Personal Narrative: Leslie Odom Jr.

Words: 492
Pages: 2

Lights dim, vibrant lights flash and practically blind me. My vision clears as the drums, synthesizer, piano, and strings crescendo in. A spotlight appears on a figure: Leslie Odom Jr. playing the infamous antagonist Arron Burr. As he opens his mouth, the smoothness and light singing voice of Odom enters my ears. The production has barely begun, but I’m already entranced and enthralled by the luscious lyrics, soulful sound, and heartwarming harmonies. I didn’t deserve to be sitting so close to the stage, yet here I am, gazing upon the most talked about show on Broadway: Hamilton.
The opening song ends with a minute of applause, which is no surprise. Transitions continue right into the next song. Each piece is like a wave crashing into sharp rocks. The genre is rap and hip-hop, so each song sets the tone for the whole scene. From cabinet meeting rap battles, to R&B emotional roller coasters, the pieces draw the audience into a fairly unknown part of Old American history told by Modern America. I continue to be hypnotized by the performances.
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She enters the stage with first impression as a sassy no nonsense woman. Over time, we see her develop this static love-struck character to a soulful and powerful woman. I can feel her emotion flood in the second act when she’s heartbroken due to her husband’s action. Soo’s song, “Burn” is one of the few ballads in the production, but it’s what left me bawling erratically minutes after the song concluded. We see her burning every letter she saved from her husband from the moment they interacted. I think all people can relate to a promise being broken, but this is a promise shattered into