The Mixed Feelings I Experienced Watching The 'Hamilton' Bootleg on YouTube

By Genevieve Burgess | Hamilton | April 6, 2016 |

By Genevieve Burgess | Hamilton | April 6, 2016 |

Over the weekend news broke in certain circles that a cell phone video of the entire production of the musical Hamilton was on YouTube. I am a fundamentally weak person. I did watch Hamilton. These are my thoughts.

1. It’s still there. I’ve known about this since Friday and now it’s Sunday night and it’s still there. I was kind of hoping it would be pulled before I had time to watch it so the problem would be solved for me.

2. Well, if I’m being a dirtbag and watching this, I’m definitely Chromecasting it to the TV. No sense in half-assing it at this point.

3. Everything about this is reminding me that this is 100% not the way this show should be seen.

4. BUT OH MY GOD, LAURENS AND LAFAYETTE ARE SO GREAT! LOOK AT THEM!

5. Christopher Jackson comes across as impossibly regal, even on a cell phone video filmed from the balcony where the image stabilization makes the background all swimmy. He is amazing.

6. I am a horrible person.

7. This is the only way I could see the show with Jonathan Groff as King George III, that’s not an excuse or justification, it’s just a fact.

8. Literally every job I’ve had since leaving graduate school has depended upon people paying for entertainment or accessing their entertainment through services that generate revenue through ads, what am I doing?!?

9. But it’s not like anyone working on this show is going to be struggling, half the reason for this is that it’s impossible to buy tickets at face value for the next two years.

10. I’m donating to charity after this is done.

11. WHY ARE PEOPLE STILL STANDING UP AND MOVING AROUND WELL INTO THE FIRST NUMBER OF THE SECOND ACT?!? GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER, AUDIENCE.

12. Ugh, I am the worst, Burr.

13. THOMAS JEFFERSON IS THE BEST!

14. The staging of “Cabinet Battle #1” is fantastic. This is all fantastic. God, I need to see this.

15. WAIT, PHILIPPA SOO BEATBOXES ON “TAKE A BREAK”?!? I NEVER KNEW THAT, IT’S ADORABLE!!

16. I kind of want to hate Maria Reynolds, but Jasmine Cephas Jones is so good I just can’t.

17. All of this is so good and I am so awful. Always. Forever.

18. “One Last Time” is perfect. This is perfect.

19. King George’s giggle at the prospect of President Adams and his dancing through “The Reynolds Pamphlet” are everything I’ve ever wanted.

20. Oh man, I don’t even listen to the album past “Burn” because everything after is just a huge sadness spiral.

21. Philippa Soo is going to destroy me, isn’t she? Yes she is, here we go.

22. These feelings are borne of dishonesty and I should feel this terrible weight on my soul.

23. Brief respite here with Thomas Jefferson NOPE’ing the hell out of Burr. That was pretty excellent.

24. Oh god.

25. Oh no.

26. YOU DID ENOUGH, ELIZA, YOU DID MORE THAN ENOUGH! I AM ENCASING MYSELF IN A TOMB OF SNOTTY TISSUES AND I’LL REMEMBER HIS STORY, I PROMISE.

27. THAT GASP!

28. This show is amazing. This show is everything. I am dirt and garbage.

29. *donates to Eliza’s charity*