Hamilton Live: Two Questions and an Epiphany

I watched Hamilton Live.

I had never seen the play, so it was all new to me.

I loved the play! I laughed! I cried!

I also had two questions and an epiphany.

My first question was: why did Eliza gasp at the end.

I realize I'm arriving to the party late, so probably most of you have already figured this out. But here's how I'm working it out:

It seemed to me as if that final scene, where everyone was looking back on Hamilton's life, that we were well into the future. At least, that's how it seemed when Elisa was speaking. Her recollections were those of an old woman, looking back.

As she was speaking, Hamilton appears behind her. When she turns to leave, their eyes meet, they smile. He takes her hand and leads her to the end of the stage, facing the audience.

She gasps.

End scene.

End play.

Actors bow.

What did she see? Why did she gasp?

I asked my kids.

One of my daughters Googles it. A suggested answer is that the 4th wall was "sundered."

What's the 4th wall?

I ask Alexa.

She answers (reading from Wikipedia): The 4th Wall is an "invisible, imagined wall that separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this 'wall' the actors act as if they cannot."

Ah. The 4th wall. Sure. Theater people already knew this.

So the 4th wall was sundered. Eliza saw the audience.

But she gasped. Why would she gasp at an audience?

Here's my take, my "epiphany": She gasped, not because she saw an actual audience. That's not worthy of a dramatic gasp. I think what she saw when the "4th wall was sundered" was centuries worth of audiences, of audiences yet to be born, hearing this story. That was a recurring theme during the play--who will tell your story?

I think that's what she saw. I think that's why she gasped. The revolution was not for naught.

The second question: Why was John Adams not included in this telling?

***** 

A brief follow up. Apparently I'm not the only one who has questions about the gasp. After I posted the above reflections on Facebook, a friend sent me the following article from Slate.

"Looking into the Light: Hamilton Movie Ending Explained" 

It's a good theory, but honestly? I like mine better. As one of my friends put it, "a bit more complex and ethereal, transcending time." Well put!