The Educational Value of Fine Arts, or Man! that play was expensive

Keeping Hamilton's flame

Us Troxels just enjoyed the heck out of Broadway hit play Hamilton a couple days ago, with some killer seats in the 12th row. It was great to be "in the room where it happened," but even better when you're close enough to see facial expressions of these actors, and see the spittle exit the mouth when belting out a song. Well, not so much.

This musical exceeded expectations, which is saying a lot given its popularity, and we've anticipated seeing it for a long time. Lots of laughing, incredible talent, compelling story, and some folks were in near sobs during a couple more tender moments. And I am secure enough in my manhood to comment on the choreography- Holy Cow!

Some of the neat takeaways for me was an increased love of country, heightened interest in knowing more about the birth of this great nation, and appreciation for the founding fathers. The story of America is embodied in this play. Stay young, scrappy and hungry!

I had decided to read Chernow's biography on Hamilton, upon which the play is based. I got 150 pages into that and bailed . . . it read too much like a 700-page textbook. Now I am racing through it. If only I had Lin Manuel-Miranda for high school history.

From Hamilton, my kids now know a little more about early American events and historical figures than before, which illustrates how the arts can educate. This was a play and a civics lesson. The play stays pretty darn true to events as outlined in Chernow's book. Although during one part when Thomas Jefferson was claiming authorship, Tracy leaned over and said, "He stole that from John Locke." Educational information presented in such an entertaining way is powerful.

Seeing American history play out in hip hop was cool. What would really be cool would be to get an all Asian cast of The Color Purple. Kidding! Tracy and I enjoyed this one, and even more so the make up of the audience. That was the first time I had seen people talking back at the stage!

Last month, we saw The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which in a very clever way, taught us about people with autism. Who would think that it would be as cool as it was? My whole family enjoyed it, and Tracy said it was probably one of her top 5 plays of all time. The experience can't be adequately explained.

A couple years ago, Tracy and I saw Next to Normal, which was about how mental illness can ravage a family. The topic was illustrated in a heart-wrenching yet instructive way, and made me look at mental illness much differently. (In my kid's terminology, "I was like, daaang.")  There were a lot of red eyes coming out both at intermission and at the end.

Tracy and I saw a play called The Last Confession a couple years ago, which detailed the events around the death of Pope John Paul I. That provided wonderful insight into many of the wonderful things, and controversial things, within the Vatican, in a respectful manner. Even though I am not a Catholic, I remember watching with interest

And lastly, who can forget Spamalot, and the accurate portrayal of medieval life by Monty Python on stage?

I go to see plays to laugh, to be entertained and to escape; but it is also pretty cool when you leave a little smarter than before.

Now, if we can only get the casts to stop hitting me up for donations right after the bows . . .

Didn't I just drop a boatload of money on tickets to watch the play? 

I have heard it say that the arts can provoke, inspire, disturb, and even offend.  Blah blah blah. I just want to have an enjoyable evening out with my wife, and if I leave a bit smarter, all the better!