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My first goal for today's audition was to appear confident before performing my chosen song. The song I picked to audition with is a contemporary song from the musical Dear Evan Hansen by the name 'Requiem'. To begin with the strengths of the audition, I believe I correctly accented the song with an American accent which highlights my versatility to the audition panel. I achieved this by researching where the song is set and what time period it is set in to be able to correctly apply the proper analysis before singing. In future auditions, I will continue this strength by developing the research further and analysing each line I will be singing. This will further allow a better portrayal of character and allow the panel to feel connected to the lyrics. A second strength of today was having confidence before auditioning. This recently has been a weakness which I have worked on over the past months to be able to appear confident in auditions. This is a strength as it highlights to the Director that I am well-assured of myself and the chosen song which will therefore mean I have an increased belief that I will perform well for the panel. I will continue to work on this strength by practising auditioning in front of family members at home to mock the feeling of being in an audition room. This will also help with Unit 10 when it comes to auditioning for drama schools and universities as an in person audition is crucial for your acceptance.

Despite the strengths of the audition, there were also weaknesses which I will aim to develop over the coming rehearsals. The first weakness I noticed was having a negative attitude towards the audition and not fully preparing myself for the song before. This resulted in added anxiety and heightened nerves before the audition as I had not researched the song and how I was supposed to act it out. This was also shown before singing where I was fidgetig with my hair and clothes as a nervous tick. This is a weakness as it highlights the fact that I am unprepared which makes me undesirable to an audition panel. In future rehearsals and auditions, I will make sure I am fully equipped with all knowledge of the song so I can correctly portray the character's emotions. A second weakness I will aim to correct was being able to connect emotionally with the song and present emotional depth. This also links into acting through song and having the ability to give a song a beginning, middle and end. I will strive to improve this for future rehearsals and relate the lyrics of the song to something in my own life to create a realistic raw emotion whilst performing. I will achieve this by researching acting through song videos and rehearsing the song in front of my peers to receive feedback on my acting.

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HAMILTON

Alexander Hamilton

The Schuyler Sisters

Helpless

BRING IT ON

What I Was Born To Do

Killer Instinct

One Perfect Moment

HAMILTON/DEAR EVAN HANSEN MASHUP

Found Tonight

IN THE HEIGHTS

In The Heights

Breathe

ENCANTO

Surface Pressure

MOANA

How Far I'll Go

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HAMILTON : (ALEXANDER HAMILTON/ THE SCHUYLER SISTERS/ HELPLESS

FULL COMPANY

HAMILTON : Finley Arissol

BURR: Raven Annis

ANGELICA: Rachel Paris

ELIZA: Becca Hayward

PEGGY: Ella Pither

BRING IT ON:

What I Was Born To Do:

CAMPBELL: Scarlett McMullen

SKYLAR: Ruby Peartree

KYLAR: Katie Ambler

BRIDGET: Honey Gallen

STEVEN: Raven Annis

2 COMPANY MEMBERS: Skye Ashley-Andidorou & Darcey Cornell

One Perfect Moment:

CAMPBELL: Grace Brandon, Honey Gallen & Katie Ambler

Killer Instinct:

EVA: Paige Larner, Phoebe McAlindon & Mia Marpole

FOUND/TONIGHT:

BEN PLATT: Finley Arissol

LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA: Raven Annis

IN THE HEIGHTS:

In The Heights:

Full Company Dance

Breathe:

NINA: Catherine Abrahams & Vik Rennie

ENCANTO:

Surface Pressure:

FULL COMPANY DANCE

MOANA:

How Far I'll Go:

FULL COMPANY CHOIR

SOLOISTS: Izzy Drage, Raven Annis and Finley Arissol

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Found/Tonight official video with LMM and Ben Platt

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Found/Tonight official video with LMM and Ben Platt

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Lin-Manuel Miranda & Ben Platt - Found/Tonight (Official Video)

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Lin Manuel-Miranda at San Diego Comic Con in 2019

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Lin-Manuel Miranda is an American songwriter, actor, lyricist, singer, filmmaker and rapper. He is best known for his remarkable contributions to the performing arts industry in both production roles and performing himself. He is the creator of hard hitting and modern musicals such as 'Hamilton', 'In The Heights', and '21 Chump Street'.

EARLY LIFE

Miranda was born on January 16, 1980, in New York City, United States. In his early life, he grew up within a Hispanic neighbourhood in Northern Manhattan where he was surrounded by the sounds of salsa and show tunes. Both his mother and father had respectable jobs being a political consultant and a psychologist, making them known members of the neighbourhood. His parents named him 'Lin-Manuel' after a poem by Puerto Rican writer Jose Manuel Torres Santiago;the poem was titles 'Nana roja para mi hijo Lin Manuel' which translates to 'Red lullaby for my son Lin Manuel'. At the age of seven, Miranda saw his first Broadway musical, 'Les Miserables' which stemmed his passion for live theatre. As well as musicals, Lin's creative taste also included hip-hop and R&B from an early age. He also spent at least one month each year with his grandparents in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico during his childhood and teenage years. His upbringing in a vibrant cultural environment,combined with his exposure to both classic and contemporary art forms, laid the foundations for his creative journey to follow.

BROADWAY SUCCESS

Throughout his career, Miranda has achieved remarkable success in the world of Broadway and Musical Theatre. This began with 'In The Heights' which he began writing lyrics for in his Sophomore year at Hunter College High School. This was his first Broadway debut in 2008; as well as writing the musical he also starred in the lead role 'Usnavi'. In 2021, 'In The Heights' was adapted into a modern movie-musical which received outstanding reviews. The show on Broadway received critical acclaim and won several prestigious awards, including two Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Original Score, as well as a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. Miranda's next big success came in 2015 with the smash-hit musical 'Hamilton', a musical revolving around the life of founding father 'Alexander Hamilton'. He spent seven years writing the musical after reading and gaining inspiration from 'Ron Chernow's 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton'. He first performed the opening number of the founding father's name at the White House for President Barack Obama in 2009. One of the show's distinctive features was its deliberate casting of non-white actors to play all roles except King George III, adding dynamism and originality which audiences loved. 'Hamilton' has received numerous awards and accolades for its groundbreaking impact on Musical Theatre. The most notable being an outstanding ten Tony Awards including:

Best Musical

Best Original Score (Lin-Manuel Miranda)

Best Direction of a Musical (Thomas Kail)

Best Choreography

Best Leading Actor in a musical (Leslie Odom Jr.)

Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Renee Elise Goldsberry)

Best Costume Design of a Musical (Paul Tazewell)

Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Daveed Diggs)

Best Lighting Design (Howell Binkley)

Best Orchestrations (Alex Lacamoire)

It has also received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, eight Drama Desk Awards and seven Olivier Awards.

Many reviewers have said that Miranda's ability to blend history, music and diverse perspectives has left an unforgettable mark on Broadway, making him a celebrated figure in the world of theatre.

FILM AND ANIMATION

Alongside his Broadway works, Miranda has collaborated extensively with the Walt Disney Company. This includes writing the original songs for the animated films 'Moana' (2016), 'Vivo' (2021) and 'Encanto' (2021) The original songs 'How Far I'll Go' from 'Moana' and 'Dos Oruguitas' from 'Encanto' earned him Academy Award nominations. The song 'We Don't Talk About Bruno' also from 'Encanto' topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles charts. In film he has portrayed the role of 'Jack' in the musical fantasy film 'Mary Poppins Returns' released in 2018 and also made his directional debut with the musical 'Tick, Tick...Boom!'. He also hosted Saturday Night Live in 2016 and invested himself in television roles in 'The Electric Company' (2009-2010) and 'His Dark Materials' (2019-2022).

He is also known for being politically active, advocating for debt relief for Puerto Rico and raised funds for disaster relief after Hurricane Maria in 2017.

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Upon receiving the project proposal for this assignment and performance, I felt immediately eager and excited to begin the audition and rehearsal processes. Since I was young I have loved musicals and in 2020 fell in love with arguably Lin-Manuel Miranda's most successful work, Hamilton the musical. Listening and watching the musical grew my love for modern, contemporary and hip-hop styles within productions. I then started to admire Manuel-Miranda and follow his other works such as 'Bring It On', '21 Chump Street', 'Tick, Tick... Boom!' and 'Moana'. My initial thoughts of the set list and the dance styles we will be learning excites me as I get to experience commercial and be taught songs that I have not had the chance to listen to before. I am most excited for the 'Bring It On' section of the concert as that musical is of a contemporary, pop/rock style which I believe reflects my style of Musical Theatre. Since receiving the running order of the songs we will be performing, I researched the number 'Found/Tonight' due to never listening to the track before. I discovered that it is a mash-up between two different songs from 'Hamilton' and 'Dear Evan Hansen'. This excites me as I love incorporating different musicals into the same song and cannot wait to see how this collaboration of musicals will work.

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LMM performing at the White House, linking to research completed on 16/09/2024

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LMM performing at the White House, linking to research completed on 16/09/2024

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Lin-Manuel Miranda Performs at the White House Poetry Jam:  (8 of 8)

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THEMES OF HAMILTON

Set in the late 1700s, the musical follows the story of Alexander Hamilton's life which explores many different themes. Some key motifs are love, loss, forgiveness, ambition and friendship. This wide variety of hard-hitting themes resonate with audiences across the globe.

LOVE

This theme is one of the biggest in Hamilton. From the romance between Eliza and Alexander which audiences see blossom throughout. The story of their marriage is often heartbreaking, with the songs 'Burn' and 'Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story' highlighting how their relationship was not always perfect. Love resonates to the end of the musical with Eliza telling Alexander's story despite the heartbreaks he caused her. Love is also portrayed in the form of lust in the musical with Alexander having an affair with Maria Reynolds and being blackmailed into giving the Reynolds family money for the trouble. The song 'Say No To This' adds a scandalous touch to the musical with Miranda portraying how Alexander Hamilton was not always a good man. Parental love is also portrayed through the relationships of Burr and Alexander with their children in the numbers 'Dear Theodosia' and 'Blow Us All Away'. Throughout the numbers, love is always the underlying theme, being a source of strength and comfort for each character.

LOSS

This is also a major theme in 'Hamilton' with the central figures in the story each facing the death of a loved one at one point or another. The musical begins with Alexander losing his parents and realising he is by himself at the age of 12. Having this significant loss at the beginning of the musical foreshadows the deaths of many key characters throughout including John Laurens, Philip Hamilton and Alexander himself. The opening number ends with Burr stating he is 'The damn fool that shot him' which gives audiences a clear view of the death which is to follow. As well as Hamilton's loss of loved ones, Burr also states that he is an orphan but, unlike Alexander, the death of his parents make him a hesitating over-thinker, always 'lying in wait'. Burr constantly contradicts Hamilton and waits for his turn in Government whereas Alexander 'takes and takes'. Eliza also suffers grief in the musical, losing her first child, Philip at the young age of 19. The heartbreaking number 'Stay Alive - Reprise' provides the harsh reality of a child death and what that is like for a parent. By the end of the musical with Hamilton's death, the audience sees Eliza grieving less and making her peace with this great loss, using it as an opportunity to 'tell his story'.

FORGIVENESS

This theme is exemplified beautifully in 'Hamilton' exploring how forgiveness is a crucial part of life. All throughout, the characters are forced to view their actions and the consequences of them which in turn allows amendments to be made. The biggest forgiveness in the musical is highlighted through Eliza's forgiveness of Alexander for his affair. This comes after their son, Philip is killed in a duel which allows Eliza to view the important things in life and how grief comes hand in hand with forgiveness. The breathtaking number 'Its Quiet Uptown' touches on how grief changes a person's view on someone who hurt them. Forgiveness is also presented in Alexander himself who makes amends for his errors in judgement by getting out in front of rumours and accusations facing them head on. This relinquishes his political status which, for Alexander, is the ultimate sacrifice.

