Get the most out of your “Hamilton” experience
So, you landed tickets to see “Hamilton” during its Feb. 27-April 1 run in Denver. Your hard work is done, and it’s time to sit back and enjoy the show. Right?
Pish.
It is now your solemn duty to enjoy that fateful night to the fullest. This musical has been called lifechanging by some theater-goers, so do your homework to make sure you don’t miss a beat. That means listening to the score ahead of time, getting your dinner plans locked in and, for the love of Lin Manuel-miranda, silencing your cellphone. (Yes, even if your ringtone is from a song in the musical.)
Do it for all of the “Hamilton”-hungry in Denver, pressing their ears to the icy wall of the Buell Theatre as the band strikes up on opening night. Do it for us. Do it for your mother.
Here are some ways you can be the best “Hamilton” fan you can be before the curtain rises.
• First, get “Hamilton” into your head. Sure, you will still enjoy it if you walk in cold, but like those who were wise enough to read T.S. Eliot’s “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” before seeing “Cats,” understanding the story will undoubtedly enhance your experience. It may be too late to read “Alexander Hamilton,” the 2004 Ron Chernow book that inspired Lin-manuel Miranda to write the musical (the paperback is 832 pages, after all), but there are other ways to familiarize yourself with the history that the show is based on. Search the internet for biographies of Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, the Schuyler sisters, George Washington (specifically his military service), Hercules Mulligan, the Marquis de Lafayette and King George III. Super fans can delve into “Hamilton: The Revolution,” by Lin-manuel Miranda and Jeremy Mccarter, the story of how it all came together.
• Listen to the music and get familiar with the lyrics. Amazon is selling a CD set of the soundtrack from the original Broadway cast, and also offers streaming. Local big-box stores may have the CDS in stock, too. Or find the songs on Youtube. And because much of the rap and hip-hop you’ll hear on stage will be rapid-fire, read the lyrics (I found them quickly at genius.com).
• If you are still hoping to get tickets, remember the Denver Center’s daily lottery for 40 $10 tickets. Sign up at hamiltonmusical.com/lottery. More details at theknow.denverpost.com.
• Familiarize yourself with the new security regulations before you get to the Buell Theatre. (And get there early; better to be waiting comfortably in your seats than outside waiting to be screened). Some of the rules: no recording devices, no food or open drink containers, no bags larger than 12-by-12. More details at artscomplex.com.
• If your tickets are at willcall, get there early, up to two hours before curtain. (That’s a recent change, since it used to be just one hour, a Denver Center spokesman said.) Or better still, as long as they haven’t been allocated yet, get your tickets ahead of time at the center’s box office in the Bonfils Theatre Complex. Hours are Monday-saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
• Another reason to get there early: parking. Since all shows are sold out, the Denver Center garage and nearby lots will fill up fast. Consider a taxi or Uber. Or maybe you should just get there early.
• If you are thinking of having dinner in the theater district before the show, make your reservations at least a week ahead.
• It’s a long performance, 2 hours and 45 minutes. Yes, there will be an intermission, but the lines for the restrooms and bar will likely be quite long. Plan accordingly.
• And because it needs to be said, and not just for “Hamilton”: Don’t turn your cellphones on during any performance. The glare disrupts other patrons. Don’t crinkle cellophane candy wrappers or talk during the show, either. It will take away from what promises to be a magical evening for everyone.
Barbara Ellis: 303-954-1751, bellis@denverpost.com or @barbaraellisdp