“Where would I be without Hamilton?”
It’s a question I keep coming back to, especially in these deeply reflective moments. I’m not the only one either…As I think about the sheer number of people that have worked on any production of this show, it becomes extraordinarily clear how life-changing Hamilton has been and continues to be—not just for the people who see it. And it’s not just the opportunity in and of itself that is so valuable: it’s the connections with others that afford the true inspiration.
“Are you all local, or do you travel with the show?”
Despite answering this question countless times and dreading its coming like a self-fulfilling prophecy, I never truly appreciated how lucky we were to travel self-contained (with the exception of a handful of cities along the way). You’d think we’d all get sick of each other doing 8 shows a week, 52 weeks a year for 3.5 years (5 years when adjusted for the pandemic) with a paltry 2 weeks vacation each year…I wish I could explain it, but somehow with our group it just worked. And now I can say, unequivocally, our group and balance of personalities precipitated a touring company that was an outlier—in the best way possible.
“What makes you feel at home on the road?”
I write and reflect on all this in a coffee shop, a familiar setting from my time on tour. As I partake in this ritual so central to my time on the road, I cycle through the countless shops in each of the 48 unique cities I visited on tour: the changing of seasons, emotions, and cities as people came and went as if through the revolving door. And now my heart starts to flutter…is that from the rush of memories, or just the sum total of 5 years of caffeine rushing back to the head?
Congratulations to the Hamilton Philip Tour and all members past and present. 7.5 years…what an amazing run. Gratitude doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Proud to be inducted into the @trinityprepfl Arts Hall of Fame alongside fellow Alum and one of the most talented people I know, @fergusonbatman . Thanks to @janinepapin for building a theater program that always made space for student musicians to contribute! Especially grateful for time at home with the family too 🥰.
Reflections on DC…
It was a city of a thousand joys and sorrows: a city of incredible music making juxtaposed with big life changes. Washington was our first time performing in a single city longer than six weeks, and we all discovered how tour life changes when you take away the constant movement…All of a sudden, the short-term adaptations to new cities gave way to long-term questions and long looks in the mirror: who am I, what do I want, where do I want to be?
We had to say goodbye (temporarily) to our traveling string quartet here and also sing happy trails to so many company members…many of which have been here since the beginning (or close to it) and are so near and dear to us all. At the same time, I had the absolute privilege of working closely with and forging friendships with so many of the incredible musicians of The Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra @kcohomusicians . They welcomed us all into their hallowed home with open arms, and brought such joy, precision, and care to each and every of our 80 shows here. We will miss them dearly…
It was a city of working on and discovering myself. So much personal growth happened here—I have a half-completed journal to prove it too. One of the many things I realized was the danger of deriving a sense of self worth from an outside source, much like we all learned the danger of defining our value to society by our careers when so many of us lost our jobs during the pandemic.
As we depart what has been our home for the last two and a half months with so many new faces, I can’t help but be reminded of how it felt to leave Seattle (our first city) back in March 2018, with a world of possibilities and questions permeating the air.
Tour will not be the same after this pivotal city: it’s a terrifyingly beautiful thought…
Spending Holidays on the road is part of the gig, but that doesn’t make it easier. By some stroke of luck I’ve managed to avoid it for the past three years, but the reality of year-round tour life has finally caught up to me: spending the Holidays alone. There were flights home, but it felt too risky to travel between the unpredictable Buffalo Winter and the even more unpredictable wave of Covid. Instead, I’m spending Christmas Day gazing out of my hotel window—a thick blanket of fog hangs over Lake Erie, raindrops lace the glass, and (like my camera) I’m having trouble finding where to focus.
A year ago, I spent Christmas at home after nine months of being furloughed and no return to work date in sight. Because of that, I’m all the more thankful to be performing again this year with my incredible Hamilton family (and to finally celebrate 1000 shows just last week)! Still, gratitude is hard to find when the thing you’re grateful for is the thing separating you from your own family during the Holidays. In 30 years I’ve never been away from home for Christmas, but I never thought it would affect me so much to miss it. I’ll file this away in the “you’re 30 years old, it was bound to happen sooner or later” box.
Anyway, enjoy this beautiful light show on Niagara Falls from last night…
It’s been a year and a half since this quartet has played together in person—what a joy to be back in the saddle with the @hamiltourquartet . Love these amazing musicians and beautiful people.
📸 @mannymusic1
New Gear Alert—So excited to be going back on tour with a new set of IEMs from @jhaudio ! Listening well is every bit as important as playing well, and these Laylas have an unparalleled listening experience. Also happy to support an incredible local business!
#hamilton #audiophile #playless #listenmore #supportlocal
