This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at BU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.<\/p>\n
Well, never meet your heroes.<\/p>\n
Last week, I went on a Boston University study abroad social programme trip to see Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre. It\u2019s one of my favorite shows, something I grew up singing in the car with my cousins (I know, what an image). When I was in high school AP US History, I relied an embarrassing amount on the soundtrack. I just found the catchy, informational lyrics to be the perfect way to organize what I was learning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In terms of performance level, I have to say I was a little underwhelmed by this cast. Not to compare directly to the original powerhouse crew, but in general, I found the vocals to be lacking. What made me most nervous was the number of lyrics that were missed by the cast; it felt empty at the best times, and clearly a forgotten line at the worst times.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Burr, coincidentally looking like an off-brand version of Lin-Manuel Miranda, sang in a slightly higher range than usual. Jefferson just couldn\u2019t match the suave effortlessness that Daveed Diggs introduced, and his raps were barely keeping up with the time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Because I wasn\u2019t thrilled with the lead actors, I found myself watching the show in a different way than I have before. I paid close attention to the ensemble cast, admiring the intense choreography and moments of personification.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also James Reynolds, the actor Philip interrupts, and of course, King George. Now, the king has a lot of great comedic moments, something the iconic and\u2026 spitty Jonathan Groff perfectly embodied in the musical\u2019s Disney+ release.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I found it hilarious to be watching the show, so heavily centered on the American Revolution and its key players, in the country those men fought to be rid of. The running gag of it being the king\u2019s play, his childish and power-hungry emotion, and his subsequent ridicule of Hamilton\u2019s downfall never fails to make me laugh.<\/p>\n
This time, his words stung. \u201cWhen your people say they hate you, don\u2019t come crawling back to me.\u201d I looked at the Boston University students seated around me\u2026 in London. He\u2019s talking about us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, do I consider myself to be crawling back to jolly Old England? I will be the first to admit \u2014 not to be dramatic or anything \u2014 that each time I look at political headlines, I want to shrivel up into a raisin and be eaten by a bird.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the same time, I have been feeling like a bad citizen. I tried to vote, I really did. I filled out the absentee ballot form as the nice elderly Americans instructed me to do the first week here. As far as I remember, my ballot was supposed to reach me via email. Well, that did not happen.<\/p>\n
Some part of the process must have worked, because my parents didn\u2019t receive it back in California. But other than that, it was lost to the political ether. Great!<\/p>\n
Okay, so we\u2019ve covered voting. Or the failure of my voting.<\/p>\n
Beyond that, I\u2019d say I\u2019m doing a fairly decent job. I read the occasional news story. Let me rephrase, I read what Instagram tells me. My feed has gotten pretty political, so I think this is good enough for not actually being in the U.S.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Does physical distance from the critical issues of my home justify mental distance? At least I am not turning a blind eye. I am not in ignorant bliss; I am in pain because while I am here, having a great time (and able to have a good time), other people aren\u2019t so lucky.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even through privileged, distanced activities like watching Hamilton \u2014 something I\u2019m safe enough to nitpick in this little review \u2014 the sense of how wrong everything feels still hits hard. I started tearing up when George Washington sang about his goals for the nation. It feels like we\u2019ve lost our way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the same time, I don\u2019t claim that the United Kingdom is in much better shape. The comparisons are becoming clearer. Recently, the Reform Party rose to power, championing an anti-immigrant manifesto. I\u2019ve seen a few of their marches, and many participants are even wearing Trump memorabilia.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They wave British and English flags, to the extent that whenever I see one, I associate it with the party\u2019s stance. It\u2019s not dissimilar to the current use of the American flag, meant to represent all but corrupted by one side.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cImmigrants, we get the job done.\u201d The crowd didn\u2019t cheer nearly as much as I wished at that line.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I think that\u2019s part of the beauty of shows like Hamilton that draw on historical events; it doesn\u2019t matter that the setting is American, that the main characters are American, that the points of view represented are anti-England, or at least anti-colonial monarchy.<\/p>\n
The show carries profound and highly applicable themes of ambition, honor, forgiveness, reputation, and a universally deserved future. The world is wide, and we can all use these lessons right now.<\/p>\n
History has its eyes on us.<\/p>\n
Want to keep up with HCBU? Make sure to like us on Facebook<\/a>, follow us on Instagram<\/a>, check out our Pinterest<\/a> board, watch us on TikTok<\/a>, and read our latest Tweets<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t