How I Discovered Hamilton
Hamilton is a musical biography of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States. It's a musical by Lin Manuel Miranda about legacy, beliefs, and seizing opportunities.
I first got hooked on the Hamilton musical during my majorship in Literature - college days.
We had a task to make teaching American Literature exciting. Knowing that high schoolers love music and lyrics more than educational readings, why not bring in the musical?
It was our way of saving the students from the boredom of reading tons of texts 😂 As Literature teachers, it’s a challenge to make it interesting for the students to read and analyze the texts. So, here’s Hamilton with catchy songs, love story (perfect for teenagers’ interests), and a chance to have a deep discussion to analyze the lyrics and compare them to real historical events. While planning lessons and activities, we couldn’t resist singing and acting along with the music. Good old days!
When I found out that Hamilton was heading to Manila as its first stop in Asia on its world tour, I knew I had to watch it live. I even shared how we got our physical tickets here.
Addie and I booked our tickets back in May to watch the show last October 24, just a few days before my birthday. We bought orchestra seats, living the dream of seeing one of our favorite musicals live. And yes, we splurged a bit, but it was totally worth it!
It’s a regular weekday, and show starts at 8 pm. We aimed to get there early to take some pictures before watching the show. Luckily, Addie got off from work early, and I had the chance to take some time off, thanks to my manager!
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Addie and I got together at exactly 5 pm, then we made our way to Solaire Theatre. We dealt with the usual traffic, but we were grateful we made it early!
It’s always freezing inside the theatre so I make it a point to bring my blazer or something cozy (as someone who easily gets cold but wears sleeveless tops lol, I’m a paradox, I know). I was actually thinking of going all black, but then I remembered Addie might have the same idea, we once accidentally twinned in our outfits, so this time, I went for something lighter. You won’t believe it, when we met, we were almost wearing the same thing (even the bags!) What are the odds, right??
To the Union… lounge.
Unionbank is Hamilton’s official sponsor and ticket pre-sale partner here in the Philippines.
We hopped in line for the freebie from Unionbank of the Philippines - a Hamilton holographic photo card. We really wanted this card as evidence that we saw the musical live.
They only had spots for first 200 people for the holographic photo card, so thank goodness we got there early. The staff handed our number cards, and then we queued up for our individual photos. The staff were nice, they even let us check our pics before leaving. It was great! If you didn’t like the shot, you could redo it. The photographer even gave me a compliment during my turn. They told us to keep the number card and pick up the photo card during the intermission.
The Unionbank of the Philippines went all out and set up a trivia booth for entertainment while waiting, checking if we were true Hamilton fans!
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After that, we got in line to take photos with the Hamilton sign since there were already a lot of people.
After all the fun, we headed to the souvenir shop.
The Theatre Store
Before heading to Solaire Theatre, we already checked out lots of videos online regarding the souvenirs and their prices. We thought we’d stick to our plan and be satisfied with just our pictures and the holographic photo cards, but when we browsed the actual souvenir items, we couldn’t resist buying something.
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I was actually eyeing the shot glass, but it was all sold out. So, we ended up buying the spinner keyrings instead. I also thought about getting the drink bottle and the mug but I didn’t want to exceed my budget. After all, I had already spent quite a bit on the tickets 😅
Hamilton in Manila - Live and Real!
About 15 minutes before the show, we already queued up for our assigned doors. As we were searching for our seats, Addie told me to stay still and we took turns taking pictures with the stage as our backdrop.
The Hamilton Show
When the show started, my heart was jumping for joy! Seeing them on stage, singing live, made me unable to contain my smile.
I kept pinching myself, was his forreal?! I wasn’t just watching in front of the TV, it’s live!
My smile widened even more when Rachelle Ann Go took the stage - a Filipino pride moment! Being the only Filipino in the lead role, she totally slayed Eliza Schuyler.
The crowd burst into laughter whenever the king made an appearance. I wondered if everyone enjoyed the king’s character as much as I did!
During the 20-minute break, Addie and I went to the Union Lounge to grab our holographic photo cards. While walking, we spotted the long restroom line. Good thing we went before the show, otherwise we’d be stuck in that line during the break.
We went back for the second part of the show, where everyone was sniffing and trying to wipe their tears. Despite knowing the ending, we couldn’t help but shed a tear. Props to the performers, especially Rachelle Ann Go, who nailed one of my favorite parts - the Burn.
The Hamilton musical makes you ponder about a bunch of stuff like politics, betrayal, love, family, and even seizing opportunities. It leaves you questioning your self - what kind of legacy do you want to leave behind and who’ll tell it when you’re gone?
Overall, It was a fantastic production and I’m glad I was able to watch it live! Thanks to Solaire and GMG Productions for bringing Hamilton to Manila!
Until my next theatre experience!
All images are mine unless otherwise stated.
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