This past weekend, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom, Jr., and Lin Manuel-Miranda took their final bows in their roles in the hit musical "Hamilton." Leslie Odom, Jr. portrayed former Vice President Aaron Burr. Phillipa Soo played Alexander Hamilton's wife, Eliza Schuyler Hamilton and Lin Maunel-Miranda took on the lead role of our country's first Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. These three have taken their roles to new heights and have touched the lives of people around the world.
As someone who has never seen the show, this news deeply saddened me. Even though I knew the chances of me seeing the show on Broadway were near impossible due to travel and ticket prices and availability, I still had some hope that maybe the original Broadway cast would stay around a little longer. Knowing that I would never get the honor to see this beautiful cast perform live has left me re-watching every Ham4Ham and the Tony performance more times than I would like to admit.
Instead of sitting here moping about the cast never being the same, I have to say thank you. Thank you for bringing this story to life and reminding our country of where we started. You three showed what a bastard, orphan immigrant can do for our country. You started a revolution in the hearts of your fans and in the Broadway community.
To Phillipa Soo, thank you for showing the true strength of a woman. You showed me and your fans how supportive a wife can be to her husband, while he is alive and when he is gone. Not only that, but you showed how it is hard to forgive, but it is possible. You showed that forgiveness is so hard to give when someone hurts you beyond belief. You showed how influential a woman can be and what true love looks like. Thank you for taking this role on and exceeding every expectation. If I could see you perform in any role during my lifetime, that would be enough.
To Leslie Odom, Jr., thank you for giving a whole new light to Aaron Burr. He is known as the man who killed Alexander Hamilton and thanks to you, we now know more than the killer. We see the father, the lawyer and the politician. Thank you for narrating this story and always having such high energy. When you won the Tony for Best Lead Male in a Musical, I was so proud of you and knew you completely deserved it. You left your heart out on that stage every single night and made the audience love the main antagonist of Alexander Hamilton's life. I hope I will never have to "Wait For It" to see you perform and see you leave it all on the stage.
To Lin Manuel-Miranda, there are simply not enough words for me to write to tell you how thankful I am for you. Thank you for seeing the life of Alexander Hamilton and saying "I need to make a musical out of it!" Thank you for writing the music for this show and showing me my new talent of rapping. Thank you for showing America how important immigrants are for our country. Thank you for tweeting to us "Hamilton" nerds and making us smile. Your tweets of encouragement always make my mornings. Thank you for making Alexander Hamilton a part of who you are and crying with us during "It's Quiet Uptown." Overall, thank you so much for being yourself in your role and bringing this amazing story come to life. You are "Non-Stop" inimitable and original, and if I ever got the chance to meet you in person, I would be "Helpless" against your charm and incredibly "Satisfied" with my life.
Even though I left a lot unsaid, all I have to say to the three of you is thank you for making this show the way it is. I can't wait to see the future of "Hamilton" perform, but you three will always be in my heart as the OG Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, and Eliza Schuyler Hamilton. I wish you the best for your future endeavors and always know that you guys are always welcomed in the "Room Where It Happens."
