RISE UP

I finally got to watch the Hamilton film on Disney+. If you have yet to watch it, please do. You don't even have to pay to see it in high quality now! Since the Black Lives Matter movement, Lin-Manuel Miranda has acknowledged that Hamilton the musical may be criticized for paying homage to Hamilton, a man who married into a family that exploited slavery, even if Hamilton himself did not directly do so. I love how Lin is so quick to be accountable for anything problematic he could be involved in, or that he directly created or engaged with. He says criticism is valid, instead of being defensive, and I think that makes for a better world. I have a tattoo of a lyric from the musical, that's how much I love it. Every time I watch the bootleg version on my laptop (now I will have a better version thanks to Disney+), I am reminded of my time in New York. The Disney+ version obviously has clear and crisp audio, so you can hear each lyric being rapped or sung, together with impeccable visuals, so you see the best angles of the choreography and don't miss any of the facial expressions of the cast members. It truly could be the best free way to watch Hamilton, and appreciate the lyrical genius of Lin-Manuel Miranda, barring if you won lottery tickets to see it on Broadway, which may be suspended for a long, long while thanks to the 'rona. I honestly cannot express how much I would like everyone to see it, every time someone sees it for the first time, the first thing they do is tell me they finally understand why I love it. The mood of the musical is perfectly the mood of New York City, the hustle and bustle, but also of New York City especially in the time of now. Underlying the Trump administration and all his debauchery, is a strong electric current that runs through the city, of dissatisfied people wanting to start a revolution. Hamilton was a key factor in the USA's revolt against the British to gain independence, and maybe at this moment in time, there is a Hamilton-esque figure in the world, rising up in revolution against the greedy capitalists of New York City, against late-stage capitalism. The musical is perfect to me, it's intelligent and snarky and funny and warm and brave and everything I always want to embody. I hope that when people watch it, they think of me. Not in a I-know-Sarah-loves-this-musical kind of way, but in a wow I could see Sarah writing or doing exactly what Hamilton did kind of way. Of course, Hamilton kind of sort of brought about his own downfall, and perhaps, thanks to the musical, I never will. What is history for, if not to learn from?