Hamilton: An American Musical It is one of the most popular artistic creations of all time. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s record Broadway musical premiered in 2015, but now that it’s accessible to everyone with a Disney + subscription, there are a few new questions that come up five years later.
A common query has to do with Alexander Hamilton’s wife, Eliza Hamilton. The finale of the musical shows Eliza walking hand in hand with her deceased spouse as she sings about what the rest of her life was like after he was killed in a duel. Then Eliza, played by the immensely talented Phillipa Soo, lets out a loud gasp.
Fans can’t help but wonder: Why is Eliza panting like this?
Eliza Hamilton gasps loudly during the final monologue
Hamilton It is based on a mix of musical genres ranging from traditional Broadway songs to rap. The unique storytelling of a classic tale is what made the story so compelling, plus the talents of the diverse cast of actors are unparalleled.
During the final song, “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Her Story,” Eliza offers a summary of what happens to her the rest of her life. She talks about opening an orphanage and helping raise hundreds of children, as well as gathering letters from her late husband Alexander and other writing samples for her biography.
Eliza says: “I can’t wait to see you on the other side. It’s just a matter of time, ”just as Alexander takes her hand. Then she walks to the edge of the stage, looks at the audience and gasps as she cries. But why?
Fans have a lot of theories about Eliza’s gasp during ‘Hamilton’
Some fans say she gasped because Eliza had died and is seeing the afterlife, including her deceased husband again. Others argue that she is surprised to see the audience there, appreciating Alexander Hamilton’s story and not letting his legacy die with him, Yahoo reported.
And then there are the fans who think Eliza is watching the modern world with all its triumphs and failures today. Her surprise and happiness that the American experiment lasted this long would be enough for those triumphant tears.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and Phillipa Soo explain their theories
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Miranda has heard all the theories related to Eliza’s gasp and refuses to divulge which one is correct. Instead, she says that panting depends on acting and depends on which actress plays Eliza.
“I think it is different for each Eliza,” he said during an interview with Wired. “It’s shocking, isn’t it? It goes through time in some way. If that thing you are seeing is Amiliton, if what you are seeing is the sky, if what you are seeing is the world now. I think they are all valid and fair. I think she’s looking through a span of time at that moment. “
Soo expressed similar feelings. “People say, ‘Is Eliza going to heaven? Is she seeing Alexander? Is she seeing God? What is it?’ And it’s kind of all of those things, ”she told AOL in 2016.
“Sometimes I literally look out and see the audience, and that’s what it is, but I think that idea of ’transcendence’ is present in all of that,” he continued. “Either in Eliza’s mind, or in Phillipa’s mind, they are both the same, which is beautiful at the time.”
Ultimately, it’s up to the audience to decide what Eliza’s gasp means.
