Wellness Wednesday: 10 Reasons Why You Need to See “Hamilton” in San Francisco

Do something good for yourself — see something that will give you all the feels!

You can also find my article here on bayarea.com:

https://www.bayarea.com/play/theater/10-reasons-hamilton-san-francsico/

Pssst…There’s something big happening in downtown San Francisco almost every night until August 10th. Have you heard? I’m sure you have. I mean, people are going nuts over this. They’re entering raffles daily just to win tickets. So what’s all the fuss about? Hamilton has arrived in San Francisco. Lin Manuel-Miranda’s award-winning musical that captured the hearts of New Yorkers has made its way west and is now on tour. If all the hype and the many, many awards the play has won aren’t enough to convince you, I’m here to tell you 10 reasons why you need to go and see Hamilton before it leaves San Francisco.

REASON #1: IT’S HISTORY REINVENTED

Unlike those boring history classes you were forced to sit through back in the day, Hamilton makes history fun and memorable. The music, the dancing, and the singing engage the audience and will even make you appreciate history in a way you didn’t back in school. And even though the play is set hundreds of years ago during the Revolutionary War, it still manages to be relevant to modern times. So pay attention history teachers, maybe you could learn a thing or two.

REASON #2: THERE ARE RAP BATTLES

While they’re not exactly the 8 Mile Eminem-inspired rap battles, they’re just as entertaining, especially because they always occur during the political debates in the show. Can you even imagine how entertaining it would be if our own current debates were rap battles on the Congress floor? People would actually watch C-SPAN.

REASON #3: THERE’S REALLY GOOD SINGING…AND DANCING…AND ACTING

Needless to say, this play is well cast. Almost all of the actors are award winners and nominees and have decades of experience performing on the stage. San Francisco’s Hamilton cast includes Broadway veteran Michael Luwoye who plays Alexander Hamilton, Rory O’Malley (famous for his work in the Book of Mormon) is King George III, and two-time Tony Award nominee Joshua Henry is Aaron Burr. And the singing and acting are world-class — it’s hard to believe everything is performed life. The tickets may be expensive but remember: you get what you pay for.

REASON #4: YOU’LL LAUGH

History isn’t usually very funny, but Hamilton somehow manages to make the Revolutionary War pretty amusing. Despite the wars, deaths, and politics that occurred back in Hamilton’s era, you’ll find yourself cracking up during this musical. Hamilton proves that history can be fun, especially when the Schuyler Sisters are involved.

REASON #5: YOU’LL CRY

Okay, I’ll admit I’m a bit of a softie, but I couldn’t help but get emotionally attached to the characters in the show. Hamilton will tug at your heartstrings by showing you the highs and lows of life that we all go through, even in today’s world. To make matters worse, since this is a historical play, these characters that you’ve become so attached to represent real people, so when bad things happen during the show, you know they really did happen. Keep your tissues handy.

REASON #6: YOU’LL WANT TO LEARN MORE

As soon as the show ended, I wanted to know more. I wanted to research Hamilton and his family. I wanted to learn about what happened next and find out what happened to the relationships that were made or broken. I was actually getting into this whole history thing! Luckily, you can go out and buy the book that started it all and get all the deets you may have missed during the play.

REASON #7: YOU’LL BE IN THE ‘ROOM WHERE IT HAPPENS’

As soon as you enter the doors of the SHN theater, you’ll feel like a winner. There are lots of others who didn’t get the opportunity to see the play. So you’ll get to be in “The Room Where it Happens,” which also happens to be one of their songs. And yes, you’ll have bragging rights for days and will be the one convincing all your friends to suck it up and buy tickets because it’s so, so worth it.

REASON #8: YOU’LL KEEP SINGING THE SONGS IN YOUR HEAD

Did I already mention that the music is good? So good that the songs will be stuck in your head for maybe a week or two (or more). As soon as the show ended I downloaded the entire album and started singing the songs in the car and humming the tunes in the shower. Guys, seriously, I might already be an expert on the Revolutionary War because of the music — it’s that catchy.

REASON #9: IT’LL MAKE YOU THINK

The musical is mostly about Hamilton and his life — the good, the bad, the ugly. And it’ll make you think about your own life, the choices you make and dealing with whatever consequences life hands you. You’ll question what type of character you are as it relates to the play. Are you the type that waits and waits until the right time for something to happen or do you go for it and take control? I don’t know your answer, but the show will definitely make you think.

REASON #10: IT’S A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT

With 11 Tony Awards, one Grammy Award, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and more, it’s hard to deny that this is the hottest ticket in town. It’s like when the Super Bowl was held in the Bay Area — you’ll want to be there because you don’t know when it’ll happen again. Lin Manuel-Miranda may not have known when he picked up a copy of the Alexander Hamilton book at the airport that he would create a musical revolution, but he did, and I’m sure glad I witnessed it. You will be too. So snag your tickets to this once in a lifetime play before it’s too late!

Remember: You can enter their daily lottery to try to get $10 tickets here: http://www.luckyseat.com/hamilton.html ! Keep trying!