I don't want to spend more time on the Pence controversy itself, but it seems like someone ought to take on the stupid claims that Hamilton is the passion of "a crowd of wealthy, out-of-touch Manhattan liberals (who can afford $849 tickets)." Apparently, these critics haven't taken a look at the large swath of America (check your kids' music streams - I may be talking to you) who have never seen Hamilton, will never see Hamilton, and who adore it.
For most Hamilton fans, it's all about the soundtrack. (And those impressive Billboard numbers don't account for the fact that our kids don't even buy albums anymore.) The soundtrack is a gateway to the story of the show, plus Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom and all the backstories, and In The Heights. And shoot - the soundtrack is GOOD and it delivers much of the artistic message quite well, thank you.
You can have whatever view you want of L'Affaire Pence. But let's call out this BS about Hamilton being an artifact of the richy-rich. You can essentially access the soundtrack for free; millions upon millions of people are enjoying it. I'm not saying that Hamilton is a People's Show - I'm imagine most of the audience is at least middle class - but the fact that so many people are writing and tweeting about the Pence controversy, and even know what Hamilton is, tells you Hamilton is hardly exhibit A for The Bubble.
Sure it isn't Dan...
Posted by: anymouse | November 21, 2016 at 02:35 PM
My ten year old grandson seems to know the songs by heart. No great surprise, my son who is his father is an American Histiry buff and his mother has hundreds of recordings of musicals. The traveling casts of Hamiltion will soon be making their way across America.
As an aside, I found it humorous the Trump said the theatre should be a safe space. Next he will discover trigger words.
Posted by: Bill Turnier | November 21, 2016 at 02:41 PM
"I'm imagine most of the audience is at least middle class."
Wow. That's an astute observation.
Talk about knocking down a straw man!
The point that some made was that the audience boos were not to be unexpected in a theatre: a.) in Manhattan, b.) attended by those who could afford that show. Others made the point that the operators of the show are not in it for the sake of "the people" but rather political opportunism; the show is a cash cow, as one commenter pointed out. As such, it has nothing to do with Hamilton, the real person, who, although he made some oft repeated comments on slavery, traded in slaves, and did not support unlimited immigration, as comments have noted.
The fact that millions may enjoy "Hamilton" is so irrelevant that one wonders how far some will go to avoid conceding the cogent points raised in response to the last post on this subject. Yes, attending "Hamilton" is a signal of disposable income which someone writing otherwise clearly does not understand, and the play itself was never really the issue.
Posted by: anon | November 21, 2016 at 03:28 PM
Dan
You have written about who "gets to enjoy" the musical Hamilton, and you have set yourself up as the judge of this.
Given your stance that millions have enjoyed the musical, one supposes that you have a lot of lecturing, hectoring, publicly insulting, judging and excluding to do.
Perhaps every iteration should contain a consent form: "Before enjoying this performance, you hereby agree to be judged and publicly shamed and condemned if Dan Filler, or any of the Party, finds you to be one of the irredeemable deplorables who constitute at least 50% of the people of the United States."
Posted by: anon | November 21, 2016 at 06:28 PM
Sorry, Dan stated "you don't get to like" not "enjoy" Hamilton, if you don't meet his standards. Millions!
One wonders how he deals with students who are part of the "don't get to like" something because of their existence as persons outside the Party?
Posted by: anon | November 21, 2016 at 06:31 PM
"As an aside, I found it humorous the Trump said the theatre should be a safe space. Next he will discover trigger words."
Bill, he's using the left's words against them. Why not?
Posted by: anymouse | November 21, 2016 at 06:59 PM
It is a play for the elite just like cell phones when they came out or a brand new Cadillac. Wait a few years and it will be put on by my community theater when my neighbors perform in it and great folding chair seats are only $8 bucks. No AC, however. The price of 1 seat is 4 grocery trips to Meijer.... Its all about price and value. Rather take my kid to the Dells for the weekend than buy 1 seat. Don't make it a political thing.
Posted by: Captain Hruska Carswell, Continuance King | November 21, 2016 at 08:07 PM
Trump is correct, a play is a "Safe Space" from extra curricular editorializing. If you were dining at Red Lobster and I walked up to your table and asked if I could try a shrimp, would that be Ok with you?
Posted by: Captain Hruska Carswell, Continuance King | November 21, 2016 at 08:18 PM
Now, Captain. Has every server in every restaurant where Dan dines a perfect right to call for the attention of the entire restaurant, and begin berating Dan for his intemperate, over the top, hysterical and divisive comments about "burning down the lives of millions"?
Of course, not! If this happened, Dan would need to respond in kind. And one can imagine that scene. Unlike Pence, who said he wasn't offended, one imagines Dan's rage!
One also imagines Dan beginning the Spring semester by asking students to raise their hands to indicate if they voted for Mike Pence, and then telling those students, in no uncertain terms, that, if so, they have no right to like his course. "You don't get to like this, you miserable deplorables!")
That, of course, is true: because all that is moral and decent in the world can and should have no tolerance for the irredeemable deplorables who constitute about 50% of the electorate in the United States. Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice!
Alas, absent re-education camps (which can't come soon enough), all we of the Party can do is attempt to embarrass and humiliate the toothless, ignorant hillbillies who didn't vote for the Party - wherever we can find them. They shouldn't be allowed to "like" anything!
These deplorables need to be shamed at every opportunity, especially when out with their families at expensive plays which are based on crass and phony pandering to the ignorant (of the true "Hamilton values"), so they can pretend to be ever so knowing of this piece of "hot Americana."
Posted by: anon | November 21, 2016 at 08:59 PM
Anon,
Never tell people they are bad, just show them a better way.
Posted by: Captain Hruska Carswell, Continuance King | November 21, 2016 at 11:56 PM
A couple of clicks away from the post and you learn that most of the seats sell for far less (still pricey at around 175 bucks) but there are plenty of working class Americans who will spend that for live entertainment. Top tier tix for Garth Brooks - in Ohio mind you not Manhattan - for for 1500 a piece (includes a guitar).
Posted by: Anon | November 22, 2016 at 01:40 AM
"embarrass and humiliate the toothless, ignorant hillbillies who didn't vote for the Party "
That's pretty unfair.
I mean, I'm pretty sure some of them have a tooth.
Posted by: concerned_citizen | November 22, 2016 at 08:11 AM
This is just like people who characterize international travel as just being the domain of the wealthy and privileged, when in truth anyone can view public domain photos of the Louvre's art work on Wikipedia and get an affordable bottle of French wine at their local grocery store. I imagine most of the people who enjoy France are in fact middle class.
Posted by: Derek Tokaz | November 22, 2016 at 09:47 AM
"I imagine most of the people who enjoy France are in fact middle class."
Cretins...
Posted by: anymouse | November 22, 2016 at 11:10 AM
Concerned_citizen,
The Von Trapp's lived in the hills too and weren't Hillbillies.
Posted by: Captain Hruska Carswell, Continuance King | November 22, 2016 at 01:58 PM