Making Each Day Count

The first time I heard about Hamilton was when I was on a Chicago Bus Tour a few years ago, and I saw a long queue in front of the CIBC Theater. I did not have an idea what Hamilton was about, and all I knew is that it garnered multiple awards and that tickets were always sold out. My sister in Australia had been raving about it, so I had always been curious to watch it any chance I could get.

Early this year, it was announced that Hamilton was coming to Manila. In March, prior to the tickets being made available to the public, I signed up for the waitlist. On the day the ticket sales kicked off, I was disheartened as the website crashed. Determined, I drove to the city to go to the ticket sales kiosk to make my purchase. Luckily D and I got to secure good seats – they were selling out fast.

On the first Friday since Hamilton started being its course in Manila, D and I headed to the venue excitedly. We came to the show without any idea what we would be watching. Though my sister, who’s seen it in Australia, highly encouraged us to watch Hamilton in HBO, I wanted to see it without any expectations so I can fully experience it with a fresh perspective. I had a feeling I would be blown away, and I was right. I was pulled in by the production, the music, the story, the cast and their performance. I have never heard of the songs until I saw the musical. I added the Hamilton playlist as a favorite in my Spotify, and D and I randomly play the songs when we’re driving.

I’m glad Hamilton is in Manila, and I am grateful we got the chance to watch it. This is the first musical that I watched since 2020, and I am looking forward to watching more shows lined up for Manila in the future.

Hamilton started its show in Manila at the Solaire Theater on 17 September and will run through 12 November.