That time I saw Hamilton in New York City on Broadway and got to go backstage.
Talk about one epic night.
So, there’s this little play called Hamilton that is the hottest thing in New York City right now. This play is so popular that it sells out almost instantly. The play is being opened in cities across the world including Chicago, Los Angeles, DC, and London. Tickets are hard to come by and are often quite expensive. The soundtrack is amazing, and I recommend you listen to it ASAP and on repeat. I’ve wanted to see Hamilton for over a year and in October, I had the chance.
My husband made my dream of seeing Hamilton not only come true, but he even got us backstage access. I can’t say his secrets, but I sure do thank him for it. It all started with a trip to New York City for an AMAZING Coast Guard Foundation Ball. Hmmm, I need to write about that. We spent the next day walking around the city and we even caught two more shows! We saw Wicked and The Lion King! YES!
The night to see Hamilton came and I couldn’t contain myself. I picked out the perfect outfit for me. I wore my Phenomenal Woman shirt with pleather leggings and a blazer. I knew I wanted to be edgy and to make a statement. I also wore combat boots because I knew we’d be first row mezzanine. This means that I couldn’t let my fear of heights get me. Safety first people! We stayed at the Marriott right next door to the Richard Rodgers theater. Funny enough, I’d been to this theater before when I saw If/Then with my sister. I kept telling people about my previous experience at a theater with literally no leg room and look at where I ended up. Haha! I didn’t realize it was the same theater until we got the New York. Hamilton was worth the pain though – trust me.
In any case, we got to the theater and found our seats. We were greeted by one of the theater techs who was expecting us. He was super nice and really made us feel welcomed. The anticipation was building like crazy at this point. I knew the music like the back of my hand so I was ready.
The set is really simple. There are not scene changes but there is a rotating stage. I was almost bummed because I love an elaborate set design. The lights dimmed, and the show started and I was in awe. This show is full of energy and I soaked up every single minute of it. I will say that the music can move fast so preparing by listening to the soundtrack really helps. There’s a lot of history and information shared. Seeing the play really put the words into perspective. I don’t want to give away too much but I did cry a time or two.
Being in the theater and seeing backstage was truly a highlight. I am so impressed with the amount of work and organization that goes into creating a work like this. The small, historic theater was the perfect setting for such an amazing show. I can definitely see why people continue to come back.
