What to See Instead of Hamilton

It is a truth universally acknowledged that you will need to sell one (1) arm, one (1) leg, and one (1) kidney to afford a ticket to Hamilton. Just before the show took home 11 Tony awards this past weekend, Hamilton‘s producers announced an increase in official ticket prices by 55%, with the premium seats costing a whopping $849. And that’s if you’re lucky enough to buy them the official way. On average, you can score a ticket online for well over $1,000. Folks, this is American capitalism at its finest. Alexander Hamilton would be so proud.

Yes, Hamilton is wonderful. Yes, you should see it… someday. (Maybe in 2033? Are you willing to #WaitForIt?) But it’s not the only show on Broadway, and it’ll be around for a long, long time. So, what’s the rush? Why break the bank to see Hamilton when there are plenty of fantastic shows to see on Broadway?

Bonus: Broadway is good right now. Like, really good. Even if you take Hamilton out of the equation, this has been (and will continue to be) an absurdly fantastic year for the theatre arts. Dear theatre-goers, I encourage you to save your arm, leg, and kidney, set your sights beyond Hamilton, and check out other worthy shows on Broadway right now. Please allow me to suggest other options that share some of Hamilton‘s delights:

To get in on the dueling action, see Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812.

Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at the American Repertory Theater.

It’s important to note that Hamilton, while a brilliant production, didn’t just appear out of thin air. On the contrary, it stands on the shoulders of all the musically daring shows that came before it. (I’m thinking of the emo history lesson that is Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, the angst and anachronism of Spring Awakening, or the rock musicals Rent and Hair.) 2012’s Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 is one of those shows. Set in the Age of Revolutions– just like Hamilton!– it’s an electro-pop opera about a scintillating slice of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. That’s right: an electro-pop opera adaptation of War and Peace. And you know what? It’s a whole lot of fun. And, just like Hamilton, the show features a breathtaking duel scene deep into the first act. Indeed, Lin-Manuel Miranda himself is a fan of the show. He saw the original off-Broadway production in which Phillipa Soo starred as Natasha; he was impressed enough with Soo’s performance to cast her as Alexander Hamilton’s wife, Eliza. The show will finally get its long-awaited Broadway premiere this fall after an acclaimed run at Boston’s American Repertory Theater. Get your tickets now– they will be about 100 times more affordable than Hamilton tickets, and you’ll still get a duel, some gorgeous costumes, winter balls, and a historical story told through the music of today.

To hear new sounds on Broadway, see Bright Star.

Carmen Cusack in the Tony-nominated Bright Star.

Hamilton isn’t the only show this season to use a fresh musical language to tell its story. Just as Lin-Manuel Miranda brings hip-hop to Broadway, Steve Martin and Edie Brickell‘s achingly beautiful Bright Star employs bluegrass/folk/Americana to tell its Southern fried story. Bonus: the show is sweeter than sweet tea and is totally original– it’s not based on a blockbuster, a novel, or a television show. How often can you say that about a Broadway musical these days? Like Hamilton, Bright Star celebrates language, wit, storytelling, and emotion– it gently coaxes its audience to embrace sincerity, hope, and optimism. So, get thee to the Cort Theatre and let this delightful show shine on you– you won’t regret it. Its story, melodies, and heartfelt performances will stay with you for a long time.

Note: Bright Star takes its final bow on June 26, 2016. So, get your tickets now and help this gem of a show go out with a bang! See it before it’s too late.

To get a lesson in American history, see Shuffle Along.

Brandon Victor Dixon and Audra McDonald dance their hearts out in Shuffle Along.

If Hamilton is all about the hip-hop, Shuffle Along is all about the tap dancing. (Sorry, Andy Blankenbuehler: Savion Glover deserved the Tony for his work on this show, hands down.) And, like Hamilton, Shuffle Along reminds its audience the importance of “who tells your story.” In this case, the show uses historical figures to tell the story of the making of an all-black jazz musical sensation in 1921. But rather than celebrating a mythic American past, Shuffle Along gazes unflinchingly at the painful history of American racism. This show’s deck is also stacked with powerhouse Broadway stars, like Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Joshua Henry. History, it seems, has its eyes on Shuffle Along, too.

So, what are you waiting for? You have so many options– go support live theatre and treat yourself to a Broadway show!

Photo Credits: Joan Marcus; Evgenia Eliseeva; Joan Marcus; and Sara Krulwich/The New York Times