751 posts
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Post by horton on Apr 11, 2016 13:15:50 GMT
I suspect that I am not the only one for whom this show does absolutely nothing. Even before the hype, I didn't enjoy it.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2016 13:21:48 GMT
I suspect that I am not the only one for whom this show does absolutely nothing. Even before the hype, I didn't enjoy it. There's no need to suspect, it's obvious from this thread alone that you are not the only one! And that's fine, nothing works for everyone. Hamilton just works for the vast, vast majority. But before the hype you didn't enjoy it? This show has had hype from its first day off-broadway. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2016 13:30:24 GMT
Oh good, we've got to the "casting gross generalisations about an entire generation (or two?) while simultaneously dismissing a broad range of artists because... actually, I can't even see a proper explanation why, so I'm just going to assume it's snobbery" part of the conversation. Honestly, the amount of show tunes and easy listening I have on my phone would be embarrassing if I were easily embarrassed, but I don't feel that gives me the right to judge genres I don't enjoy (especially if they are more contemporary than my usual listening) as being unworthy or performed by talentless charlatans. No one has to like something if they don't like it, the world would be a tremendously boring place if we all liked the same things, but there's absolutely no need to be rude about not liking something.
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Post by primitivewallflower on Apr 11, 2016 13:32:53 GMT
I suspect that I am not the only one for whom this show does absolutely nothing. Even before the hype, I didn't enjoy it. I suspect you haven't read this forum. Plenty of folks have voiced disapproval. Also, why would "hype" make a difference in your personal opinion of the show? |
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Post by 49thand8th on Apr 11, 2016 14:21:04 GMT
If there's one thing I hate when it comes to theatre discussion, it's white-knight fans, but another is when someone pretends they didn't realize they weren't alone in their unpopular opinion of not liking a show. Here's my thing: I've seen Hamilton twice, from lottery (on Broadway) both times. I enjoy the show. I don't love it -- I don't even own the cast recording, though I did stream it when it was available on NPR. As I said earlier, I find it over-choreographed. I also think it's slightly twee and self-important at times, but wholly engaging, incredibly clever, and pretty damn smart. Outside of what's going on inside the theatre, what I do love is that a musical is being talked about way outside theatre circles, but also deeply within them. I love that Lin is so engaging a personality. I especially love that young people are being excited by theatre. And some of these kids were theatre geeks already, but now they've found something to collectively burst with excitement over. While sometimes I wish I did like Hamilton more, if only to be caught up in that tornado, it's fun to watch the phenomenon from a distance. And fascinating. Though I don't know how much of this comes from living and working in NYC (I'm currently in my office about 10 blocks from the Richard Rodgers), I've found some of the hype suffocating and kind of grotesque at times (especially in terms of its use as clickbait on theatre news sites). The scalping is unreal. The Ham4Ham shows were unwieldy. I did think BroadwayCon lost its focus when it at times started to morph into HamilCon. And of course everything popular has its detractors, and of course sometimes when you pay a lot of money and then end up disliking/hating the end product, you just want to scream about how bad the experience was and yell at the gigantic wall of fandom that's in front of you. But also, do you want to be known for that? I get it. You didn't like Hamilton. You thought it was too much of something or too little of something else, or both at once, and you think everyone's being a sheep. But there comes a point when you're just being a wet blanket. Say your thing and then let other people have their fun. |
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751 posts
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Post by horton on Apr 11, 2016 14:38:02 GMT
I mentioned the hype because some twits will leap to the conclusion that I dislike the show because of the huge amount of attention and praise it has garnered. I wanted to clarify that I did not like the material, music, staging from the outset, regardless of its reception elsewhere.
Incidentally, I really like old school rap and hip hop but I find Lin's style in Hamilton and In the Heights too bland and trite.
The thing I really hate is when people try to belittle other people's dislike of a show. For some, it seems impossible to accept that others just don't like a show. I like shows ranging from 'Hair' to 'Amour', 'Rent' to 'Pacific Overtures', 'Evita' to 'La Cage'. 'Hamilton' I find irritating- to full of tell instead of show.
We have threads going on ad infinitum about how excited people are to see one show or another. We should be equally able to express our dislike.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2016 14:39:54 GMT
Great response 49thand8th. I agree.
On a personal level I was 'meh' about Hamilton originally-I liked ITH well enough but didn't adore it. But I streamed the recording and loved it, then I got lucky on the Lotto and loved it.
