Two weeks ago, I was sitting on my aunt’s couch at my Shrek-themed 18th birthday party, opening up a box with a letter taped to the back. When I opened the letter, I realized that my grandmother bought me “Hamilton” tickets for the show at The Boston Opera House on Nov. 17.

For two years, I’ve been infatuated with the songs off the soundtrack, such as “One last time”, “Burn” and “Quiet Uptown”, Finally, I had the pleasure of seeing the American musical, and watching the songs performed live was nothing short of incredible and tear-jerking.

The plays begins with the opening number “Alexander Hamilton”. It describes Alexander Hamilton (Austin Scott) as an immigrant who writes his way out of all predicaments, including the hurricane that destroyed his hometown overseas in England.

Hamilton writes all his thoughts down, provoking empathy from the people in his hometown, and convincing them to pay for a one-way ticket on a ship that was bound for New York.

In the second song of the musical, Hamilton meets his first friend in New York, Aaron Burr (Nicholas Christopher). Burr’s big phrase is, “Talk less, smile more.”

This phrase later complicates their friendship.

When Hamilton goes to a bar with Burr, he meets Marquis de Lafayette (Bryson Bruce), John Laurens (Josh Andrés Rivera), and Hercules Mulligan (Chaundre Hall-Broomfield), who will become his best friends and partners in the Revolution.  

War ensues, and there’s a brief break as all the soldiers go to a “Winter’s Ball” to find ladies to wed.

Hamilton then meets Angelica Schuyler (Charnette Batey) and her sister Eliza Schuyler (Hannah Cruz). Angelica introduces Hamilton to her sister, and they marry and Eliza takes the last name Hamilton.

Hamilton then accepts the position as George Washington’s (Paul Oakley Stovall) right-hand man and mans his journal as his wife is with child.

Tensions rise due to the stress of war. Hamilton then goes on to do some questionable things in Act II and ruins some reputations, including his own.

The singing in the play is fantastic. With a deeper voice and deadpan humor, Scott takes an interesting approach as Hamilton. However, Rivera as John Laurens steals the show with his beautiful voice.

I hadn’t seen “Hamilton” before seeing it in Boston, and I was beyond impressed with everyone and everything in the production. While tickets can be a challenge to find, anyone who has a chance to see “Hamilton” in New York or Boston won’t be disappointed.