John Waters says, "If you are not obsessed, you are nothing."
On that note, please recall that Lin-Manuel Miranda will be back in the public eye soon. He will be in "Mary Poppins Returns." (Who is excited for this film? Yours truly.) In honor of this major event, let's note some things about LMM:
-Writers tend to have certain tics--and they return to these again and again. Take a look at "Everything I Know," from IN THE HEIGHTS. Put it up next to "Wait for It," from HAMILTON. Hmm...
-In both cases, there's an inciting exchange. In IN THE HEIGHTS, someone hands Nina a photo album from her dead Abuela's possessions. In HAMILTON, the title character quizzes Burr about his girlfriend, Theodosia.
-So: We start with something small. Nina pages through the photo album and sees images from the eighties; you can tell the era "by the volume of the women's hair." Abuela seems to be in every image; "if it happened on this block, Abuela was there." (Already, Nina's gears are turning. She admires Abuela for Abuela's commitment and energy. Keep an eye on that.) By contrast, Burr shares some thoughts about his girlfriend. She can't run off with Burr because she is married--to a British officer. (Genius for LMM to seize on this detail. Burr is the ultimate Divided Self, unable to commit to much of anything. Of course he would choose, as a girlfriend, a woman "impossible to keep." Burr reflects on "keeping the bed warm while Theodosia's husband is away." There's a sense of impermanence, flightiness. Keep an eye on that, as well.)
-Naturally, reflections on the recent past lead to reflections on the distant past. Verse Two. Nina imagines Abuela's childhood--departing the homeland for a strange country, "on a cold, dark night." This leads to thoughts about Abuela's ballsiness, about the distance she has traveled. (And, implicitly: "How far have I traveled? Am I letting Abuela down?") By contrast, Burr's thoughts of the distant past center on a certain tight-lipped streak through his family history. "My father commanded respect; when he died, he left no instructions..." We can't help but think that Burr will behave similarly; he's always saying, "Talk less, smile more." There's an emphasis on respectability without risk, style without substance. That's deliberate.
-A final section takes us into the present. Nina hits a photo of herself at her high-school graduation. The Nina/Abuela connection is complete: Like Abuela, Nina will dig deep for strength and take advantage of the few things that have been given to her. Burr's thoughts turn to Hamilton; as he dwells on Hamilton's chutzpah, we sense that he is warring against himself. At least one part of Burr would like to stop "waiting for it" and become the man who does not hesitate, who "takes and takes and takes." (Burr doesn't admit this, but the inner tension seems implicit. And this will lead to Burr seizing power from Hamilton's father-in-law later on, which will in turn lead to the tragedy of the eleven-o'-clock number/duel.)
-All of that in two songs. It's fun to see how writers lean on a template, over and over. And it's interesting to see how "Wait for It" seems messier and more ambitious than the earlier "Everything I Know." Both are delightful. Till "Mary Poppins"--!
On that note, please recall that Lin-Manuel Miranda will be back in the public eye soon. He will be in "Mary Poppins Returns." (Who is excited for this film? Yours truly.) In honor of this major event, let's note some things about LMM:
-Writers tend to have certain tics--and they return to these again and again. Take a look at "Everything I Know," from IN THE HEIGHTS. Put it up next to "Wait for It," from HAMILTON. Hmm...
-In both cases, there's an inciting exchange. In IN THE HEIGHTS, someone hands Nina a photo album from her dead Abuela's possessions. In HAMILTON, the title character quizzes Burr about his girlfriend, Theodosia.
-So: We start with something small. Nina pages through the photo album and sees images from the eighties; you can tell the era "by the volume of the women's hair." Abuela seems to be in every image; "if it happened on this block, Abuela was there." (Already, Nina's gears are turning. She admires Abuela for Abuela's commitment and energy. Keep an eye on that.) By contrast, Burr shares some thoughts about his girlfriend. She can't run off with Burr because she is married--to a British officer. (Genius for LMM to seize on this detail. Burr is the ultimate Divided Self, unable to commit to much of anything. Of course he would choose, as a girlfriend, a woman "impossible to keep." Burr reflects on "keeping the bed warm while Theodosia's husband is away." There's a sense of impermanence, flightiness. Keep an eye on that, as well.)
-Naturally, reflections on the recent past lead to reflections on the distant past. Verse Two. Nina imagines Abuela's childhood--departing the homeland for a strange country, "on a cold, dark night." This leads to thoughts about Abuela's ballsiness, about the distance she has traveled. (And, implicitly: "How far have I traveled? Am I letting Abuela down?") By contrast, Burr's thoughts of the distant past center on a certain tight-lipped streak through his family history. "My father commanded respect; when he died, he left no instructions..." We can't help but think that Burr will behave similarly; he's always saying, "Talk less, smile more." There's an emphasis on respectability without risk, style without substance. That's deliberate.
-A final section takes us into the present. Nina hits a photo of herself at her high-school graduation. The Nina/Abuela connection is complete: Like Abuela, Nina will dig deep for strength and take advantage of the few things that have been given to her. Burr's thoughts turn to Hamilton; as he dwells on Hamilton's chutzpah, we sense that he is warring against himself. At least one part of Burr would like to stop "waiting for it" and become the man who does not hesitate, who "takes and takes and takes." (Burr doesn't admit this, but the inner tension seems implicit. And this will lead to Burr seizing power from Hamilton's father-in-law later on, which will in turn lead to the tragedy of the eleven-o'-clock number/duel.)
-All of that in two songs. It's fun to see how writers lean on a template, over and over. And it's interesting to see how "Wait for It" seems messier and more ambitious than the earlier "Everything I Know." Both are delightful. Till "Mary Poppins"--!
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