#13 - See Hamilton

Laura Masters came to visit me in Boston and we took a little road trip to Maine. During that trip, she mentioned that if I were to move back to Chicago by March, she probably had an extra ticket to Hamilton with their group. On November 21 (my actual birthday), I received a phone call offering me a position at DePaul University in Chicago. On November 22, I accepted. After informing my parents and references, I texted Masters something like: "I got the job! I'm coming back to Chicago! Do you still have that Hamilton ticket available?" I'm hoping it sounded much less selfish, but damn, I really wanted to go to Hamilton.

Last night, Laura, Beth, Carrie, Kathleen, Alan, and I met outside the PrivateBank Theater in Chicago for the show. We were all excited, but it's impossible not to wonder if the hype is too much, if Hamilton is really as good as everyone says it is.

It is.

It's funny. I know the entire show is based on actual history, but I still feel compelled not to comment on the specific parts I loved because they feel like spoilers. So instead, I'll start with the encore, as it was unique, and then I'll move to some generalities and how they made me feel.

At the end of the show, I was moved and energized. It was such a beautiful performance and a thought-provoking story. When the performers came out for their curtain call, they then asked to speak to us. We learned they were raising money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. Providing buckets for people to donate to a specific cause on their way out of a show isn't uncommon. What they did to inspire us to give was.

I was fortunate to see the production with Wayne Brady as Aaron Burr. Having been out of the Chicago and Broadway scenes for years due to my doctoral work, I hadn't thought to look up the cast. I assumed I didn't know anyone. When Brady stepped on the stage, I was stoked... Then I looked at my Playbill to confirm it was him because I didn't believe my eyes -- we were in balcony seats -- and confirmed it.

After curtain call, the lead, Miguel Cervantes, explained the cause to us. Then, Brady told us that, as he was well-known in the improv world, they were going to compose a song for us. They wanted 10 words from the audience, really complex words, and he'd freestyle a song with all 10 words. People paid $100 a word and shouted out things like, "lugubrious," "potato," and "persnickety." Then he asked us to give him a topic for the song: "Freedom!" "Freedom to what?" "Freedom for everyone to be exactly who they want to be!" yelled a woman in the balcony. Brady lauded the suggestion and asked for something simple. "Freedom to walk your dog!" Then he quipped that at the rate we're going, maybe that would be illegal someday soon. He stuck with the general freedom topic.

Then he rapped: cohesive rap with sensical lyrics, jokes, jabs at Trump... with no pause between phrases. It was amazing. It was such a cool way to end such a fantastic experience.

Motherfucking Wayne Brady entertaining the crowd AFTER the show.

Feel free to consider the remainder of this post a *spoiler alert* and forgo reading this blog post until you see the show (or ever, because are you really going to remember to come back?).

Taken before the show started

The set was beautiful yet simple. The costumes were similar. They set the time and mood yet never distracted from the performances nor the story.

The performances were incredible. I was amazed by the performers' abilities to switch from rap to melodies and to impress with both. Their voices were powerful and beautiful. Their lyrical abilities were melodic, energetic, and articulate. The rapping was so quick at points, yet, even with only a basic knowledge of the songs, I was able to understand the majority of the words in a large theater over music. They killed. I was particularly fond of Chris D'Sean Lee as Lafayette / Jefferson. His performance was energizing.

While I have been an admirer of Lin Manuel-Miranda for awhile now and appreciate his incredible abilities to work with words and to use his brilliance to advocate for political and social change, I was so incredibly impressed with the writing. The lyrics were witty, emotional, and, often, hilarious. I am eager to more closely read through and listen to the lyrics as I'm confident I missed a lot of poetic beauty woven throughout the entire piece (e.g. "I'm not throwing away my shot.").

In addition to the poetry, I keep thinking about the story. I really won't spoil it, but the lasting message was very different than the one I believed I knew prior to seeing Hamilton and even most of the way through it. While the historical account of one of our founding fathers was intriguing, what still resonates with me were the messages of the importance of storytelling and the exploration of the past and the people who lived it as inspiration for us in the present.