AMBITION

Hamilton himself explores this theme with both the bright and dark sides ambition brings. At the beginning of the musical, Alexander's ambition is raw and truthful due to his young age, claiming he wants to 'fan this spark into a flame'. Young Alexander has big ambitions for his life, searching for Aaron Burr as soon as he reaches New York to start building a name for himself. The ambition continues in 'A Winter's Ball' where he claims confidently 'Is it a question of if, Burr or which one' in response to Burrs 'If you can marry a sister, you're rich son'. The confidence which Hamilton shows in Act 1 grows darker as he begins to become greedy and wants more political power, national banks and to be remembered by everyone after he passes. In Act 2, Alexander mentions the play 'Macbeth' which foreshadows his downfall as audiences can explore how Macbeth's ambition brought him to his death at the end of the play. Despite this continuous ambition, Hamilton loses almost everything he has built up for himself in the end as his affair, rivalries and money laundering are all brought to the public's eye.

FRIENDSHIP

A final theme explored in Hamilton is the importance of true friendship for humans'. This can be seen with Alexander's relationships with fellow revolutionaries such as John Laurens, Marquis De Lafayette and Hercules Mulligan, who are all key to is character's development. The audience is introduced to these in 'Aaron Burr, Sir', with an upbeat tune and witty writings, Lin allows the audience to grow an immediate liking of these characters. Friendship is also seen with 'The Schuyler Sisters' and how their friendship and respect for each other often overlooks anything else.This can be seen when Angelica states 'I know my sister like I know my own mind' after finding out Alexander has had an affair. Showing how true friendship between sisters will create loyalty under any circumstance. By exploring how close relationships influence a person's well being and general outlook on the world, the musical encourages the audience to recognise the significance of forming these relationships. Leaving an audience member with the overarching sense that achievements are significant, but life cannot satisfy without someone to share a win with.

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CHARACTER ANALYSIS - MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

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CHARACTER ANALYSIS - MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE

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Date : October 3rd 1797

Location : New York City

Dear to whom it may concern,

I am writing this in 1797, my name is Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, and I was born on August 9th, 1757, making me 40 at the time of writing this. I am married to my dear husband Alexander Hamilton, we had a joyous wedding on the 14th of December 1780 at my family home in Albany, New York. Although I have no formal education, I was of course placed under the care of a Governess from the age of four to learn how to read, write and complete basic arithmetic with my brother William. Regarding my childhood, growing up I took a keen interest in political and social affairs with my older sister Angelica. Looking back on it now, we would often comment on the revolution and what was going to happen after, even though we most likely should not have been discussing such affairs! Come to think of it, I was also taught Dutch and French as well as English, although Angelica was always more adept at the french language than I ever was.

I am currently working as a Philanthropist, Socialite and Hymmwriter, and I am even thinking about opening an orphanage in the future. Naturally, my nationality is American, although some of my distant relatives were Dutch American. I Would say I have an athletic build with brunette hair and chestnut brown eyes, matching my dark eyebrows, in case whoever is reading this wanted to picture a face to the letter. My skin, however, has always contradicted these features, being extremely pale with no rouge to my cheeks at all. I have a rather boxy nose and small, pursed lips underneath. I have no visible scars on my body and my friend Martha Washington once described me as 'The Ideal Woman' which has always inspired me to be proud of who I am and walk tall.

I am currently writing this letter with my right hand although rather difficult with the sleeve of my dress to not spill ink down me. I am wearing a classic Mantua, which, if you were not aware, is a soft bodied gown consisting of a full-length gown worn over a matching fabric petticoat in of course my favourite colour, pastel blue. Alas, I am not wearing a wig today and have left my hair somewhat natural in a bonnet of curls around my head, rather an act of laziness on my part. When I walk into a room, I believe the first thing you would notice about me is my dress sense as I tend to keep up with all the latest fashions of this century.

My dear Father, General Philip Schuyler and Mother, Catherine Van Rensselaer Schuyler, are both prominent figures from distinguished families. As mentioned in the name, my father was a General in the American Revolutionary War, and we were all so immensely proud when he was awarded for his service to the country. My dear mother came from one of the wealthiest and most politically influential families in the Province of New York. I am visiting them tomorrow after a short visit away, I simply cannot wait to see them. Mother and Father have not always led easy lives, in fact they had 15 children in total, but alas, only 8 survived to adulthood. The eight being my older sister Angelica who was born in 1756, Peggy in 1758, John in 1765, Phillip in 1768, Rensselaer in 1773, Cornelia in 1776 and Catherine in 1781. My family and I are all remarkably close knit, particularly Angelica, Peggy, and I, and we all love to visit home and spend hours catching up to discuss politics and social activity happening at the time. I have many Aunts, Uncles and cousins which I adore spending time with at family garden events and dinners. Although, we have recently had losses in the family due to illness, we lost my cousin last year and little Catherine just last week.

Needless to say, my family has often been a part of the occasional scandal, due to our deep involvement with political and military affairs. My sister, Angelica, is also a rather controversial figure in society, getting herself involved in revelations and socialite circles. She also has a close relationship with my husband, Alexander Hamilton, which some deem scandalous. Although, I admire their relationship and find a certain joy in their conversations.

From birth I have had a high socio-economic status due to my family being influential and one of the wealthiest in New York. After marrying my husband this status remained high as we became socially involved with affairs. Although at times my family and I have faced problems due to Alexander's debts and costs associated with my large family. Whilst I am not overly political, I closely align myself with the Federalist views of my husband as he co-founded this party. The Federalists advocated for a strong central government, a robust financial system, and close ties with Britain, making them more of a right wing, conservative leaning. I am extremely happy with my current financial status as I have always had wealth and luxury since I was young. Marrying a Founding Father has also put me in good economic status for the future and looking after my children. For the future, I would love to earn money on my own and help others with this money by donating or creating charities.

My best friend is my sister, Angelica as we share a deep connection that no one else understands. Even though she now lives in Europe we write letters to each other frequently, updating each other of our lives and dramas. I know my sister will always be by my side to support no matter what is thrown my way. Regarding having an enemy, I would say I do not have one, but I have people who have caused great distress in my life. A notable figure being Maria Reynolds, the woman who my husband had an affair with. The scandal surrounding the affair and the subsequent publication of the 'Reynolds Pamphlet' released earlier this year brought public humiliation to my family and I in which it took a great deal to forgive my husband for this scandal. I most admire my mother as she is a strong individual who has never lost her place in society despite the continuous rise and fall of the economy and revolutionary war.

