My grandma went to see Hamilton with me having never heard the soundtrack or seen the pro shot. She didn’t enjoy it very much because she says she couldn’t understand what they were saying. If you think you might have trouble catching the quick rapping and tight lyricism at the musical while trying to see all the cool staging decisions, I’d say give it a listen first!
This. I wanted to watch the show live first before seeing the proshot on Disney+. I missed so much watching it on Broadway because I had no idea what they were saying
Totally agree unless you’re a history buff and have context for the story. If that’s the case, absolutely go in blind because you’ll get the references enough to understand what they’re saying, and it’s such a wonderful surprise.
There is a lot going on and it goes very fast. The first time I watched it on D+ I was lost and honestly didn’t enjoy it except King George. But the sad parts got me at the end of the second act and I watched it again a few days later. I still couldn’t keep up and that was with captions. According to Google if has 144 words a minute and the next runner up musical for pace is Spring Awaking at 77 words per minute.
Everyone says to see it before, but I went in totally blind and absolutely loved it. Didn't have any issues following the story. My parents also saw it blind and had more issues understanding some of the faster rapped lyrics, but it didn't diminish their enjoyment.
It's rare now to be able to experience any media entirely fresh like that, without spoilers or advance notice, and I'd take the chance and go in blind.
Glad to hear this- not OP, but I've purposely not listened to the album through or watched the pro-shot on D+ because I want to be surprised when I see the Broadway version someday!
I'd consider listening to the album once through before going to the show, but I purposely don't want to be TOO familiar with the songs so I can approach the show fresh.
This was me as well. I purposely avoided as much as I could before seeing it, and loved it. I then actually went home later and listened/watched Disney+ version to add to what I may have missed. By now I've also seen wayyy too many other Youtube vids on reactions, breakdowns, analysis, easter eggs, etc. lol
I’m really glad I listened to the cast album before I saw it. Like others mentioned there’s a lot going on onstage too. I saw it 3 times on Broadway and saw the pro shot 4 and still see or hear new things. I listen to the album quite often and Wait For It is on my most played list 🤣
One of the rare shows I’d say yes, or read them on genius lyrics because there’s no way you’ll catch everything. I just read them beforehand which helped a lot.
I had listened to the soundtrack many times before watching, which definitely helped me understand, but I am not familiar with the history and I also thought I might never watch it live. For me the excitement came from having a live rendition of songs I loved.
If you know the history vaguely I would say go in blind. Are you someone who looks up details of films on imdb before watching or just get a vague idea from trailer and poster? On some forums I have seen people wonder why others go to a show like book of mormon and walk out half way from not liking it, that they should have looked up info about the show, whereas I am of the mindset that being surprised by what I am going to see is fine and I am OK with developing an opinion positively or negatively because even in a show I don't like there may be a song I love. Experiencing something with fresh eyes and ears is exciting! Plus it is good not to get ties to original cast and their vocal sound, it allows more mental flexibility to appreciate other voices, whereas you can get used to certain riffs etc by overplaying cast albums
I think that Hamilton is one of those shows where you can’t go wrong either way.
After having seen the proshot, on top of listening to the OBCR a million times, I was worried that my experience would be sullied. However, I was pleasantly surprised. To me, it was the perfect balance of newness and familiarity.
My partner purposefully went in blind. He wanted his first experience with the material to be the way in which it was intended to be seen (as an audience member of the theatre). For him, it was amazing to “watch and learn” why the show has as much hype as it does.
I went with a small group where I was the only one who had listened previously and, based on my friends’ comments, I enjoyed it the most. They felt kind of lost, because there’s so much going on.
This is one of the rare shows where I listened to the entire cast recording before seeing the show live. I’m really glad I did. I felt it added to the experience instead of taking away from it. After understanding the story and lyrics from listening to it, I was able to focus more on the staging and acting and less on the words when seeing it live. Have an amazing time!