While everyone else I saw this with disliked the very final moment of the show. I loved it. I thought it was pure poetry. I'd love to discuss this with anyone else who's seen this show.

While Manuel-Miranda wrote Hamilton before the most recent election, seeing characters struggle with the ambiguity of a difficult political time was so salient.

I feel inspired to talk more, smile less.

Fail 2014: #37 - Run 200 Miles

I ran somewhere between 10-15 miles with the support of Van 2.  Van2islife.

I've been cleaning up my blog and realized that although in 2014 I came no where near close to running 200 miles, I did run quite a bit.  Many of those miles were with Van 2, and they deserve some credit for that.

I also ran 13.1 miles with a super fun group of Michiganders in DC, and they should get that credit too.


Plus, VV won us entries into the Cowboy Run, and she stuck with me at my slow pace the entire 3.1.  Also, that race was weird.

I should also probably give my parents credit for all of the miles I put in on their treadmill.  I should probably own a treadmill.  When it's there, I use it.

#30 - Run a New Half Marathon

I cannot believe I am done with my list for 2014 already!  I had 12 done by April 27!

Nike Women's events usually have a wall with
everyone's names near Niketown.

While I'd love to just up my goal for the year, instead I'm going to focus on one of my big goals: nailing down a research question for my dissertation so I can take dissertation seminar in the spring.

So, if there was something on this list you really wanted to do this year, I'm probably still down... as long as it's free or you're paying.  I can't wait to be off this student budget!

Anyways, #12 was a fantastic time.

The start

A couple months ago, someone from this crew, I don't remember who, started an e-mail about entering the lottery for the Nike Women's Half Marathon in DC.  I was hesitant but then I remembered how much I like this gang of girls... and that instead of a medal, these races dole out unique Tiffany necklaces.

It took us 2 tries to get into the Nike Women's Half in San Francisco but 5 of us ran it in 2010 and it just this year got knocked down to 2nd on my list of favorite 9 and 2/3 races that were 10+ miles I've done (behind Ragnar, obviously).  (Sure, I'll tell you the story about the 2/3 sometime, but it's not a happy story.)

It just took us one try to get into DC.

I headed to DC from Nashville, still a little sore from climbing.  I met my old UM roomies Laura Masters and Andrea Meewes Sanchez out for what was supposed to be a chill night but ended up being fairly epic.  We even wound up playing Cards Against Humanities with some dudes we thought were random but just happened to be 5 other Michigan grads reuniting for the weekend.

After very little sleep, we met a high school friend of mine, Melissa, for a lovely brunch, and then picked up our packets.

The packet pick up was swift and easy and had some really cool features that probably aren't that exciting to read about but were REALLY COOL in person.

We had a nice dinner and made it to bed at a reasonable time.

The fast ladies got going way earlier than Andrea & me.  I have to admit I got a little nervous at one point but seriously, when you're slow, you're never late to these things.

That blue box :)

The course was flat and scenic.  I loved the start right past the Capitol as the sun was rising.  The bridge to Arlington and looping back to see the Lincoln Memorial was pretty special too.  I was really impressed at the number of people out cheering us on with silly signs, and I loved the drummers in what would have otherwise been a dismal tunnel.  Plus, the necklaces are pretty lovely.

We all finished, some of us (Andrea!) in record time (not me)!  Then we showered, considered napping, popped some bubbly instead, and headed to brunch...

On our way to "schmammered"

Epilogue: Brunch included bottomless mimosas and STRONG margaritas.  We followed brunch with bar hopping, including a whiskey flight for Andrea & me.  Somehow Masters, Andrea, & I stayed out until midnight or something.  Man, I love those girls.  But seriously, Andrea, let's not make unreasonably late nights our thing, even if we only see each other ever few years :)

"I thought he deserved a serious face."

Monday Masters & I got to do some sight seeing and then met Katie, Beth, and Sarah for brunch and some giggles about our Sunday Funday.