In my opinion, I am highly respected and admired by those around me due to being a dedicated wife, mother, and philanthropist. With my support for Alexander being unwavering through our marriage, many people around me look up to how I achieve preserving his legacy and achievements. My biggest memory is with my best friend and sister, Angelica, and our time together during the Revolutionary War when she introduced me to Alexander. This introduction led to my marriage and shaping my life in numerous unusual ways, from the birth of my children to where I live.

Throughout this marriage, Alex and I have had many upsets and hiccups along the way but my unwavering support and trust in my marriage has kept us going. I care most about my husband and seeing him succeed as it means a great deal to my family, we always take pride in his political achievements, even if it means he is away from home. I would say I am most like my older sister, Angelica as we share many of the same traits as people. For example, we are both open and honest with each other, understand each other's humour and simply have a sisterhood like no other. In regards to my husband, my opposite is his rival, Aaron Burr. This is due to my loyalty, generosity, and support to Alex while Aaron is ambitious, cautious, and opportunistic. I dislike Aaron as he is always in the shadows behind my husband and cannot deal with that, although younger, Alex is more socially accepted and politically renowned in government.

My mental health at the moment is taking a toll and almost downwards spiral. I have been overthinking this Reynolds Pamphlet scandal and wondering how Alex could do such a thing to his devoted wife. My biggest insecurities at the minute are whether Alex is going to gain political power after all of his hard work, and whether he will still find me attractive after being with another woman. I am also worrying due to his absence away from home and the children, often it is like they are growing up without a father. When Alex is here, I have no worries and my mind calms, being with Philip and the children helps me though as it reminds me why I am here, to love, care and provide for my family. I believe I view the world through a lens of resilience, faith, and service. I always try to be a (glass) half full kind of person to allow my children to express themselves however they would like to. I am proudest of my children and the amazing people they are growing up to be under my care. In the future, I would love to be proud of something that I created to help others in need.

I would say I am an extrovert as I love attending social and political events with my husband. I also enjoyed attending balls and dances when I was younger and meeting different socialites. Occasionally, I would also become friends with rebels and converse in secret about political affairs! I am most happy when all my family is together, and we can just relax and discuss simple topics with no interruptions. I deal with stress very well and have performed well under pressure many times. Being a mother, stress is always a large part of your life, but I have learnt to deal with it and harness it to use as a positive. If I could change one thing about myself, I would change the way I feel so deeply about things and how sensitive I can be. This problem has arisen on many separate occasions since I was young; I tend to get sad easily and shut off when something has bothered me. Although I do not see this as a weakness, rather it allows me to have empathy and compassion for those around me.

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My children always motivate me to get up in the morning, particularly my eldest, Philip, who at 15 already has his father's intelligence. My children excite me for all they are going to achieve in the future, so it is my motivation to get up and watch them fly every day. In 5 years, time, I would love for my husband to retire from political affairs and stay home with the children and me. I would also love for my son to be at college, even have graduated, and be showing the world how he can be everything his father is and more. My biggest desire is for Alexander to care more for his family rather than his line of work. In the past, he has put his job before seeing me, particularly when I was pregnant with our eldest, and he was fighting in the Revolutionary War. I need to grow my emotional strength over the next couple of years and have a greater motivation to achieve more in the future.

I would say that one of my greatest skills is my social skills. I am known to be able to navigate different social circles with grace and charm; supporting my husband's career is my priority and if I can help him bridge the gaps with anyone by using my social skills, I will. I have no negative addictions or vices, although people say I am addicted to helping others and having a charitable mind. I enjoy playing backgammon, a game which I learned from Benjamin Franklin in 1776. He taught my family and I how to play and it is now a frequently enjoyed game in our lives.

I have no specific favourite book, but I am well-read with a keen interest in literature. I enjoy popular works by authors such as Samuel Richardson and Laurence Sterne. My favourite food at the minute are pickled cucumbers, as they remind me of my Dutch heritage and relatives. My favourite drink is tea, I particularly enjoy this in the evening as it allows me to unwind before sleep. My favourite artist is the classical music composer, Handel. I have learnt to appreciate his work growing up playing the piano and singing as I adore how soothing classical music is. I am currently enjoying travelling back and forth to New York City for different events and someday would love to travel elsewhere in the United States. My favourite celebrity is George Washington as I greatly admire all of his works and achievements as well as his devotion to his family throughout his life. He has also had a major part in the development of my husband's career and led the country to victory with integrity through the American Revolution.

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To continue on my research of the cast and creatives of 'Hamilton', I will be exploring the history of the cast, creatives and time period the musical is set in. As already stated, the musical tells the story of Alexander Hamilton through the late 18th to early 19th century, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, through a unique blend of hip-hop, jazz, R&B and traditional MT show tunes.

After reading Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton in 2008, he became compelled to begin writing a story and saw the potential to tell it through a modern musical format. He began sculpting the lyrics and songs and even performed an early version of the opening number at the White House Poetry Jam in 2009 for Barack and Michelle Obama. The music was initially ridiculed and people enjoyed the song, yet could not get behind a musical about a Founding Father.

5 years later though, Miranda found a team of dynamic and engaging creatives to create the musical which has captivated audiences worldwide.The Original Broadway Creative team consisted of:

Lin-Manuel Miranda: Book, Music and Lyrics

Thomas Kail: Director

Andy Blankenbuehler: Choreographer

ALex Lacamoire: Orchestrations and Co-Arranger

David Korins: Scenic Design

Paul Tazewell: Costume Design

Charles G. LaPointe: Hair and Wig Design

All of these names contributed to making 'Hamilton' what it is known for now, an inclusive, powerful and heart-wrenching display of Musical Theatre.

