Hamilton in Manila

It was 2016 when I first heard about Hamilton. I started listening to the Original Broadway Cast Recording on Spotify, and I was instantly hooked. I even fooled myself into thinking I was into rap and hip-hop.

I was a one-year old lawyer then. I remember being able to finish drafting a pleading—an Answer no less—in less than three hours, and I hear the lines of Non-Stop in my head: “Why do you write like you're running out of time? Write day and night like you're running out of time?” Hamilton was my inspiration for writing. If he was able to write 51 essays in a span of six months, maybe I can finish my pleading before it’s due.

Some of the songs were part of my workout playlist. My favorite songs to work out to were Guns and Ships, Cabinet Battle #1, and of course, My Shot. I was on the treadmill when I heard these lines, and contemplated about my lack of beliefs and convictions on a lot of things:
“We studied and we fought and we killed
For the notion of a nation we now get to build
For once in your life, take a stand with pride
I don't understand how you stand to the side”

Seven years later, I am finally able to watch Hamilton live. I cried the moment they started singing “The Story of Tonight”.

What an amazing and unforgettable performance.