'Hamilton' in Manila: 5 reasons why you need to shoot your shot

Three hours is too long to sit in "the room where it happens," but for the critically acclaimed musical "Hamilton," three hours of your precious time wouldn't go to waste, not even a second.

"Hamilton" kicked off its Asian premiere on Thursday with an opening night at The Theatre in Solaire that gave Filipino fans an experience of a lifetime.

For those not in the know, "Hamilton," written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States of America and its first Treasury Secretary. It also explicitly tells the story of the American Revolutionary War against the British.

History may not be the most entertaining subject to portray in theater, but "Hamilton" tells the story in such a way that even the generations to come would easily understand: through relatable and LSS-inducing songs in the form of rap, hip hop, jazz, and R&B, that will leave you more than "Satisfied."

"Hamilton" runs in The Theatre in Solaire until November 26, so if you need more convincing to catch the award-winning musical live, here are five reasons why it's totally worth it.

1. Rachelle Ann Go and her emotional "Stay Alive" performance

Rachelle Ann Go has portrayed Elizabeth Schuyler in the West End edition of "Hamilton" since 2016, but it just hits differently in the Philippine setting.

Now a mom of two, Rachelle's portrayal of Elizabeth was made even more meaningful and impactful, especially during the part where she finds out about the death of Philip, Elizabeth and Alexander's son.

In the press conference of "Hamilton" last week, the Filipina theater actress said her favorite part in the musical is Philip's death since she now knows what a mom's love feels like.

"Now, I don't need to dig deeper before [approaching] the scene," she said. "I can be in that moment and feel all the feels, all the emotions because I know now how to be a mom. I know what a mom feels like."

2. Jason Arrow's introduction as Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton is such a huge role to fill after Lin remarkably portrayed him on Broadway, but what Jason Arrow did was create an entirely different take on the titular role that was uniquely him.

During the opening number of "Hamilton," where Jason introduced himself as Alexander, he delivered a mind-boggling performance that would keep you glued to your seat for the next three hours. Safe to say, he definitely didn't throw away his shot to breathe into life one of the most iconic roles in theater.

Jason first portrayed the titular role when the musical premiered in Sydney in March 2021 and has kept the part to himself in Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland, and, now, Manila.

3. A diverse cast to tell "The Story of Tonight"

One of the many beautiful things that make "Hamilton" stand out is that it never fails to bring a diverse set of cast and people of color to portray key roles who were historically white.

In its Manila run, Darnell Abraham played a black George Washington, and DeAundre' Woods as a black Aaron Burr. Meanwhile, David Park breathed into life an Asian Thomas Jefferson, Shaka Bagadu Cook as James Madison, and our very own Rachelle as Asian Elizabeth.

4. "My Shot," "Helpless," and "The Schuyler Sisters" delivered to perfection

"Look around, look around, how lucky we are to be alive right now?"

The guests at the opening night of "Hamilton" were the luckiest people alive to witness such riveting performances of the musical's iconic songs.

Aside from "Alexander Hamilton" at the beginning of the play, "My Shot," "Helpless," and "The Schuyler Sisters" received astounding applause from the audience for their unmatched delivery of the songs. It's much more worth hearing it live than settling to watch it on Disney+.

5. It's a crash course on history, but better

By the time you reach the finale number, which is "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story," it signals a moment of reflection on the past three hours of what seemed to be a fun crash course in American history and beyond.

Aside from its hard-sell discussions on politics, "Hamilton" also gives a message of hope, perseverance, forgiveness, and, most importantly, taking up space.

"Hamilton" inspires its audience to believe in themselves and their ability to positively impact the world, regardless of their background or circumstances.

"Hamilton" has earned 11 Tony Awards, seven Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.

The international tour of "Hamilton" is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater, and Michael Cassel.

The Manila season, which happens to be the Asian premiere of "Hamilton," is presented by Michael Cassel Group and GMG Productions.

—MGP, GMA Integrated News