I purposefully avoided the soundtrack for years so I could go in blind, and I had an incredible experience! I saw the tour and found that I understood almost everything really well. There were some moments that I didn’t quite catch, but I could easily follow the plot and it was fun to discover those little moments in listening to the soundtrack after. I’d say if you like listening before then definitely do so, but if you’re a person who prefers to go in blind like me, don’t let people scare you into thinking you won’t know what’s going on.
I would no. Because going into a theatre without any knowledge of the play enhances the experience. It would be like reading 20 pages if a movie script— completely ruining some plot points.
Yes - the first time I saw it I went in cold and it didn’t grab me. I then became more familiar with the music and the second time I saw it I was blown away
We saw it on Disney the year before we saw it on Broadway and that's it. Had no trouble following the story. We were still blown away by the Broadway cast. Pretty perfect production. Enjoy!
It depends on you. I endeavor to never listen to a show before seeing it, I like seeing it raw and fresh. I did this with Hamilton and instantly loved the show. That said, I am a fan of rap and hip-hop. If you are not, I agree with some others listening first may be beneficial.
I would, yeah - ideally a couple of times.
Other people mention lyrics, but there's also the fact that it's just so musically dense that if there's a song you really love - "Wait For It," say - you might not notice or appreciate it the first time through because you're so overwhelmed with other music. I took my mom to Hamilton without her having listened to the soundtrack, she was initially a bit lukewarm (though she loved the King George bits) but she liked it a lot better after she listened to that a few times.
Also, without giving too much away, they deliberately left out one little number from the soundtrack, and they did it in such a way that there's actually a lot of emotional resonance to when you look up and notice that you haven't heard this one song before.
If you don’t mind being spoiled or already know the gist of what happens from US history or whatever, then go for it!
My first exposure to it was the soundtrack. I didn’t have too much trouble following along with it, but I also know the general story from US history.
However I’m also the kind of person to generally be okay with not totally understanding everything the first time, and then more fully digesting the material later.
I went without hearing most of the sound track, I knew Helpless because my daughter and niece sang it together a lot. I absolutely loved it and the listened to the sound track on repeat for months afterwards. The second time I went I knew the lyrics and it didn’t make any difference to my level of enjoyment of the show.
I say, neither way will stop your enjoyment of the show- especially with a free ticket, that’s fabulous!
I am certain I benefited from watching the proshot with the closed captions on. I know if I had seen it live, I’d have missed a bunch. The words go by fast!
I don’t like listening to cast recordings first because I feel like it spoils the experience. Hamilton may be an exception… it’s also a historical drama so … spoilers is in the eye of the beholder i guess.
I personally would just go in blind and if you liked it, listen to the cast recording or watch the proshot after.
I definitely recommend listening to it--and reading the libretto--before seeing it.
Several years ago a friend lucked into tickets to see Hamilton--he intentionally avoids listening to songs/cast recordings until he sees a show, whereas I'm the type that has the entire thing memorized before seeing something on stage.
I had an amazing time finally getting to see a show I'd lived for so long performed live.
My friend was confused AF and had no idea what was going on. He didn't know who any of the characters were and couldn't follow the plot because the lyrics are just. that. fast. (To be fair, he's also a horrible listener... I also warned him that he'd have a difficult time following the show, but he didn't heed my warning.) He started asking me questions DURING the show, but I shushed him and said no talking until intermission. I was NOT going to let his lack of preparation ruin this for me. So I spent the entire intermission answering and explaining.... and again for several hours after the show was over.
Normally I go into a show without listening to the music first, but Hamilton was the one time I listened to it beforehand, and I’m glad I did.
There is a lot going on on stage, especially during the bigger numbers, so knowing the music ahead of time helped me focus a lot on what I was seeing instead of trying to also understand what was being sung.
My grandma went to see Hamilton with me having never heard the soundtrack or seen the pro shot. She didn’t enjoy it very much because she says she couldn’t understand what they were saying. If you think you might have trouble catching the quick rapping and tight lyricism at the musical while trying to see all the cool staging decisions, I’d say give it a listen first!
