“Hamilton”April 28, 2017
Finally, we got to see that hit about our history,
And all the men who, bold, told old King George
We’re out to set our nation free.
We’d seen the news, the interviews, and heard the tunes.
Now our views are: this show’s great and one to celebrate.
We had great fun at “Hamilton.”
We didn’t waste our shot. No, we didn’t waste our shot.
‘Cause what we got
Was song and dance within a riveting plot.
And, we took a backstage tour.
Repeat, we took a backstage tour.
At “Hamilton,” we know someone
Who made it even more fun.
What’s more, we stood there on the stage
The very place where George-Three raged
While Hamilton talked revolution
And the solution to building a nation
For all. Big and small.
That’s one tall order,
Keeping it real from border to border.
Oh yes, we had a backstage tour.
Ooooh. Ooooh.
And ooooh, we met some of the cast,
Young people from all those backgrounds,
Producing all those sweet sounds,
Representing every branch of our family tree:
You and you and you and me.
Reminding us we are family because our colors
Blend into one red, white and blue humanity.
We didn’t waste our shot.
No, we didn’t waste our shot.
I thought about my family tree,
A shout out to my grandparents
Sailing into New York Harbor, the Statue of Liberty
Welcoming them to the land of the free.
Nothing guaranteed but the will to succeed.
After more than a century,
I hold on to the memory and like to think how
Lady Liberty, her torch raised high,
Her eye on all those immigrants,
Welcomes my father Morris—Moishe still—and shy of three.
She sings, her silent voice so resonant
(Born in Poland he can’t be president
But what counts is what he can be):
“Know what you’ve got here, boy. A shot here, boy.
And listen now to what I say:
Let no one take your shot away.
Big shots with small minds seeking any lame excuse
To cut our Constitution loose
And trample on the glory of those who made us great.
Don’t let them be the ones to tell your story.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s right.
We all have rights. It’s worth the fight
For freedom.
Staying silent would be dumb. We’re all Americans,
Building our nation, reinforcing its foundation,
Seeking to rise up, rise up beyond our station.
Immigrants like Sam and Kayleh, Lyon and Minnie
Came for opportunity.
Not just for them but everyone,
Away from fear and squalor, hollering for just one thing:
Their shot.
Which they got.
So, let’s remember sun to sun,
There something more in store than fun
When the lights go on and voices rise.
You better bet we owe a debt to
Alexander Hamilton.
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