Top 10 Hidden Details in Hamilton That Blow Us All Away

what did you miss so what did i miss what did i miss welcome to ms mojo and today we're counting down our picks for the top 10 hidden details in hamilton that blow us all away for this list we'll be looking at production details actor performance choices or otherwise interesting tidbits one would only be able to notice by actually having seen the show not just listening to the soundtrack number 10 number coincidences numbers play a big role in the show [Music] while there are some more noticeable easter eggs like phillip hamilton getting shot at the count of seven the same number he had trouble with in take a break there are some far less overthrows there are some interesting coincidences with the ages of certain characters and how many songs they lived through philip newly born in dear theodosia survives through 19 songs before dying in stay alive reprise philip was 19 when he died i'm only 19 but my mind is older gotta be my own man like my father likely a coincidence except the musical also follows a pattern for alexander hamilton himself hamilton also 19 at the beginning of the show died 28 years later at the age of 47. if you include lawrence's tomorrow there will be more of us which didn't appear on the cast recording there are 47 songs in hamilton number nine they think me macbeth my dearest angelica tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day i trust you'll understand the reference to another scottish tragedy without my having a name the play ambition really was hamilton's folly but perhaps a greater mistake was uttering the name of this figure there is a superstition in the theater community that to say the name macbeth is bad luck for a production and so actors and crew will often refer to it as the scottish play over the years some have made caveats that the curse only applies if the name of the play is said but that the character's fair game they think we make better ambition is my folly i'm a polymath a pain in the ass a massive pain madison is banquo jefferson's macduff and vernon wood is congress on its way to dunsinane interestingly as soon as alexander hamilton mentions the name of that tragic shakespearean figure his life starts to fall apart though very much of his own volition the very next song is say no to this and then things unravel as hamilton loses his career his healthy marriage his dignity his son and finally his own life you want proof lynn himself acknowledged it number eight set design i know that the concept of scaffolding was really important to you when creating this design that i've heard you say this was not the show is not about building the foundation of the country so much as building the scaffolding of the country though it might not get as much attention there's no question that the design of the set in hamilton is one of its greatest aspects one of the more interesting and less obvious elements is how the set subtly changes over the course of the show in the beginning you can see coils of rope hanging off stairs to indicate that hamilton has come in from the immigrant [Applause] boat the scaffolding in the background of the first act indicates the building of a new country we studied and we fought and we killed for the notion of a nation we now get to build in act 2 we see more and more bricks added to the set's design indicating the very real building process that continues and becomes more finished as the characters work god help and forgive me i want to build something that's gonna outlive me number seven the direction of the [Music] turntable speaking of the set how about that turntable it's definitely one of the most visually interesting parts of the show but it also has deep significance set designer david corn stated in a washington post interview that the choice was quote inspired by the whirlwind of history that sweeps up hamilton the hurricane that hit his birthplace and even the cyclical relationship between aaron burr and hamilton where they were basically spiraling around each other their entire careers and lives but even which direction it turns means something in the eye of a hurricane there is quiet for just a moment the show's choreographer andy blankenbueller explained at a 2016 siriusxm town hall that quote when we're resisting fate the action on the stage goes clockwise then counterclockwise for times of forward progress or at least inevitability songs like satisfied for instance see the stage reverse directions to show how time is being rewound [Music] it also reverses direction as hamilton's death looms there's no beat no melody burr my first friend my enemy maybe the last face i ever see number six the letters [Music] [Applause] props deserve a hat tip too a lot of time was spent on getting the letters right to great onstage effect and to add another layer of storytelling in hamilton hamilton is sent home to eliza during meet me inside only to find out she's pregnant in the following number [Music] but this is set up earlier during stay alive eliza can be seen above the action writing the letter to washington asking for hamilton to be sent home make it impossible to justify the cost of the fight out run out run out last fast hit him quick get out fast however the coolest fact about letters in hamilton is how much trial and error props master jay duckworth went through to pick the right paper for burn duckworth went through different paper weights and sizes to have the cursive transcripts of historical letters burned for exactly two minutes and nine seconds why so specific so the fire would go out just in time to leave the stage in darkness as eliza and her lantern exit at the end of vern [Music] number 5 the costumes the costume design in hamilton is nuts and it's not surprising that paul taswell earned a lucille lortel and tony award for his efforts in keeping with the balance hamilton strikes between modern and historical haswell made the conscious choice that costumes from the neck down would be period appropriate while everything from the neck up would be modern including hairstyles this helped give the show that fresh hip-hop feel while also making it clear when it was set the dresses the female characters wear also change silhouette to reflect the passage of time and the styles du jour though only king george iii's