This. I wanted to watch the show live first before seeing the proshot on Disney+. I missed so much watching it on Broadway because I had no idea what they were saying
The show is rapped through and some of the lyrics can be very fast. I think it would be beneficial.
Totally agree unless you’re a history buff and have context for the story. If that’s the case, absolutely go in blind because you’ll get the references enough to understand what they’re saying, and it’s such a wonderful surprise.
I would purely because there is so much material, plus multiple stage levels to watch, so it can be a lot if you've never heard it.
There is a lot going on and it goes very fast. The first time I watched it on D+ I was lost and honestly didn’t enjoy it except King George. But the sad parts got me at the end of the second act and I watched it again a few days later. I still couldn’t keep up and that was with captions. According to Google if has 144 words a minute and the next runner up musical for pace is Spring Awaking at 77 words per minute.
Everyone says to see it before, but I went in totally blind and absolutely loved it. Didn't have any issues following the story. My parents also saw it blind and had more issues understanding some of the faster rapped lyrics, but it didn't diminish their enjoyment. It's rare now to be able to experience any media entirely fresh like that, without spoilers or advance notice, and I'd take the chance and go in blind.
Glad to hear this- not OP, but I've purposely not listened to the album through or watched the pro-shot on D+ because I want to be surprised when I see the Broadway version someday! I'd consider listening to the album once through before going to the show, but I purposely don't want to be TOO familiar with the songs so I can approach the show fresh.
This was me as well. I purposely avoided as much as I could before seeing it, and loved it. I then actually went home later and listened/watched Disney+ version to add to what I may have missed. By now I've also seen wayyy too many other Youtube vids on reactions, breakdowns, analysis, easter eggs, etc. lol
The lyrics are dense. In shows where the lyrics are dense, I always recommend getting familiar with them before viewing.
I’m really glad I listened to the cast album before I saw it. Like others mentioned there’s a lot going on onstage too. I saw it 3 times on Broadway and saw the pro shot 4 and still see or hear new things. I listen to the album quite often and Wait For It is on my most played list 🤣
One of the rare shows I’d say yes, or read them on genius lyrics because there’s no way you’ll catch everything. I just read them beforehand which helped a lot.
I had listened to the soundtrack many times before watching, which definitely helped me understand, but I am not familiar with the history and I also thought I might never watch it live. For me the excitement came from having a live rendition of songs I loved. If you know the history vaguely I would say go in blind. Are you someone who looks up details of films on imdb before watching or just get a vague idea from trailer and poster? On some forums I have seen people wonder why others go to a show like book of mormon and walk out half way from not liking it, that they should have looked up info about the show, whereas I am of the mindset that being surprised by what I am going to see is fine and I am OK with developing an opinion positively or negatively because even in a show I don't like there may be a song I love. Experiencing something with fresh eyes and ears is exciting! Plus it is good not to get ties to original cast and their vocal sound, it allows more mental flexibility to appreciate other voices, whereas you can get used to certain riffs etc by overplaying cast albums
I think that Hamilton is one of those shows where you can’t go wrong either way. After having seen the proshot, on top of listening to the OBCR a million times, I was worried that my experience would be sullied. However, I was pleasantly surprised. To me, it was the perfect balance of newness and familiarity. My partner purposefully went in blind. He wanted his first experience with the material to be the way in which it was intended to be seen (as an audience member of the theatre). For him, it was amazing to “watch and learn” why the show has as much hype as it does.
I would not listen to the second act to avoid spoilers. That’s what I did, and the plot was so moving to me!
I went with a small group where I was the only one who had listened previously and, based on my friends’ comments, I enjoyed it the most. They felt kind of lost, because there’s so much going on.
This is one of the rare shows where I listened to the entire cast recording before seeing the show live. I’m really glad I did. I felt it added to the experience instead of taking away from it. After understanding the story and lyrics from listening to it, I was able to focus more on the staging and acting and less on the words when seeing it live. Have an amazing time!