Thomas Kail

Thomas Kail was born on January 20, 1977, in Alexandria, Virginia. In Kail's early career, he attended Sidwell Friends School and then went on to graduate from Weslayan University in 1999 with a degree in history. He began his career as an assistant stage manager at New Jersey's American Stage Company. His break came in 2002 where he was scouted by Lin-Manuel Miranda to begin devising 'In The Heights'. After 5 years of hard work, the musical premiered on Broadway in 2008, with Kail directing. He then continued his collaboration with Miranda and began working on 'Hamilton' in 2011. Kail helped shape the musical's early direction and staging as it evolved from workshops to its off-Broadway premiere in 2015 and eventually to Broadway later that year. Other notable projects of Kail includes 'Fosse/Verdon', a television miniseries which he directed and produced, 'Grease Live!', the live television musical starring Vanessa Hudgens and Aaron Tveit in 2016 and co-creating 'Freestyle Love Supreme' with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anthony Veneziale. His personal life also flourishes ,being married to actress Michelle Williams with two children.

Andy Blankenbuehler

Andy Blankenbuehler is a highly acclaimed American choreographer, dancer and director. He was born on March 7, 1970, in Cincinnati, Ohio where he went on to graduate from St. Xavier High School in 1988 and later attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He has performed in several Broadway productions, including 'Guys and Dolls' and 'Fosse', becoming a renowned and successful Broadway figure. With his choreography work, he won three Tony Awards for Best Choreography for 'In The Heights' in 2008, 'Hamilton' in 2016 and 'Bandstand' in 2017. In 2007 he began working on the choreography for 'In The Heights', which also began his partnership with Lin-Manuel Miranda. The choreography of 'In The Heights' is applauded and known for its vibrant and energetic dance sequences that blend a mix pf styles. This reflects the diverse cultural influences and demographic of the Washington Heights neighbourhood in New York City. In 2014, Blankenbuehler was invited to choreograph Miranda's newest project, 'Hamilton'. His choreography is notable for its intricate and expressive movements that enhance the storytelling. He uses dance to represent the chaos of the American Revolution, as well as the personal struggles of the characters. People have often compared his work to impressionistic paintings, which involves creating a 'blurry' background to focus the audience's attention on key moments.

Alex Lacamoire

Alex Lacamoire is a Cuban-American composer, arranger, conductor and musical director who is known for his work across several major Broadway productions. He was born on May 24, 1975 in Los Angeles, California where he began his passion for piano at age 4. He later attended the Berklee College of Music, graduating in 1995 with the highest GPA in the class. He began working on the musical 'Wicked' in 2003 as the associate conductor, co-arranger, and pianist player and later took over as Musical Director and conductor. He then joined the creative team for 'In The Heights' in 2004, collaborating closely with Lin-Manuel Miranda during the early workshop stages to its Off-Broadway debut in 2007 and later its successful Broadway run starting in 2008. In 2014 he started to work on 'Hamilton'with Miranda and his work as the music director, Orchestrator and Conductor for the musical brought him widespread acclaim. Lacamoire also worked on 'Dear Evan Hansen' serving as the Music Supervisor and Orchestrator in 2015. He has contributed to various other projects , including 'Bring It On: The Musical', the 2012 revival of'Annie' and the film adaptation of 'In The Heights'. His outstanding contribution to theatre has led him to be awarded numerous prestigious awards. He has won three Tony Awards for Best Orchestrations due to his work on 'In The Heights' (2008), 'Hamilton' (2016), and 'Dear Evan Hansen' (2017). He has also won four Grammy awards, including Best Musical Theatre Album for 'In the Heights', 'Dear Evan Hansen', and 'Hamilton' as well as a Grammy for producing the soundtrack of 'The Greatest Showman'. In 2019 he won a Prime-time Emmy award for Outstanding Music Direction for the FX miniseries Fosse/Verdon in 2019; and finally received a Kennedy Centre Honour in 2018 for his excellent contributions to performing arts.

Original Broadway Cast:

Lin Manuel Miranda: Alexander Hamilton

Leslie Odom Jr: Aaron Burr

Phillipa Soo: Eliza Hamilton

Renee Elise Goldsberry: Angelica Schuyler

Christopher Jackson: George Washington

Daveed Diggs: Marquis de Lafayette/ Thomas Jefferson

Okieriete Onaodowan: Hercules Mulligan/James Madison

Anthony Ramos: John Laurens/Philip Schuyler

Jasmine Cephas Jones: Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds

Jonathon Groff: King George III

This talented cast graced the stage at the Richard Rogers Theatre until 2016, in which the next cast came in. This particular group of actors have stayed in close partnerships with each other, collaborating on numerous projects together. Miranda has also cast many from the Original Broadway Cast in his new projects, particularly Christopher Jackson who has gained roles in the film adaption of 'In The Heights' and 'Moana', both due to Miranda's involvement. This cast also performed at the White House for President Obama in 2016. Since opening in 2015, the musical premiered in the West End at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London in December 2017, where it continues to run today. It has also had multiple U.S. tours and recently embarked on its first UK and Ireland Tour, bringing the musical to cities across each country. Hamilton has also been performed in various countries, including Australia and Germany, with a German-language production opening in Hamburg in 2022. In 2019, Miranda reprised his role as Alexander Hamilton for a special run in Puerto Rico to raise funds for Hurricane relief.

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The characters in the musical were all real life people living in the 18th-19th century. Alexander and Eliza Hamilton were political figures who's lives impacted the American nation. In the coming paragraphs I will research who the character's are based off in 'Hamilton' and the important events which shaped their lives.

Alexander Hamilton

Hamilton was born on January 11, 1755 or 1557 in Charleston, Nevis, in the British West Indies. He faced a challenging childhood, being born out of wedlock and orphaned at a young age. His father, James Hamilton abandoned the family and his mother, Rachel Faucette Lavien, passed away from illness at age 12 which meant he was left to fend for himself. It was because of this he began working as a clerk, where locals saw his potential and raised funds to send him to New York for education, where he attended King's College (now Columbia University). Hamilton then joined the Continental Army when the Revolutionary War began and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming an aid to General George Washington. After the American Revolution was over and they had gained their independence, Hamilton focused his career onto politics and began writing the Federalist Papers, advocating for the ratification of the U.S constitution. He also became the first Secretary of the Treasury, where he established the national bank and laid the foundations of the new nation. Although his political career was not always smooth sailing, Alexander developed intense rivalries, in particular with Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson. On December 14, 1780 he married Elizabeth Schuyler, and together they had eight children. His life tragically ended on July 12, 1804 in a duel with Aaron Burr, with Burr shooting Hamilton 'right between his ribs'.

Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton

Eliza was born on August 9, 1757, in Albany, New York where she grew up in a wealthy and prominent family. Coming from a socially and politically known family benefited her and gave Eliza the stepping stone to become a well known socialite in American history. After marrying Alexander in 1780 they had eight children: Philip, Angelica, Alexander Jr, John Church, William Stephen, Eliza, and another Philip who was born after their first son's death. Throughout their marriage, Eliza was an unwavering supporter of Alexander's political career and his works, which many people admired and respected at the time. After his death in 1804, Eliza dedicated the rest of her life to charitable work. She co-founded the Orphan Asylum Society in New York City, which was the city's first private orphanage. Eliza then also went on to create the 'Hamilton Free School' which provided an education for children from families who could not afford private schooling. This allowed a wider demographic of the young generation to learn basic literacy, literature and skills which would carry them through life. After all of this, Eliza spent many years organising, reading and time lining her husband's papers and ensuring that his name was recognised as being a leading contributor to the founding of the United States. Living a long life, she passed away on November 9, 1854, at the age of 97. This was after spending her later years in Washington D.C., where she maintained social connections and continued her philanthropic efforts.

As Hamilton is set in in the late 18th and early 19th century, I will be exploring how that time was an era of significant change and contrast. Focusing on exploring aspects such as the social, political and economic changes in these centuries.

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Knowing the historical context of the musical we are performing songs from is useful to develop my character in the show. This means that I can use my research to apply how my character would react to the lyrics and movements of the dance. This area of historical context is also beneficial to understand where the moves came from and the intention behind Miranda writing certain lyrics. Furthermore, I can also draw inspiration from previous performances and watch how the ensemble move, walk and interact with each other throughout the show, deepening my sense of character despite being an ensemble member. Knowing where to watch the live recorded version of the musical also allows me to analyse the main character's relationships and resonate with them. This will create a sense of raw emotion on stage, particularly in the opening number where the cast needs to have powerful characters so the audience can fully understand the song.

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The 18th century was a period of great economic change, particularly for women in this century. To begin with, women's spending habits varied significantly based on their social class and personal circumstances. Upper class women enjoyed spending their money on fashion, accessories, social events, education and hobbies. Wealthy women enjoyed showing off that they had money, simply by elaborate clothes and garish accessories they would buy. Fabrics were also a sign of wealth and women of wealth enjoyed buying new shades of hats, gloves, scarves and several types of jewellery. These clothes would then be shown off at balls, parties and other social gatherings. Occasionally, women would also spend money on hosting these balls to make them lavish and enjoyable for their guests to highlight their wealth. Women of this time also invested their money in educational lessons, such as music lessons, painting, sewing, and other accomplishments. For middle class women, their experience with spending money was different. They managed household finances and spent their money on important appliances such as furniture, kitchenware and other domestic necessities. These women would also spend their money on ensuring their children received an excellent education, so they paid for any extra tutors or private school fees when necessary. Working class women primarily spent their money on food, clothing and rent. During this century, the bridge between upper and working class increased, which meant people did not have the money to be spending on expensive clothes and focused simply on the basic necessities needed for them to survive. The spending habits of the men in these classes did not differ much to the women. Although, upper-class men had access to land and property which allowed them to invest and sell; this would have also increased social status at the time. Fashion was also important for wealthy men, spending their money on tailored suits, wigs and shoes. Middle class men often reinvested their earnings into their businesses or even invested in new projects. This class had the main goal to make as much money from investments and businesses as possible to be able to gain a higher social status. The working class male demographic spent their money on tools and equipment needed for those working in trades or manual labour which was necessary for their work. Amongst men, spending on travel was also common, whether their travel was for business, social visits or leisure. As well as this, health and hygiene was growing in the 18th century, with more people buying soap and medical treatments to overcome illnesses quicker.

In this century, Americans used a variety of currencies due to the lack of a unified national currency system. The main types people used were the Spanish Dollar,better known as 'the piece of eight', British Pounds, Shillings and Pence and commodity money. This included tobacco, beaver skins and shell beads being used as a form of money. Various Colonies in the United States also issued their own paper money to facilitate trade and economic activities. After the war, individual states issued their own currencies again, which further complicated the monetary system. In 1785, the U.S. officially adopted the dollar as its currency, influenced by the widespread use of the Spanish Dollar. The first U.S. dollar coins were issued in 1794 and Dollars and Cents became used nationally.

Women's wages varied to men, with the gender pay gap meaning that men earned almost double what women did in the 18th century, even if they were in the same job. Female domestic servants earned around 16 cents per day, textile workers could earn up to $1 per day, and women working on farms earned even less at around 20 cents per day. In the late 18th Century, basic items could be viewed as quite expensive relative to the average income. For example, a pound of coffee would have been $0.25 and a bushel of wheat $1.00. Clothing also differed with a new women's dress costing $5.00 and a pair of shoes $1.50. The average family struggled on the daily to provide food, water and clean clothes with the American Revolution taking place and many families losing a source of income. These prices indicate how a working class family would have struggled in the 18th century.

