its presence and the anticipation has turned into a huge amount of pressure, plus expectations that would be hard for just about anything to achieve. But just a few performances into its six-week run, I can say, without a doubt, it was well worth the wait.
The show is a non-stop, electric spectacle that hits the gas immediately and doesn't take its foot off the pedal until the final curtain call. There's no dialogue, only song-after-song, rap battle after rap battle. You find yourself holding your breath the second the lights come on, trying desperately to process every word before it speeds on to the next, while being captivated by the blocking and choreography that turns a simple stage with a rotating center into a front-row seat to history. But the incredible writing and structure of the show makes it feel effortless, even though I couldn't stop thinking about how much effort has to be made in order for it to have that effect.
And that's all thanks to the incredible touring cast, led by Joseph Morales (Hamilton) and Nik Walker (Aaron Burr). Morales' Hamilton is worth the price of admission on its own. His ability to carry this huge, historical story while emphasizing the humanity of the character is extremely impressive. You find yourself momentarily forgetting you're watching the story of one of the country's founding fathers who built the nation's financial system and become fixated on the story of a man battling the weight of his own pressure for greatness, while trying to fight the demons and temptations waiting to derail him along the way.
The role is an undertaking to say the least. The energy level, the stamina and overwhelming memorization (not only for the many, many rhymes he spits but the emphasis needed to perfectly deliver them) that is required is enough to make the audience feel drained just by watching. But Morales hits the stage shot out of a canon (almost quite literally) and delivers a performance that earns every bit of the standing ovation Friday night's crowd was waiting to give.
And he's not alone. The entire cast beautifully creates an incredibly relatable, personal journey with each highly influential figure that gives an eye-opening context to what already was quite a story.
Walker's portrayal of Burr highlights the insecurities and "why not me" internal struggles of a close-knit, longstanding rivalry. His puffed-out-chest outward confidence paired with the quiet, longing desires of a man trying his best to best his foe gives so much relatability to a character forever marked as a simple villain.
Shoba Narayan's loyal and somewhat tortured Eliza Hamilton brings a deeper understanding of her strength. Ta'Rea Campbell's strong-willed Angelica cuts straight to the human struggle of internal conflict and family, while facing the complexities of following your heart.
And can we please give it up to Jon Patrick Walker's King George? What an outlandish and, in so many ways, out of touch character that perfectly lightens the mood with off-brand songs about well, the "greatness" of King George.
But in the end, it all comes back to the story.
What Lin-Manuel Miranda did to a fascinating chapter in our history books is truly awe-inspiring. Taking the complexities of war, a developing nation and the interesting characters who inspired it all and telling their story through hip-hop, rap and yes, 21st century humor and lingo, takes "Hamilton" from a musical to a full-blown experience. It takes the stories of our nation's birth and reminds us the people behind the foundation had their own beginnings, early struggles and flaws, before they became the stately figures forever depicted without imperfections on the paper in our wallets. And for roughly three hours, Minneapolis finally gets to be in the room where that happens.
"Hamilton" runs through Oct. 7 at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis. For tickets and more information on the #HAM4HAM lottery (to score $10 tickets for a future show), click here.