Hamilton

Yes, "Hamilton" lives up to all the hype. It bears saying, as there has been no other show with quite the same level of critical and popular success as this groundbreaking rap opera that doesn't break the rules. It rewrites them and shows the power of theater when you ask not what art does but rather what art could do.

We constantly hear about minute attention spans; interests that don't go past reality TV; and revolting celebrities as heroes. But "Hamilton" suggests that the issue is not solely audiences demanding that, but rather providers only offering that. When theater speaks to people the way they can hear without compromising art or intelligent content, magic is made. And right now at the Hobby Center in Houston, Texas, magic is indeed being made.

The touring show in Houston for nearly a month was basically sold out before it even went on sale. Houston theatergoers - and even those who never go to the theater - waited impatiently for the show to hit The Bayou City, and, when it did, the question on everyone's lips seemed to be, "are you going?" Such excitement begs the question, "could 'Hamilton' be even close to as remarkable as all the hype implies?" Yes. And then some.

From first note to final curtain, the audience was rapt in all the, well, rap. The brilliantly written, brilliantly executed rap. Lin-Manuel Miranda crafted a piece so musically and literally adept that he was able to tell a story that generation after generation of professors and writers were unable to tell or even touch in a way that anyone not already historically inclined would be interested in. The story is amazing. The telling is key and Lin-Manuel Miranda hold all the keys.

Alexander Hamilton was the New York born delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He was the major author of the Federalist papers. He was the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, and he championed a strong central government for the United States. He also had a wife. He was also in love with his sister-in-law. He also had an affair (for which he was blackmailed and about which he went public). He also had a son who was killed in a duel that came about because his son was protecting his honor after he revealed the details of the affair. Hamilton was also killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.

In other words, he was a remarkable man who did remarkable things and he was also an ordinary man who made ordinary mistakes. "Hamilton" tells all. It crafts the life of a whole person. It crafts a life of a historical figure who was also a whole person. That is half the magic, the what. The other half? The how.

"Hamilton" makes you wonder if perhaps rap battles might be the secret to resolving our legislative issues, figuratively, of course. But what if both sides presented clear and true cases and an impartial judge determined the outcome? That is certainly how things should be done. But it certainly is not how things are done.

What if color made no difference? Actually - no difference. The leads in "Hamilton" are almost entirely played by wildly talented black actors. Alexander Hamilton. George Washington. Thomas Jefferson. Aaron Burr. Hercules Mulligan. John Laurens. They are all played brilliantly by black actors Austin Scott, Carvens Lissaint, Chris De'Sean Lee, Nicholas Christopher. Chaundre Hall-Broomfield. Rub�n J. Carbajal. respectively. It's a beautiful visual. When you see these men of color playing these influential characters, you can imagine men of color as influential characters. Suddenly, it's not the color of the man but the content of his character...

It seems that it goes without saying, and yet somehow demands at least a few lines to say that every member of the cast is remarkably talented - the leads, the ensemble, each of them a triple threat to be reckoned with. Not that every lead wasn't remarkable. But it has to be said, Peter Matthew Smith as King George is painfully wonderful and dreadfully familiar in terms of the current leader of the Free World. Obnoxious, self-possessed, pompous, detestable, you get the idea.

The set is simple and perfectly suited. The score is genius. The writing is downright astounding. The concept is groundbreaking and boundary crossing and, let's just say it, revolutionary. Even right down to the portrayal of women, which shows them in the fight, interested in the causes, willing and able to fight for themselves and the country and yet left woefully behind because of who ended up in power, and even who ended up marrying whom. Tis true, the wives of powerful men have a chance at a voice which they might otherwise not have.

It is also interesting to note that many in the audience each night in Houston may well be conservative Republicans. They clapped and cheered and smiled and hummed. One can't help but wonder if they understood the irony of that. One also can't help but hope that they learned from the experience, that perhaps "Hamilton" even cracked their staunch stances against what amounts simply to human rights. Well, one can dream.

"Hamilton" draws a diversity of audience that is enviable by any count. It crosses boundaries of age and race and education and musical interest and the like. It changed theater. It is changing theater. And, maybe, just maybe it's changing reality too. The current touring production does the original proud. It is flawless and enthralling and led the audience to cheers and tears as well. See the show. Sing the songs. Laugh at the jokes. But don't miss the revolution. It's onstage. And it's afoot.

"Hamilton" runs through May 20m 2018 at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby St, Houston, TX 77002. For tickets or information, visit https://www.thehobbycenter.org/. There is also a digital ticket lottery. Thirty-two (32) orchestra tickets will be sold for every performance for $10 each two days prior to each performance. Visit https://hamiltonmusical.com/lottery/ for more info.