The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast

Happy Independence Day, friends! …Or not? Nicole Scholet de Villavicencio from the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society is back to tell us about how we should really all be celebrating on July 2nd, and drops knowledge on Chernow’s Chapter 15 “Villainous Business.” We’re also joined by Gillian’s husband Michael Paul Smith and discuss all of the Alexander Hamilton events thrown by the AHA Society this summer.

*Recorded on May 19th* This episode is all about Chernow's Chapter 14: "Putting the Machine in Motion." We talk George Washington's sense of "doom" about the presidency, Angelica's Disney princess status, and the first writings referencing A.Ham's infidelity. Have you read this?!

This is a milestone episode! We meet with and interview a ‘Hamilton’ cast member for the first time! Seth Stewart (@IAMSethStewart) talks backstage at the Tonys, his responsibilities as the Green Captain of ‘Hamilton,’ the moment he realized he’d be best friends with Lin-Manuel Miranda, and why we should all #StayWeird. He also speaks directly to the Hamilfans. Jam!!!

On June 9th, 4PM, Eastern Standard Time we spoke to none other than Anthony Rapp! We chatted everything including his love of Hamilton, what it’s like being in the eye of the hurricane of a phenomenon (um RENT!), the Chicago Cubs, and what he thinks is missing on Broadway. Plus! We cast Hamilton characters and Rent characters. Well, as much as we could. Bonus! We channel Alexi Darling for our sign off. 

It's almost time for the Hamiltonys! Well, Tony Awards to the non-Ham people out there. This week we talk Tony predictions (as painful as it may be), and tell you all about our new partnership with Broadway Radio. 

We’re back talking Chernow with The Federalist Papers. These men truly did write they were running out of time, it’s crazy. We also read listener emails, Bianca tells us about Hamilton yoga, and we discuss how to deal with people who don’t match your enthusiasm for Hamilton.

Our guest this week is Kate Powers, a facilitator and teacher with Rehabilitation Through the Arts at Sing Sing and Fishkill Correctional Facilities. We talk about how Kate uses Shakespeare and Hamilton to inspire inmates. We were so moved talking to Kate about the work she does that we decided to skip Chernow, so the book discussion will pick up next week.

This week, we're joined by Nicole Scholet de Villavicencio, Vice-President and co-founder of the Alexander Hamilton Awareness Society, also known as the AHA Society, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to educating about the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton. We talk the Constitutional Convention (or #ConCon), Trinity Church, and how Mercury in retrograde gave us allllll the technical difficulties.

It’s a bummer, but we have to talk about the crazy level of hypocrisy surrounding our Founding Fathers fighting for freedom yet still owning slaves. It sucks. We break down who was the biggest hypocrite and… we hate to say it, but there’s a good possibility Alexander and Eliza Hamilton owned some slaves of their own. But we balance things out with some awesome listener emails! Silver lining? Yes, because we have the best listeners of all time.

We’re back talking Chernow and this week we really #FeelTheBurr (especially since we’re sipping on some Aaron Burr Cidery goodness). It’s pretty much a therapy session for Aaron Burr. In spite of Gillian and Ashley’s best efforts to have a Harry Potter-centric episode, Bianca and Meg keep things on track. Fun fact: Ham4Ham didn’t start with the Broadway show we know and love. Intriguing right?

Look around, look around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now! Thanks to total strangers moved to kindness by Gillian's story of not having seen Hamilton, we both to got to be in the room where it happens! We saw Hamilton the very same night Lin-Manuel Miranda won the Pulitzer Prize. A very generous listener bought us tickets, and friends of friends got us backstage. We are so overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude. We couldn't wait to tell you all about it so we bumped our previously scheduled episode to next week and recorded an emergency podcast so we could tell our stooooorrrryyyy. 

Gillian and Bianca take a break (get it?) from Chernow to focus on the brand new Hamiltome aka Hamilton: The Revolution. Ashley Graffeo joins in on the conversation and designer extraordinaire Meg Smith of Sweet Lady Designs sits in with us for the first time.

Gillian and Bianca are once again joined by Gillian's husband Michael Paul Smith. They talk Hamilton SoulCycle and get into some awesome listener emails. Things take a bit of a sad turn then discussing Chapter 9 in Chernow, "Raging Billows." Sadfaces.

It's our 10th episode! Our Hamisode! Gillian and Bianca are joined by Gillian's husband Michael Smith, who has finally listened to the cast recording after months of trying to hold out. Mike gushes over his favorite songs, gives advice for people living with the Hamilton-obsessed, and talks Marshall Mathers, John Adams, and a lot more. We also get into the badass Peggy Schuyler as well as The Battle of Yorktown in our discussion of Chapter 8 in Chernow, "Glory." Oh, and did you know "The World Turned Upside Down" was an actual march that was played by the British? Believe it. "My Shot" instrumental provided by Bao Vu.

Cue all the memes, all the gifs, and all the references because this week we are joined by none other than Scott Wasserman. Oh ya know, just the guy who programs all of the beats in a little show called HAMILTON! Yup, we are still floating after this awesome conversation with the Hamilton Beatmaster. And you guys! It's perfect because we're up to Chernow's "The Lovesick Colonel" chapter where Ham meets Eliza and Scott told us all about the badass rewiiiiiind in "Satisfied." "My Shot" instrumental provided by Bao Vu.

Gillian and Bianca discuss Chernow's "Frenzy of Valor" chapter with the one and only Hollis Andrews aka @HamiltonsSquad. From Lin-Manuel Miranda shouting Hollis out from the Richard Rodgers stage, to the love between Alexander Hamilton and John Laurens, and the real reason Ham didn't duel Charles Lee... wow, there's a lot happening this week. "My Shot" instrumental provided by Bao Vu.

It's listener appreciation time! Gillian and Bianca read some of your emails and talk about how awesome you all are. And in Chernow's "The Little Lion" chapter, we learn a little more about the friendship between Hamilton, Laurens, and Lafayette. Swoon. "My Shot" instrumental provided by Bao Vu.

Gillian and Bianca talk Broadway bootlegs and Chapter 4 in Chernow: "The Pen and the Sword." Also, Gillian's Hamilton FOMO made her temporarily lose her mind so she tells a cautionary Craigslist tale. Yikes. "My Shot" instrumental provided by Bao Vu.

In this week's episode, Gillian and Bianca are joined by Lizzy but you know her as @TheHamWing. We talk about her wonderful Hamilton/West Wing mashups as well as the next chapter in Chernow's book, "The Collegian." It turns out "The Farmer Refuted" pamphlet was no joke, but apparently that whole Ham punching the bursar thing was. Womp womp. "My Shot" instrumental provided by Bao Vu.

Our resident high school history teacher Ashley Graffeo returns to gush over seeing "Hamilton"for the first time and talk about Chapter Two in Chernow's book, aptly titled "Hurricane." Not to mention Hamilton's early poetry in which he calls someone "an artful little slut." Damn, Ham! "My Shot" instrumental provided by Bao Vu.