I saw Hamilton last month and it was absolutely INCREDIBLE! I know there's a ton of hype to it right now... but trust me- it FAR exceeded the hype! I absolutely loved it! There are spoilers to some key visuals to the show
One of the best things about the musical was the way that it portrayed women in history. There are lots of women in history... but they're very underrepresented. History remembers Alexander Hamilton, but we don't remember Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton and all that she did for America also... this musical really shows everything that she did for America also.
If you've listened to the soundtrack till the very last song, you know how she pretty much dedicated her life to preserving her husband Alexander's legacy after he died. She made sure that his story was told, that his friends that fought by his side were remembered, she raised funds for the Washington Monument and established the first private orphanage in New York City. Eliza had what Alexander did not: time. She lived into her 90s, 50 years after Alexander's death according to the play.
And the play's choreography sort of focuses on just how much Eliza helps Alexander. It's very subtle but from the very first scene in the play, she puts on Alexander's Jacket throughout the play from the very first song. She's there for him in good times, she supports him and she helps shape the Alexander that we remember.
In Contrast, it also shows the negative effect of women in his life. In the song "Hurricane." When Alexander is about to write The Reynolds Pamphlet... which is what destroyed his career and led to his downfall- Maria Reynolds hands him the pen... which is a pretty meaningful foil to the Eliza-Jacket thing right? Hamilton destroys his own life when he writes the pamphlet... and it's not like Maria is the one that forced him to write it... and it isn't Eliza that makes Alexander who he is either... It's just sort of an angel- or devil- over the shoulder type of thing... and I think it's interesting that they used women for this. It was definitely not just a coincidence and it definitely carries a lot of meaning... and I really liked that about it!
It's also interesting to note that the characters Peggy Schuyler in Act 1 and Maria Reynolds in Act 2 are played by the same actress and basically have opposite roles. Peggy is a very young girl who's just concerned about what her Daddy says to do when they go out... and Maria is a very sexy woman that is having an affair with Alexander and in sorrow because of her abusive husband. Later in life Maria and James Reynolds did get divorced... just for history's sake. Lol.
And then there is Angelica. The play implies a romantic connection between Angelica and Alexander... and that is more poetic license than anything. It's said that the two were very close and they did write to each other... and history knows how Alexander wrote when he was trying to impress women (or John Laurens possibly...) and we kind of have an idea of when Hamilton was being flirtatious. I haven't read the letters to Angelica... but that interests me. Anyway... her character was portrayed this way in the play as a way to show that there are different ways to tell history. Which kind of shows that a man's version of history... which is kind of what we're getting might be different than a woman's telling. And her character is the one highlighting inequality for women at the time. She couldn't be with Alexander because she needed to marry a Rich husband because she was the oldest in a family of daughters. She only wanted to be with Alexander... but she wasn't able to because of her class. She's smarter than Alexander and figures him out right away when they first meet... but she is unable to get everything she wants because she is a woman in a time that doesn't allow women as many freedoms. She is buried near Alexander... but not with Alexander... in case you needed one more unrequited love heartbreak.
One scene I don't really want to get into... but I need to mention because it is so powerful: Burn. It's sung by Eliza... and I think it's the only real solo that Eliza has... it is a very powerful scene. It was definitely one of my favorites in the whole play and the most different than what I had imagined. That song was also added to show why women are absent from history. Eliza erased herself from the narrative, which is why her story is untold. This is probably poetic license... but it does bring up the inequality of women in American History as opposed to men.
This play was one of the most amazing plays I've ever seen... highly highly recommend it if you can see it. This was a birthday surprise for me which I am very very thankful for. It far exceeds the hype. I love it!
Byeee!
-Shannon
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