There's plenty of shows out there I don't like/don't get the hype for and while I'm entitled to say so I'm not entitled to put down anyone who does.
What I do LOVE (and as someone who has an 'academic' interest in such things) is the way people are responding outside of traditional circles. There's fan art and fan fiction and people talking on tumblr and twitter and there are young kids who weren't theatre kids becoming theatre kids. That's exciting. It's also despite the saturation being sometimes overbearing, brought both the discussion of the history, the diversity issues and theatre/musicals into mainstream media in a big way. And that's interesting and exciting.
So by all means it may not be your thing, and I'm totally with that. The media hype is over the top at times. But that doesn't make those who do enjoy Hamilton foolish or stupid.
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Post by 49thand8th on Apr 11, 2016 14:47:18 GMT
Thanks!
To add to my other post: personally, I certainly can stay away from the Richard Rodgers unless I have to be in the area before or after a show, and I find teenage fans a little overwhelming at times (IRL and online) -- but as long as they're not literally in my face, who am I to say they're being ridiculous? I probably would've done the same thing at their age about Les Miz if social media existed in the mid-90s the way it does now.
These are the kids who are going to take up the helm of the next generation of theatre fans and creators, and I have to stop myself from suffocating them. In this case, I guess hype is fine. I'd certainly rather see Hamilton headlines than another Trump one, at least.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2016 14:55:23 GMT
The thing I really hate is when people try to belittle other people's dislike of a show. For some, it seems impossible to accept that others just don't like a show. I like shows ranging from 'Hair' to 'Amour', 'Rent' to 'Pacific Overtures', 'Evita' to 'La Cage'. 'Hamilton' I find irritating- to full of tell instead of show. We have threads going on ad infinitum about how excited people are to see one show or another. We should be equally able to express our dislike. I agree, everyone should be able to like and dislike whatever they want. It's when people (not you) go on incessantly about how much they dislike a show in a thread that is full of people that are excited about the show coming to London. I personally dislike Billy Elliot, I would never go in that thread and say so, I'd rather express that opinion in a thread about what shows I think are overrated etc. If you want to come in this thread and state that you don't like Hamilton, that's fine but you've also got to expect that a lot of people reading this thread love it. People like Dave coming in here and arguing every point about why people like it, even going to the lengths of stating that people must be brainwashed is way too far in my opinion. |
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Post by 49thand8th on Apr 11, 2016 15:00:07 GMT
Yeah, that was me and Something Rotten. I went in and said my piece about how I didn't like it, but what else is there to say after that, really? I think it's good when a thread is not 100% one opinion or another, but to come back repeatedly and say "I didn't like it" just doesn't help anyone.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2016 15:02:53 GMT
Yep, if it's a new show (or a show you've only just seen for the first time) then it's completely reasonable to go and express your negative opinion in a thread. Once. Me going and talking about my opinion on Billy Elliot now that it's closed in their thread would just be bad natured I think haha.
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Post by infofreako on Apr 11, 2016 15:16:55 GMT
Thing is I read daves original post as if he'd seen it and formed that opinion subsequent posts have suggested the opinion is based on the video clips. I may of course be wrong
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131 posts
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Post by primitivewallflower on Apr 11, 2016 16:13:23 GMT
I mentioned the hype because some twits will leap to the conclusion that I dislike the show because of the huge amount of attention and praise it has garnered. I wanted to clarify that I did not like the material, music, staging from the outset, regardless of its reception elsewhere. Incidentally, I really like old school rap and hip hop but I find Lin's style in Hamilton and In the Heights too bland and trite. The thing I really hate is when people try to belittle other people's dislike of a show. For some, it seems impossible to accept that others just don't like a show. I like shows ranging from 'Hair' to 'Amour', 'Rent' to 'Pacific Overtures', 'Evita' to 'La Cage'. 'Hamilton' I find irritating- to full of tell instead of show. We have threads going on ad infinitum about how excited people are to see one show or another. We should be equally able to express our dislike. With some exceptions, this board has been pretty good about being open to criticism of the show -- better than some other theatre boards at the very least -- and I think most of the readers who like 'Hamilton' have been accepting of this. Certainly, I've read plenty of negative-to-luke-warm reactions here and on balance it's been interesting reading since I myself love the show from a musical theatre perspective (I'm a little more reserved over the history depicted in the show but that's probably out of the purview of a forum like this). In fact the dissents are often more interesting than the praises. That said, detractors of any show should never fall into a martyr complex. We've all disliked popular shows at some point in our lives (unless there are teenagers reading this, in which case, take it from me: IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU TOO). "Popularity" and "hype" don't make a show great, but they also make lousy reasons for disliking a show, particularly if it's sight unseen. Best to ignore all of that and decide for yourself. |
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Post by ali973 on Apr 11, 2016 16:35:59 GMT
Dave25 isn't the only person in this board who does not like Hamilton. Michael recently saw it, and had some very honest feedback about not enjoying himself and why, and he moved on. Dave25's opinions aren't unpopular because of his views, but because of the way he expresses them.