costume is down to the details accurate color also has a meaning hamilton wears green for a simple reason money smells like new money dresses like fake royalty desperate to rise above his station everything he does betrays the ideals of our nation hey and if you don't know now you know mr president jefferson's velvety burgundy and purple ensemble is meant to call jimi hendrix and prince to mind and david diggs certainly commands the stage in a similar fashion number four subtle acknowledgments of slavery but there's nothing that i can do to change those things and and there's nothing in my portrayal that would suggest that we forgive any of that though some critics have fairly suggested hamilton didn't do enough to address slavery there are some hints to it in the stage production a civics lesson from a slaver hey neighbor your debts are paid because you don't pay for labor we plant seeds in the south we create you keep ranting we know who's really doing the planting the biggest is thomas jefferson's introduction in what did i miss as jefferson strides down the stairs talking about freedom and revolution the ensemble can be seen on their knees scrubbing the floor jefferson also mentioned sally in the song a possible nod to jefferson's slave sally hemmings with whom he was known to have a sexual relationship there's a letter on my desk from the president haven't even put my bag down yet sally bill am darling won't you open it it says the president's assembling a cabinet another founding father george washington owned slaves which gets acknowledged lyrically when he's the one to cut off lawrence's call for freedom in yorktown black and white soldiers wonder like if this really means freedom not yet christopher jackson who played washington also has an understated moment in the background during the final number as eliza mentioned slavery washington registers her words and hangs his head in shame i speak out against slavery number three hal burr and hamilton walk this is one even lin-manuel miranda didn't know andy blankenbueller the choreographer ensured that hamilton was always moving in circles in arcs to represent his constant thinking his constant forward momentum and to show a frenetic and shifting viewpoint to match the times bur meanwhile always walks in straight lines which matches his cautious character making a move only when he was sure it was the right one with least consequence and to wait for it the staging had to be so precise so that both characters could showcase these sides of themselves while barely drawing attention to it what's additionally interesting is as burr's resolve unravels he stops the straightforward motion or did you know even then it doesn't matter where you put the us capital cause we'll have the banks we're in the same spot you got more than you gave and i wanted what i got the magic of theater folks hold your nose and close your eyes number two eliza's cry at the end this moment never fails to make us cry but what does it mean at the end of who lives who dies who tells your story eliza sees hamilton again and he guides her to look at the audience [Music] [Music] eliza gasps and lin-manuel miranda has said he wants to keep the significance of that moment for the actress who plays eliza to decide on however he has said that it's certainly a moment meant to transcend time um i think it's different for each eliza i've had different conversations it's heart stopping isn't it and i do think that it traverses time in some way what do you think eliza is looking at is it the audience is it hamilton is it seeing her legacy laid out before her these are all perfectly valid interpretations and each one is impactful and filled with nostalgia and sorrow [Laughter] before we unveil our top pick here are a few honorable mentions thank yous miranda gave special thanks to all the places he wrote hamilton [Music] jefferson hands alex lockamore a reynolds pamphlet have you read this mr music director the microphone cases kept in the same boxes as the dueling pistols a duel of words ladies and gentlemen you could have been anywhere in the world tonight but you're here with us in new york city are you ready for a cabinet meeting ephraim sykes's knees this guy is bendy lafayette and jefferson and mulligan and madison fought with and against him both lawrence and philip died for him lin's lyrical duality is genius we fought with him me i died for him i trusted him me i loved him and me i'm the damn fool that shot him before we continue be sure to subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos you have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one the bullet this one's sure to blow us all away quite literally in the original production the actress ariana debose an ensemble member plays the bullet a special role meant to signify death other than hamilton's mother she's the first character killed in the show and every appearance she has after is usually either foreshadowing a death or causing it she mimes holding a bullet in both stay alive and the world was wide enough she shakes hands with lawrence during yorktown who dies soon after when philip goes searching for george eager who should tell him where to go but dubose and so philip right before dying flirts with death as the show nears its inevitable conclusion with the burr hamilton duel the bullet hands burr his quill to write out the letter that will spell doom for the two men dear alexander i am slow to [Music] of anger life on mine next time you watch hamilton keep an eye out for her what if this bullet is my legacy legacy do you agree with our picks check out this other recent clip from msmojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos

Channel: MsMojo

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Rating: 4.9458265 out of 5

Keywords: hidden details in hamilton that blow us away, hidden details in hamilton, secret details in hamilton, little details in hamilton, hamilton hidden details, hamilton secrets, hamilton fun facts, hamilton trivia, hamilton behind the scenes, hamilton making of, hamilton details, hamilton bullet, hamilton costumes, hamilton, disney, disney+, theatre, musical, film, movies, watchmojo, watch mojo, top 10, list, mojo, msmojo

Id: 2q1PTOSbdhM

Length: 16min 50sec (1010 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 24 2020