The Room Where It Happens
OUTFIT DETAILS
Dress: Unique Vintage (Gifted) | Bag: Chanel | Earrings: Baublebar (Gifted) | Shoes: Public Desire
Hamilton is my all-time favorite musical for many reasons, and though it’s not by all means perfect, it’s one that I enjoy seeing live time and time again. This past weekend, we got to see it in-person for our fifth time (we’ve seen it just about everywhere - Chicago, New York, and LA) but this time felt extra special.
When the Hollywood Pantages Theatre announced in 2019 that Hamilton was coming back, I bought the maximum amount of tickets a season ticket holder was allowed to buy (yes, I was really that excited). With nine tickets and four shows in the books, I couldn’t wait to see my favorite musical again, especially because our friend Joanna was coming home to LA and starring as Eliza in this production!
Fast forward to March 2020 when the pandemic hit and changed the world as we know it. I was unemployed as I had quit my office job a few months prior to try to pursue content creation full-time. One by one, I canceled my tickets to each show, mostly because I needed the money. I was devastated but I knew I had to hold on to at least one pair of tickets. The last time we saw Joanna was when she was Peggy/Maria in Hamilton on Broadway, which was a treat in and of itself. But I just had to see her as Eliza, not only as a proud friend, but because I knew she’d be able to embody the character in a unique way that we had never seen before. And I was right.
But before we get into the show, it was so nice to have an excuse to dress up again, because even though I dress up constantly for content, it’s not really the same as actually wearing the outfit intentionally for the evening. I wore green for Eliza (even though I know her color is more of a blue green), but this glitter wrap dress from Unique Vintage was too perfect to sit inside my closet that evening. I paired it with my lace-up heels from Public Desire (not the comfiest, but they sure are cute!) and my Chanel Classic Flap bag.
Fun fact: It’s tradition for Kev and I to grab a photo outside the theatre with the show poster before heading inside, and it truly felt like old times again.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to reschedule our remaining pair of tickets. It was to the point that both Kevin and I actually forgot we were seeing the show until that morning when I checked my schedule for the day. I was a little nervous as I hadn’t been back in a big theatre like this since before the pandemic, but the Pantages staff was great at making the whole process as safe and smooth as possible for everyone. They checked for vaccination cards/negative COVID tests, did their standard security check, and also made sure guests were wearing their face masks at all times. It really put me at ease and allowed me to enjoy the show with little worry.
The entire cast was phenomenal and I loved the energy they brought to the show. I’ve listened to the soundtrack a million times, and while I’ve gotten accustomed to how the original Broadway cast does the show, it was refreshing getting to see how this cast really owned their character and made them their own. It made the experience feel new again, and it reminded me how much I loved this show and missed seeing live theatre.
We were thankfully able to catch Joanna real quick on our way out just to say hi! I absolutely loved how she played Eliza - she brought so much grace and power to the role and she sounded immaculate as always. I’m so happy that everyone who goes to the show in LA gets to see her shine!
Are you a Hamilton fan like me? If so, what’s your favorite song from the soundtrack?
xo,
Keshia