Hamilton Lives!

A few weeks ago, I had a chance to see the touring Hamilton show. I also have to admit that I was not overly enthused about seeing it (I know… I know…) but it was something my wife was super-excited about and so we ordered our tickets, got dressed up and headed down to the theater.

And I was surprised.

My first surprise was that I liked the show… a lot. Reflecting on it afterwards, I think my reticence stemmed from two main places – first, the style of music is not something I typically listen to and wasn’t sure I’d be able to follow, and second – and probably more importantly – the contrarian in me just really rebelled against doing something that was just so “in” and popular right now. Not that the majority can’t be right, but when I see everyone running in one direction, I find myself wanting to go against the flow. Here, however, the majority was spot on target.

My second surprise was how all the “controversial stuff” the some people fussed about – the profanity, the casting, the contemporary references – all faded away really quickly and did not disrupt from the story. Sure, something would occasionally take me out of the narrative but they were only brief moments and I was immediately drawn back in and they ended up taking nothing away from the performance or the ultimate story.

But the final surprise was the most powerful one for me. Like any good work of history, Hamilton brought the real individuals to life and shared their stories as works-in-process just as the real people themselves experienced things as opposed to these larger-than-life figures from history whom we now know are destined for greatness.

I know I’m guilty of it. Of course George Washington would defeat the British or that the Allies would triumph over the Axis forces in World War II. But when those and countless other major historical events were unfolding, no one could know for sure what would happen. And that was what Hamilton reminded me of… of how fragile our country was and how heatedly the paths before our new nation were debated and ultimately decided. And therein lies the lesson for each of us.

Our stories, whether big and bold, to be remembered long after our time is done, or smaller and more personal so that few may know or ever recall them, are still part of a much larger and richer tapestry and we owe it to ourselves and our world to be active participants in. To often, we can feel impotent when faced with the barrage of seemingly constant bad news. However, it is important to remember that this has always been true and that real differences can be made when we rise up to face those challenges {see what I did there, all you who have seen the show?}.

So while shows like Hamilton are – surprise! – great entertainment, don’t lose sight of the lessons that they seek to remind us of… that we all have a story to tell and a difference to make in the world around us.

Know that I’m pulling for you!