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Song of the Day #2,852: ‘Wait For It’ – Leslie Odom Jr. & Hamilton cast

hamiltonAlexander Hamilton is certainly the central character of Hamilton, but you could argue that the lead role belongs to Aaron Burr. Burr serves as the narrator and has more time onstage than Hamilton. He also gets some of the best songs — Lin-Manuel Miranda jokingly bemoaned the fact that he gave two of the best songs he’s ever written to a character somebody else gets to play.

That somebody else is the fabulous Leslie Odom Jr., and today’s SOTD, ‘Wait For It,’ is one of those two songs (the other will show up next week).

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Song of the Day #2,851: ‘Helpless’ – Phillipa Soo, Hamilton cast

hamiltonHamilton might be about the Founding Father, but Lin-Manuel Miranda pays proper attention to the women in his life, particularly his wife Elizabeth Schuyler, and her sister Angelica.

The Schuyler Sisters (along with little-seen Peggy) are introduced in a rousing number set in the streets of New York, but they meet Hamilton a little bit later, through a couple of songs that play with time and space in interesting ways.

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Song of the Day #2,850: ‘You’ll Be Back’ – Jonathan Groff

hamiltonMost of Hamilton is composed in the hip-hop/R&B style, paired with the sound of traditional Broadway musical theater, but on a few tracks, Lin-Miranda Manuel goes full-on British invasion. Appropriately, those songs are performed by the head of a different sort of British invasion, King George III.

Played memorably (until a couple of weeks ago) by Jonathan Groff, George is foppish and sarcastic and a little bit sadistic. He wants to colonies under his thumb, to quote another British rock band, and he’ll remind them of it ever so melodically.

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Song of the Day #2,849: ‘Alexander Hamilton’ – Hamilton cast

hamiltonLast year, my niece succumbed to Hamilton fever, a debilitating infection that my family soon learned is highly contagious. Over the summer she played two of the early tracks for us and we were intrigued enough to immediately order the album on Amazon.

Flash forward six months, and in one of the few truly spontaneous actions of my life, we have spent a ridiculous amount of money to fly to New York for the weekend and watch the Broadway phenomenon (and recent Pulitzer prize winner) live. I can’t freaking wait.

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