who tells your story?

Watching Hamilton in West End is definitely one of my highlights of 2018. Since I’m a musical geek, I already told my friend that we have to watch a show – any show – in West End during our UK trip. 

At first, I’m not that interested in Hamilton (!!!) despite its popularity in Broadway (and despite the ball of positivity that is Lin Manuel Miranda). Watched their performance in the White House and I’m like, uhm, ok, not too drawn to the songs (I’m gonna regret that months later).

But then I found out that there is already a London run for Hamilton in time for our UK trip and I thought that maybe we should try watching the 2016 hit since we’re there anyway. Seats were sold out (as expected). Fortunately, my friend went to England around July and told me about the line beside the theater for the return tickets. Basically, they’re tickets that were already bought prior but are returned on the day because they won’t be used. The seller gives it to the staff and the staff will go to the line and sell it to the one in front at face value (which was lucky for us coz reselling prices in the US are insane).

And so come Monday afternoon, October 21, we went to Victoria Palace Theater. I inquired the staff, who showed us where the chance ticket line is. We were the first there (around 4:30pm) and I told my friend that we can afford to have early dinner at a nearby Shake Shack. Don’t want to get take out ‘cause it’s really cold and we need the toilet before our vigil lol. By the time we got back, we’re already eighth in line. I was already nervous that our decision to stay in the restaurant cost us our chance to watch the show. But it all paid off well – because when my turn came, the guy (I didn’t get to meet him though T__T) just wanted to give his ticket away! FOR FREE!

I got in first and I’m literally shaking from excitement to the point that I don’t care if the show was crap. I’M IN VICTORIA PALACE THEATER! I’M IN WEST END! I’M IN LONDON WTF! My 16-year-old-self-watching-Miss-Saigon-in-CCP would cry at this point. The 34 year old self just planted her chin against the railing like a kid, eyes misty while waiting for the show to start (and waiting for my friend to message me and confirm if she got in – which she did 😊 )

Mind you, my only exposure to Hamilton at that point was watching “Alexander Hamilton” being performed at the White House, and a recording of “Helpless” by The Regrettes (from the Hamilton Mix-tape). Which was a good thing because OMG THIS MUSICAL IS AMAZING! No elaborate sets, no fancy production numbers. Just these talented people and the songs. My god the songs – perfectly written. Came close to crying (my friend bawled a couple of times apparently hehe) during the second half. Usually I struggle in the post-intermission portion of musicals – they’re usually less interesting than the first half. But Hamilton didn’t disappoint.

I just love the whole theme of trying to make your mark – being a part of history, making a legacy – and the danger of losing sight of what essentially matters. To those having an identity crisis, this is the perfect musical for it. And you get a fascinating exposition of American history (most likely not entirely accurate). If I listened to the entire Hamilton OST before the show, I probably won’t get to appreciate this musical as much as I did. So everything paved well in the end.

So well in fact that we watched Hamilton AGAIN three nights later. Thanks to being eighth in line, we just split the cost of my friend’s ticket and we can afford to go on another round. Also managed to buy merchandise (because I was stupid and didn’t buy the first time around). This time we got the producer’s seats, which are the fancy boxes at the back and we get a butler! Surreal!

I hope that Hamilton makes its way to Manila at some point (maybe in a decade…?) so that more people will get to watch it. And we have two Filipinos already in the London main cast so this should be a no brainer.

I cannot expound on the show anymore ‘cause I’m running out of creative words now haha. Anyway, it’s amazing. I’m floored.

“And when my time is up, have I done enough? Will they tell my story? Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?”