Lauren's Latest: overthinking about Hamilton
Part political explainer, part group chat energy, part cultural chaos.
If you follow me on Instagram (@lauren.lately), you’ll know I love a deep dive — but not everything needs 12 slides and a full policy explainer. Sometimes I just want to share a sharp take, a chaotic group chat debate, or the weirdly specific thing I can’t stop googling. So I will start pulling some of my chaotic and chronically online interests into a weekly-ish newsletter where I share the ideas, obsessions, conversations and culture taking up space in my brain. Welcome to Lauren’s Latest! Think of it as part political insight, part cultural spiral, part dispatch from the inner workings of a feminist nerd brain trying to make sense of the world (and the algorithm).
This is for the curious, the overthinkers, and the people who still read the comments.
Enough intro, let’s get into it.
This week I am overthinking about the Hamilton OG Broadway cast Tony’s performance…
If you know me, you’ll know I love the musical Hamilton. I could practically perform a one-woman rendition of the whole thing. So of course I was glued to the screen watching the 10-year reunion performance of the original Broadway cast at the Tony Awards.
The Hamilton reunion wasn't just nostalgia bait — it was a masterclass in political theatre disguised as entertainment. And in a moment when direct political speech feels increasingly dangerous, watching these artists say the quiet part loud through costume and choreography? That's the kind of art that I live for.
But before I get into the symbolism of it all, please allow me one small detour. I have to talk about how little airtime Anthony Ramos got. Whether it’s because he was only able to make it last minute (which is the likely, if boring, explanation), or — and this is the version I personally choose to believe — he’s still paying the karmic price for doing Jasmine Cephas Jones dirty.
(ICYMI: Ramos and Cephas Jones were together for six years — they met at the original Hamilton table read — and were engaged before splitting in 2021 amid cheating rumours. I was about to say I don’t normally follow celebrity breakup gossip, but then I remembered my enduring obsession with the “Silver Springs” lore and gave myself a reality check.)
Now, back to the show.
The outfit choices alone were a dissertation in symbolism. The entire cast (except Jonathon Groff's King George) were dressed in funeral black — mourning the death of American democracy, perhaps, or grieving what might've been. Daveed Diggs in a single black glove and beret evoked the Black Panther movement. And when Leslie Odom Jr shed his overcoat during The Room Where It Happens, some of us (read: me) saw a reference to the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots, when Mexican-American youth were targeted by members of the US military.
The key players all got their moments (aside from the aforementioned Anthony Ramos). Ariana DeBose — sorry, Oscar winner Ariana DeBose — reprised her role as “the bullet” in the ensemble. If you’ve never paid attention to her arc while watching Hamilton, you should. It’s the kind of detail that deepens every rewatch.
As much as we all wanted to hear Jonathon Groff sing/spit You’ll Be Back, it seemed incredibly fitting that the tyrannical monarch dressed in blood red doesn’t actually say anything of note (but we do get the incredibly catchy ‘da-da-da-dat-da’ from the chorus).
Leslie Odom Jr and Lin-Manuel Miranda opened with Non-Stop (which also was the closing song in the medley) — a choice that underlined the relentless nature of ambition and activism.
The staging built to a crescendo of intentionality. I especially loved the transition from Aaron Burr’s hunger for power in The Room Where It Happens flowing into George Washington’s warning: “history has its eyes on you”. A reminder that power comes with scrutiny — and that history will remember who used it, and how. Especially poignant when you see that the end of the reprise is backed by lighting designed to resemble the White House. A clear, deliberate image.
Watching this while LA burns with protests and authoritarianism tightens its grip felt especially sharp. Hamilton’s original mission — to subvert the whitewashed history of America’s founding fathers — has never felt more urgent. And when you look at the sheer talent it’s launched, especially among artists of colour, it’s clear this show wasn’t just revolutionary in theme — it’s been revolutionary in impact.
A masterclass in political theatre. A fitting tenth anniversary. And a reminder that art has always been a powerful way to communicate important messages.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be watching Hamilton on Disney+ for the thousandth time.
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Consumed
What I’m watching / reading / listening to … basically a running list of the things currently taking up too much of my time, attention, or personality.
Watching
Taskmaster: Series 19 (Foxtel) — I have long been a fan of Taskmaster, and I’ve now got G onto it too. I am dying at the chaos of Jason Mantzoukas (who is G’s fave because he was in the Percy Jackson TV series), the sweetheart that is Mathew Baynton and the absolute dead-pan hilarity of Fatiha El-Ghorri. Obsessed with her!
The Assessment (Amazon Prime) — Set in a near future where parenthood is state-controlled, a couple undergoes a mysterious seven-day evaluation to determine their eligibility to have a child. What begins as a bureaucratic process quickly spirals into a psychological nightmare, exposing the fragility of personal freedoms and the seductive ease of authoritarian control. A fascinating, unsettling look at the politics of reproduction and just how willingly we might surrender autonomy in the name of safety or order.
Reading
See How They Fall by Rachel Paris — If you’re into the downfall-of-the-super-wealthy vibes or the outsider-in-a-rich-family tension of White Lotus, Sirens, or The Perfect Couple, this one’s for you. The story unfolds through two perspectives: Skye, a woman fighting for her child’s life after a mysterious poisoning, grappling with whether she can trust her seemingly perfect husband; and Mei, the police officer investigating the case while juggling her own complicated personal life and the undercurrent of sexism from the boys’ club at work. A slick, suspenseful read with class, power, and relationships at its core.
Patriarchy Inc: What We Get Wrong About Gender Equality and Why Men Still Win at Work by Cordelia Fine — A sharp, evidence-based takedown of the persistent myths propping up workplace inequality. Fine dismantles the usual “but actually…” arguments about gender roles and dives into the flawed historical narratives that still shape how we think about work, leadership, and success. Smart, accessible, and deeply satisfying if you’re tired of bad-faith debates and pop-science excuses.
ICYMI
Jenny Wilkinson was announced yesterday as the new Treasury Secretary — the first woman to take the role. Along with Michele Bullock as RBA Governor and Danielle Wood as Chair of the Productivity Commission, women now hold some of the most consequential economic roles in the country.
Sarah Snook is halfway to an EGOT after winning the Tony award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for The Picture of Dorian Gray. It was her Broadway debut and she plays all 26 characters in the one-woman play. I so hope the rumours of a film version are true because I would love to see it!
Obviously, everyone has seen the many (many) articles, memes and reactions to the Donald Trump x Elon Musk spectacularly messy and public breakup, but I really liked this take on the breakup through the lens of male friendship.
Like what you read? Forward it to a friend, or hit reply and tell me what’s living rent-free in your brain this week.
See you soon —
Lauren