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Post by galinda on Apr 11, 2016 16:41:00 GMT
People are paying $300 for that? Think this is one bandwagon I won't be jumping on!!! They're paying $300 if they're very lucky! More like $700-$1000. But if you want to dismiss a musical that people are that passionate about by short clips then go ahead. Hamilton isn't 'too' anything. It might be too musical parody for one persons tastes but you just have to look at the enormous critical and commercial success of this show plus the way it has reached the American mainstream in a way that a musical hasn't done in at least twenty years to see that the composer, director, cast and producers don't need to change a damn thing. Most people think this show is pretty perfect the way it is. I'm not dismissing it just saying it doesn't look my 'thing' from those clips but I will still go and see it if it comes here and I can get a ticket. I'll watch anything once. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2016 16:51:01 GMT
They're paying $300 if they're very lucky! More like $700-$1000. But if you want to dismiss a musical that people are that passionate about by short clips then go ahead. Hamilton isn't 'too' anything. It might be too musical parody for one persons tastes but you just have to look at the enormous critical and commercial success of this show plus the way it has reached the American mainstream in a way that a musical hasn't done in at least twenty years to see that the composer, director, cast and producers don't need to change a damn thing. Most people think this show is pretty perfect the way it is. I'm not dismissing it just saying it doesn't look my 'thing' from those clips but I will still go and see it if it comes here and I can get a ticket. I'll watch anything once. Glad to hear it. Hopefully the prices wont be as ridiculous here. |
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Post by Michael on Apr 11, 2016 16:59:18 GMT
Glad to hear it. Hopefully the prices wont be as ridiculous here. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that the London production of Hamilton will be similarly priced as Book of Mormon. More premium seats than usual, and more more expensive premium seats (in the range of £125-£150), but also plenty of normal top price (£70) and even cheaper seats in the gods (£40-£50). I do hope though that they won't start the resale thing here. |
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Post by galinda on Apr 11, 2016 17:05:24 GMT
Glad to hear it. Hopefully the prices wont be as ridiculous here. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that the London production of Hamilton will be similarly priced as Book of Mormon. More premium seats than usual, and more more expensive premium seats (in the range of £125-£150), but also plenty of normal top price (£70) and even cheaper seats in the gods (£40-£50). I do hope though that they won't start the resale thing here. I wish I had a cheaper hobby *sigh* |
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Post by 49thand8th on Apr 11, 2016 17:05:50 GMT
It's still cheaper than drugs!
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131 posts
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Post by primitivewallflower on Apr 11, 2016 17:08:20 GMT
It's still cheaper than drugs! Well, so long as you don't like the show and don't keep going back! |
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Post by Scots UK Theatre on Apr 11, 2016 17:24:13 GMT
Did anyone else order Hamilton: The Revolution from Amazon. It appears they dont have enough initial stock to fulfil all orders for release day.
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Post by 49thand8th on Apr 11, 2016 17:30:18 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Apr 11, 2016 17:31:08 GMT
Did anyone else order Hamilton: The Revolution from Amazon. It appears they dont have enough initial stock to fulfil all orders for release day. Yes, if you look a couple of pages back we were discussing it. Goes to show the enthusiasm in the UK is there already at least. |
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Post by Scots UK Theatre on Apr 11, 2016 18:15:43 GMT
Think they are taking the piss a wee bit. They are still taking orders on Amazon.com & other international versions, yet the UK site can't fulfil all orders and is no longer taking new ones. Surely it wouldn't be too hard to share stock around their sites.
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Post by infofreako on Apr 11, 2016 18:35:31 GMT
Glad to hear it. Hopefully the prices wont be as ridiculous here. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that the London production of Hamilton will be similarly priced as Book of Mormon. More premium seats than usual, and more more expensive premium seats (in the range of £125-£150), but also plenty of normal top price (£70) and even cheaper seats in the gods (£40-£50). I do hope though that they won't start the resale thing here. The resale things already here. Just not to the same extent |
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