Hamilton, Depression, and Improv: The Importance of the Arts

I was once asked, “Why do you like Hamilton so much?” I didn’t have a good answer then, and I don’t think I had a good answer for that question until last night. Last night, my improv group celebrated four years of performing at Wooden Legs Brewing Company in Brookings, SD. But let’s not start there. Let’s start the day I discovered Hamilton and follow my journey through life while enjoying Hamilton for the last ten years.

I was scrolling through Facebook one day roughly ten years ago, and someone posted an article from PBS or NPR (I can’t remember what outlet published this) where they were offering a sneak peak at the soundtrack for a new musical called Hamilton: An American Musical. A musical about one of the founding fathers? I was perplexed, but my curiosity was piqued. I was also in the middle of a masters program and needed a way to procrastinate. There were two tracks embedded in the article: “Act One” and “Act Two.” My plan was to listen to a little bit of Act One and then get to work on my masters program assignments. Well, two and half hours later, I was finished with the entirety of the soundtrack. The music was great. I like a good rap song, and Hamilton had plenty of those. I was actually surprised at how moved I was. I was kinda sad over the death of Alexander Hamilton. That was weird, but I knew this was a great musical. I was hooked and couldn’t wait for them to release the soundtrack for purchase. What seemed like an eternity later, the soundtrack was officially released, and I began to listen to it NON-STOP (pun intended).

My favorite song back then was “My Shot.” An epic Eminem-style rap in a musical? I’m in! I loved it. You see, that’s all Hamilton was to me back then, an epic musical. It wasn’t something more, that is, until I saw it. In 2016, it was announced that they would debut a Chicago production of Hamilton. I bought tickets as soon as I could. However, I couldn't get tickets until the March 11, 2017 performance. That is when I began my journey of fully understanding what Hamilton is. The show was funnier than I realized from listening to the soundtrack. Also, the emotional moments hit more, especially the ending moment with Eliza’s gasp. I was hooked even more.

Then, they announced a tour, and I began seeing Hamilton as often as I could. I drove up to Minneapolis to see it in September 2018, and I drove to see it in Omaha in September of 2019. In November of 2019, I saw it in Philadelphia while there for a conference. During COVID, I saw it on Disney+. November of 2021 saw me seeing it in Omaha for a second time. July of 2022, I took a trip for funsies and happened to pick a location where Hamilton was playing. (Okay, maybe I chose New Orleans as my trip destination because Hamilton was playing at the Saenger Theater.) In April 2023, I saw it in Minneapolis for a second time. 2024 was the first calendar year I didn’t see Hamilton. That wouldn’t last long as I gave myself an early birthday present to see it Omaha for a third time in May of 2025. For those keeping track, I have seen it eight times so far, but I have never seen it on Broadway. When Leslie Odom, Jr. announced his return to the Broadway cast, I impulsively bought tickets, so next week I will see it for a ninth time and the first time on Broadway.

Why do I keep seeing a musical I could recite as well as a cast member? To answer that question, we need to go back to 2018. That was a rough year. I struggled with my mental health mightily that year, and for the first time in my life admitted I needed help for depression. My struggles were aided by medication and therapy, but Hamilton also had a role in connecting me with my emotions and made me feel seen. There are so many emotional moments in that show, and I relate to a lot of the characters. I could and probably will write a separate blog post on how I relate to each of the characters. But, what really made me connected to the characters was the emotional aspect of Hamilton.

Yes, Hamilton tells the story of Aaron Burr (take it from someone who has seen it eight times: Burr is the main character), Alexander Hamilton, and other founding fathers. Yes, it is about the birth of the United States. Yes, it is an immigrant coming to America and rising up to become the first Secretary of the Treasury. But more than anything, Hamilton is a human story. Who can’t relate to Burr aspiring to greatness but feeling nervous about doing what it takes to get there? Or Hamilton trying his best to prove himself? Or Eliza being hurt by the one she loves? Or Angelica losing out to someone else when it comes to who she wants to be with romantically? All of these characters evoke real emotions in the audience. We don’t fall in love with Hamilton because of the songs or the performances, all of which are brilliant. We fall in love with Hamilton because it tells human stories. It creates feelings in us that connect us to the characters and to one another.

That is the power of art in our lives. Telling stories is uniquely human, and Hamilton does this with excellence. I’m not the only one who thinks this way. Hamilton had a profound effect on a lot of people – those who have just listened to the soundtrack, those who have seen it on stage or DIsney+, and even those who were in it. Leslie Odom, Jr. in announcing his return to the Broadway cast said that Hamilton introduced him to “the version of myself I’d waited a lifetime to meet.” This is a profound statement, but it is 100% true. I know what performing and the arts can do for a person.

As mentioned above, I have struggled with depression, and it reached intolerable levels in 2018 which continued through the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as the world began re-opening ever so slightly in 2021, something happened. I saw a Facebook post about a new improv group forming in the area where I live. I was the first to reach out about joining. This was an excellent move on my part.

I have loved improv ever since I first learned what it was back in elementary school. In college, I finally got a chance to perform it, and I was hooked on improv. However, after I graduated college in 2014, improv left my life, and I went on with my life. When I joined my new improv group, Improvanopolis, I was eager to get back into it, but I was still stuck in the murky filth of depression. I hardly put any effort into my social connections and was not truly myself. However, after shaking the rust off of my improv skills, I began to see a change in my life. Friends noticed it, too. I was happier and more myself. Yes, I still struggle with down days, but having improv in my life again improves my mood. I have more good days than bad, and I feel I am better in my relationships. I certainly can have better conversations because I know I can react to unexpected comments and statements. In a way, improv brought me back to life. It has also helped me meet “the version of myself I’d waited a lifetime to meet.” My life is better with improv in it.

That’s the power of the arts. They give us life. We crave telling and hearing stories. Life is boring without entertainment, but the arts are not just a diversion. The arts improve our lives and give flavor to our experiences. We need stories like Hamilton to lift us up and breathe life into areas of ourselves that have become darkened by pain, hurt, sickness, or sadness. We love and live stories, and how we tell those stories dictates how we endure the slings and arrows of life. We need the arts.

I’m not saying everyone needs to watch Hamilton in person nine times, but if there is a story that resonates with you, explore it. What connects you to that story? How do you relate to the characters? How can you use this particular story to live a better life? I fell in love with Hamilton because it made me feel seen and has also connected me to emotions and feelings I didn’t know were there. Telling stories on the improv stage makes me feel alive. I live, not merely survive, because I embrace stories and do not mindlessly watch them unfold. I live them. I unite with them. Stories have the power to transform our lives, and the arts give us a vehicle for telling powerful stories that can have the impact that Hamilton has had on the world and the impact that improv has had on me.