The 6 Coolest & Weepiest Takeaways From This Weekend's Big 'Hamilton' Farewell and Afterparty

By Vivian Kane | Hamilton | July 11, 2016 |

By Vivian Kane | Hamilton | July 11, 2016 |

As you most likely know by now, this past Saturday, July 9th, was a big day on Broadway. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Philippa Soo, Leslie Odom, Jr, and ensemble member Ariana DeBose all shared their last performance of Hamilton. Not having been in the room where it happened, I’ve spent the last day or so scrambling for crumbs from the lucky (and/or wealthy) audience members kind enough to share their accounts.

Kristy already told us about the tradition of taking tequila shots out of the show’s Grammy, so here are six other takeaways from the night’s performance and late-night afterparty.

The Sing-Alongs

Now, I’m most definitely not a supporter of audience members treating musicals like their own private karaoke booths. BUT… hearing that the audience at this immensely important performance joined in with King George’s “You’ll Be Back” makes me smile a teary smile.

The entire audience sang the Da Da Das with me in "You'll Be Back!" One of the best moments I've ever had on stage! #Hamilton #happytrails

— Rory O'Malley (@RoryOMalley) July 10, 2016

Plus, those who couldn’t get tickets had a sing-along of their own, which is making me all teary all over again.

The love for #HamiltonMusical runs deep. Here's a small sampling of what was happening right when I got out of the show.

A video posted by NineDaves (@ninedaves) on Jul 9, 2016 at 8:33pm PDT

The Losses

Teach 'em how to say goodbye… pic.twitter.com/dJ49jUYHlh

— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) July 10, 2016

The Celebrities

Obviously, this was going to be a star-studded event. John Kerry and Charlie Rose were there, and reportedly spent the whole afterparty with each other. By the looks of it, they also kept Aaron Paul from his seat.

Saw @Lin_Manuel do Alexander Hamilton for the final time. https://t.co/AYuF28BKh5 pic.twitter.com/OvKxm4owVH

— Rembert Browne (@rembert) July 11, 2016

Who else managed to get a ticket? JLo, for one. Hamilton superfan Rosie O’Donnell, too. And, just to name a bunch, Jane Fonda, Retta, Marla Maples, and Spike Lee were all there as well.

The Crazy Entertainment Connections

I didn’t want to save this one until the next time we do a Mindholeblowing Celebrity Couples roundup, but DID WE KNOW ELIZABETH SCHUYLER AND MARK FURHMAN ARE ENGAGED? (That’s Steven Pasquale— FX’s Furhrman, not the real one.)

The Surprise West Wing Curtain Call

LMM has previously (and I believe frequently) cited The West Wing as a major influence on his work, so this apparent surprise number during his final curtain call was a beautiful tribute.

A #regram from @morgankei of last night's curtain call. #raiseaglass

A video posted by Hamilton (@hamiltonmusical) on Jul 10, 2016 at 8:23am PDT

What Comes Next

With the three leads leaving, it’s easy to forget that the show isn’t ending. Lin-Manuel is taking over Hollywood. Philippa Soo is going to star as Amelie on Broadway, and Leslie Odom, Jr. just released a jazz album.

Plus, I have yet to hear a single person who has seen Miranda’s understudy, Javier Muñoz— who has taken over the titular role full-time— and wasn’t floored by his talent.

So thank you, Hamilton. And here’s to the reminder that for those of us who never got to see these performers do their thing, it’s not over. Their creation is still there, still evolving, this beautiful thing they made. It’s all still happening in that room, and we’ll get there someday.