If you’ve been in touch with me over the past month or two you’ve heard me rave about Hamilton. I haven’t seen it yet, but I fell in love with the Original Broadway Cast Recording. If you don’t have it, I highly recommend it – almost all of the show is on the recording, so you can follow along through the whole story.
In my quest for more though – I found the clip below. It’s from a scene where George Washington has decided to not run for a third term as president – setting that precedent that finally became law with the ratification of the 22nd amendment in 1951. Washington calls Hamilton in to help him draft his remarks to the nation – and it’s a beautiful testimony to the sacrifice inherent in leadership. The “duet” of the last two paragraphs of Washington’s actual address is really something.
But this clip in particular touched something in me over the past few days. This was filmed in 2018, about two years after Christopher Jackson (Washington) and Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton) left their roles on Broadway. So for them, this isn’t just a performance, it’s a reunion.
I’ve been processing all that we are all going through – and one thing I keep coming back to is what will the new normal look like? Where will we be in six months? In a year? This clip shows how these two actors who lived and breathed their parts for years – then left them – could find their way back to “home”. The smile on Miranda’s face shows the joy at the reuniting – a joy I look forward to us all feeling soon!!! Please stay as safe and sane as you can!!!