In the 18th century, people's ways of earning money differentiated depending on their social class, geographical location and economic changes of the time. The common ways people earned their money was through Agriculture, Crafts and Trades, Domestic Service, Industry, Military, Government and Bartering and local trade. Agriculture was often found on estates with vast land and area to expand property. The Agricultural Revolution in the 18th Century brought innovations such as crop rotatory and new machinery. This increased productivity of work but meant that workers were displaced due to new technology. Agriculture was a way for the working class to work their way up the social ladder by employing workers and controlling finances and land ownership in towns and villages. The average pay was low, at about $60 to $100 per year, but this varied significantly depending on the region and demand for labour. Skilled artisans such as blacksmiths, weavers and carpenters relied on their ability in the Craft and Trade industry to make a living. These jobs were essential to even the richest of families with workers locating themselves in small workshops or as part of guilds to be approached or called upon for work. They could earn between $200 to $400 per year, assuming steady work. A significant number of people, particularly women, worked as servants in wealthy households. This could range from anything; to teaching their children their studies, housekeeping, cooking or cleaning. Butlers, maids and cooks were sought after in the 18th century as the wealthy engrossed themselves in their work instead of focusing on family and house keeping matters. The pay depended on the position which the person was employed in. General servants earned between $20 and $50 per year which included room and board, whereas more skilled workers could earn up to $75 per year due to being a more demanding workload. In addition to their wages,domestic servants often received extra perks such as clothing, leftover food and occasionally small cash tips from guests. The First Industrial Revolution which began in the late 18th century, saw the rise of textile mills, the use of water and steam power, and the development of transportation infrastructure such as canals and railroads. The Revolution was seen as life changing for lower class workers as it meant more job opportunities in construction and factory work, however this often meant harsh working conditions for men at this time. The Military was also a common way for people to earn their money, with the military expansion during the American Revolution in the Continental Army. This army was composed of regular soldiers enlisted for longer terms, as well as military units from various colonies conscripted to aid America in their succession of the war. After the Revolutionary War, the US maintained a small standing army with the main focus on defending the American frontier and dealing with conflicts from native american tribes. Depending on the rank of the serving enlistee, the pay and yearly income would differ. From non-commissioned workers to high ranking colonels the wage gap was from $80 to $600 per year. Soldiers were also sometimes promised land or money upon enlistment, but these were not always fulfilled promises. Wealthier families would likely have Government or Political jobs which would be their main source of income. These included: Civil Servants, Military Officers, Judicial Positions, Tax Collectors, Customs Officials, Clergy, Diplomats and Local Government Officials. All of these jobs were of importance and also paid well for the time. The lowest yearly pay being Civil Servants at around $100 to $200, and the highest being demanding jobs such as Judges and high ranking legal officials at approximately $1000 per year. Roles such as diplomats or judges were considered prestigious due to requiring legal training, which was not available to all families. Finally, Bartering and Local Trade in rural areas was still common in the 18th century. People exchanged goods and services directly without using any money. This meant that it was not a steady income,but a simple way of upgrading something in their homes which were worth trading.

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Throughout the entire 18th century of the United states, there was an economic recession and inflation, particularly the 1780s were a specific decade of financial hardship. Often referred to as the Depression of the century, the economy shrunk by nearly 30% between 1774 and 1789, impacting business and income for the population. The major reason for this harsh downfall was the American Revolutionary War (1775 - 1783) which had a profound impact on the economy. The war caused widespread destruction of property and infrastructure which allowed for serious economic contraction. The war also lead to Debt and Currency issues with the Continental Congress issuing large amounts of paper money to finance the costs of the revolution, leading to severe inflation. This meant that currency depreciated in value rapidly, causing economic instability. Trade routes were disrupted, particularly with the UK, which in the past has been a significant trading partner for the US. The British Navy's blockade and the loss of their market trades was a huge hit to the American economy. All of these causes lead to severe economic consequences. Many businesses and farms went bankrupt due to the inability to pay debts. People simply could not afford to keep their way of living open and running due to the hyperinflation and deflationary period of currency. This led to distress among the working class with uncertainty of when stability would come again. The hardship of this decade contributed to social unrest, notably Shay's Rebellion in 1786-1787. This was an armed uprising in Massachusetts by farmers who protested economic injustices and high taxes which made the agricultural revolution impossible. Recovery efforts were made in the late 1780s with the economic difficulties highlighting weak points of the Articles of Confederation. This led to the writing of the U.S. Constitution in 1787, providing a stronger federal government with the power to regulate trade and manage economic policies. Alexander Hamilton himself implemented and regulated several financial reforms in the 1790s, one of which included establishing a national bank. Hamilton also created a stable currency in his reforms which allowed America to economically recover.

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Knowing the economical research of the decade is significant for me as a performer to apply this research to my performance. The economic history gives me the knowledge of the country's financial state at the time which allows a deeper understanding for the stresses of my character. In the Hamilton section of the show, I will analyse my movements and lyrics which call for a stricter sound or emphasis to highlight to the audience the economic hardships of the time. For example, in 'The Schuyler Sisters' when pronouncing the verbs 'Work' I can pronounce each 'Work' differently to show how my character feels about their job and attending work. I will also use sharper head movements and a weaker posture to imitate the economic recession and the reduction in income my character is receiving. Having this knowledge also effects how I interact with other characters, such as the Schuyler Sisters who are from a great wealthy family, whereas my character likely would have struggled everyday.

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As well as the historical and economical research 'Hamilton' and the 18th century, it is also significant for me to explore how the century evolved politically.

The upper class were known as 'Aristocracy and Gentry'. The Aristocracy were the highest social class, consisting of nobility and landowners. They held great political power and wealth, often living in grand estates and enjoying privileges such as exclusive education and social events. Just below the aristocracy came the gentry. these consisted of wealthy landowners who did not hold noble titles. They played important roles in local governance and society. The 18th century and the rise of population in urban areas, which saw the increase of the Middle Class. This group included merchants, professionals and business owners who gained profit from the growing economy and trade industry. They valued their education more than any other social class and often sought to improve their social status through wealth and connections of higher classes. At the bottom of the 18th century social hierarchies are the working classes and impoverished. The working class was made up of artisans, labourers and small business farmers. Many of the working class struggled in their everyday life, with big families and cramped poor quality housing. Day labourers, domestic servants and Indentured servants also fall into this social class. Expanding more on indentured servants, these were servants who worked for a set number of years in exchange for passage to America, room and board. The impoverished consisted of enslaved people who worked in agriculture and various trade in the labour force. Immigrants from Europe were also included in this as they often took on labour intensive and low paying jobs.