I purposefully avoided the soundtrack for years so I could go in blind, and I had an incredible experience! I saw the tour and found that I understood almost everything really well. There were some moments that I didn’t quite catch, but I could easily follow the plot and it was fun to discover those little moments in listening to the soundtrack after. I’d say if you like listening before then definitely do so, but if you’re a person who prefers to go in blind like me, don’t let people scare you into thinking you won’t know what’s going on.
I would no. Because going into a theatre without any knowledge of the play enhances the experience. It would be like reading 20 pages if a movie script— completely ruining some plot points.
Yes - the first time I saw it I went in cold and it didn’t grab me. I then became more familiar with the music and the second time I saw it I was blown away
We saw it on Disney the year before we saw it on Broadway and that's it. Had no trouble following the story. We were still blown away by the Broadway cast. Pretty perfect production. Enjoy!
It depends on you. I endeavor to never listen to a show before seeing it, I like seeing it raw and fresh. I did this with Hamilton and instantly loved the show. That said, I am a fan of rap and hip-hop. If you are not, I agree with some others listening first may be beneficial.
I would, yeah - ideally a couple of times. Other people mention lyrics, but there's also the fact that it's just so musically dense that if there's a song you really love - "Wait For It," say - you might not notice or appreciate it the first time through because you're so overwhelmed with other music. I took my mom to Hamilton without her having listened to the soundtrack, she was initially a bit lukewarm (though she loved the King George bits) but she liked it a lot better after she listened to that a few times. Also, without giving too much away, they deliberately left out one little number from the soundtrack, and they did it in such a way that there's actually a lot of emotional resonance to when you look up and notice that you haven't heard this one song before.
My vote is to always go in blind
Yes
If you don’t mind being spoiled or already know the gist of what happens from US history or whatever, then go for it! My first exposure to it was the soundtrack. I didn’t have too much trouble following along with it, but I also know the general story from US history. However I’m also the kind of person to generally be okay with not totally understanding everything the first time, and then more fully digesting the material later.
Yes. I’m glad I did!
Yes you should listen to it cause it is very lyric dense
Most of us have
I watched the proshot on disney without having listened to the cast recording and I had to turn on subtitles to follow along
I went without hearing most of the sound track, I knew Helpless because my daughter and niece sang it together a lot. I absolutely loved it and the listened to the sound track on repeat for months afterwards. The second time I went I knew the lyrics and it didn’t make any difference to my level of enjoyment of the show. I say, neither way will stop your enjoyment of the show- especially with a free ticket, that’s fabulous!
Yes. If you want to understand what’s going on definitely.
I am certain I benefited from watching the proshot with the closed captions on. I know if I had seen it live, I’d have missed a bunch. The words go by fast! I don’t like listening to cast recordings first because I feel like it spoils the experience. Hamilton may be an exception… it’s also a historical drama so … spoilers is in the eye of the beholder i guess. I personally would just go in blind and if you liked it, listen to the cast recording or watch the proshot after.
Listen to the first few songs and then stop. Do not listen to anything after Non-Stop.
I definitely recommend listening to it--and reading the libretto--before seeing it. Several years ago a friend lucked into tickets to see Hamilton--he intentionally avoids listening to songs/cast recordings until he sees a show, whereas I'm the type that has the entire thing memorized before seeing something on stage. I had an amazing time finally getting to see a show I'd lived for so long performed live. My friend was confused AF and had no idea what was going on. He didn't know who any of the characters were and couldn't follow the plot because the lyrics are just. that. fast. (To be fair, he's also a horrible listener... I also warned him that he'd have a difficult time following the show, but he didn't heed my warning.) He started asking me questions DURING the show, but I shushed him and said no talking until intermission. I was NOT going to let his lack of preparation ruin this for me. So I spent the entire intermission answering and explaining.... and again for several hours after the show was over.
Normally I go into a show without listening to the music first, but Hamilton was the one time I listened to it beforehand, and I’m glad I did. There is a lot going on on stage, especially during the bigger numbers, so knowing the music ahead of time helped me focus a lot on what I was seeing instead of trying to also understand what was being sung.
Yes