The Big Lead

Allow Me to Be the First Person to Say That 'Hamilton' is Good

By Stephen Douglas

Lin-Manuel Miranda's Final Performance In "Hamilton" On Broadway
Lin-Manuel Miranda's Final Performance In "Hamilton" On Broadway / Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images
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I know this is an unpopular opinion, but the truth is that Hamilton is very good. I stand by that. The movie, starring the original cast, is a gift that wasn't supposed to be opened until October 2021, but because of the pandemic -- which was handled so very poorly in this country -- we're being rewarded on July 3rd. It is worth your time.

I was fortunate enough to see the musical live at Proctor's Theater in Schenectady, New York last August. It was a very big deal locally. By the time tickets went on sale (365 days ago), the online line to buy tickets went on forever. I was able to grab tickets and even find a babysitter to watch two small children. It seems so strange to eat dinner at a restaurant and go to a packed theater, but that's actually something that happened during my lifetime. I know, it seems further away than the events depicted in Hamilton.

Anyway, the show was incredible. If you were not able to see it anywhere else before the world fell apart, I am sincerely happy that you can see it starting in July. It will even have most of the original swears.

You may recall that vice president Mike Pence also saw Hamilton on stage. After the show, the cast addressed him directly and the message they delivered is actually kind of haunting. In November 2016 the cast of Hamilton told the then-vice-president-elect they were "alarmed and anxious" that new administration "will not protect us."

So do you think Pence relayed the message? The next morning Donald Trump went on Twitter to condemn the cast of Hamilton.

The message from Trump was loud and clear four years ago. He chose to deliver it to the cast of the Broadway musical more forcefully than he ever would for foreign dictators, mass murderers or white supremacists.

Hopefully Disney removes Hamilton at some point to add this historical context a la Gone With the Wind. Hopefully people get as upset as Trump did when the cast of a Broadway musical respectfully asked the future vice president of the United States of America to please protect American citizens. Hopefully someone listens this time.