The 18th century was a vital era for America in becoming an independent nation. This was the time where they broke away from the British monarchy and the rule of King George III. After the Revolutionary War, the first President of their new nation was George Washington. His journey to president was marked by his military success and widespread success. He first gained early experience of battling and leading during the French and Indian War (1754-1763) where he served with distinction. He was then given the vital role of Commander-in-Chief in 1775 for the Continental Army during the American Revolution. His successful leadership of America during these times allowed their independence to be gained after their decisive victory at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, making Washington a national hero. In the very first presidential election of 1789, Washington was unanimously elected by the Electoral College, receiving all 69 of their electoral votes. This reflected his immense popularity and trust the nation placed in him. After being elected, he was inaugurated as the first official President of the United States on April 30, 1789, in New York City. He then devoted his presidency to establishing the executive branch, setting new precedents and navigating foreign and domestic challenges. After serving his first 4 year term, he was re-elected in 1792, serving a second term until 1797. It was then where he chose not to seek a third term, setting a precedent for future presidents of the U.S. The following President was John Adams, inaugurated on March 4, 1797, who was then succeeded in 1800 by Thomas Jefferson in a highly contentious election. After both inaugurations had taken place, the changeover marked the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties in the U.S. history.

In the colonial period, America had not formally created a 'left wing;' and 'right wing' they simply had beliefs and chose who they thought would best represent these ideologies. These were known as Loyalists and Patriots. In the run up to the American Revolution, the nation was divided between Loyalists, Southern colonies who supported the British rule and Patriots, Northern Colonies who sought independence. This political divide was influenced by economic ties and cultural affiliations. In the late 18th century, Democratic Republicans and Federalist parties began to form, creating a bigger political divide across America. The Federalist Party was led by influential figures such as Alexander Hamilton and John Adams.This is where they advocated for a strong central Government, a robust financial system, and close ties with Britain. These beliefs meant that Federalists were generally supported by merchants, bankers and urban dwellers, due to their support of national banks and the upper and middle social classes. The Democratic Republican Party, led by Thomas Madison and James Madison, favoured states' rights, agricultural interests and a decentralised Government. This party was supported by farmers, rural populations and those wary of centralised power. Washington himself did not align with any political party as he believed they would be divisive and detrimental to the unity of the young nation. Saying this, he often sided with Federalist policies in elections and campaigns. He supported a strong central government, a core federalist principle. He supported the Jay Treaty with Britain which demonstrated his preference for Federalist views and stability for America. In Washington's Farewell Address, Washington warned against the angers of political parties, emphasising that they could lead to division and weaken a unified nation.

In this century, the population and demographic of America changed drastically from 250,000 in the early 1700s to approximately 3.9 million in 1790. This extreme growth was due to high birth rates, immigration and a shift in the demographic of America. Throughout the 1700s, many European settlers travelled to America in an attempt to find a better life for themselves, originating from European countries such as Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and the Netherlands,these settlers made up a profound proportion of the demographic. African slaves also made up a percentage of America's ethnic composition; after being forcibly brought to the colonies as slaves thy made up 20% of the nations population. Immigrants and Servants came to America seeking new economic opportunities and religious freedom. This group included Puritans, Quakers and Huguenots (French Protestant's following the teachings of John Calvin). Native Americans were present throughout the continent, though their numbers were significantly reduced due to disease, warfare, displacement and conflicts with settlers. Although they faced challenges in this century, indigenous cultures continued to influence the development of the colonies, particularly through trade and alliances.

In regards to taxes, legislation and corruption in the 18th century, they all suffered various changes throughout the war and the gaining of independence. These also were dependent on the nation's economy and inflation or recession. Colonial taxes were relatively low compared to modern standards. The primary forms of taxation were tariffs, excise taxes and custom duties. Property taxes, or direct taxes, were less common at this time. As well as this, the British Government imposed several taxes on American colonies which were highly unpopular and contributed to the American Revolution, An example of this includes the Stamp Act of 1765, which taxed all legal documents and printed materials. This came with resistance, the slogan 'No taxation without representation' captured the frustration of colonists about being taxed by a government where they had no political voice. Many say that taxes and finances were a significant cause of the Revolution, America needed to be independent and have a say in their own political matters.

Legislation in 18th century America was enforced by English common Law, which was the foundation of the legal system in America. each colony had its own charter, which outlined its governance structure and legal framework. These charters often included provisions for local legislative assemblies which had to be attended by the admitted colony representative. The revolution brought many significant legislative changes. The Articles of Confederation created in 1781 and later the U.S. Constitution in 1787 established new frameworks for governance where America as a united nation decided common law.

The populations perception of Corruption within America's Government was a significant concern. People were particularly wary of 'Systematic corruption', where government officials abused their power for personal gain. Corruption itself was often associated with British colonial administrators, who were seen as exploiting their power for self-profit. After gaining their independence, the new Government sought to limit corruption through checks and balances and separation of people with political power.

In the 18th century, the concept of employment and unemployment rates as known in the modern world today did not exist. However, the general labour conditions and economic activities were still monitored. Political affairs significantly impacted these by Colonial Policies such as Navigation Acts set by Britain and Land Policies, aiming to shape the economy by using political reasons. The Revolutionary War disrupted traditional employment, with conscription and many men leaving their regular jobs to fight for freedom. This led to shortages of goods, food and medicines, but creating new opportunities for some of the population. After the war, employment increased due to Americans having more freedom and economical opportunities. The new american government implemented policies that affected labour and economic conditions, for example, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 regulated the settlement of new territories.

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Here is a timeline of the events of the American Revolutionary War. The war is important to know and research as it links to all of my social, economic and political research due to being such a significant event in the 18th century.

March 22, 1765

Britain passed the Stamp Act, which imposed a tax on legal documents, newspapers and even playing cards. This was the first direct tax on American colonialists and it was extremely resisted. Americans gained confidence after leading a successful campaign to have the act repealed.

October 1768

British troops occupied Boston to enforce the Townshend duties. These included taxes on paint, paper, tea and food; this act was passed in June 1767. This leads to street fights and clashes between British soldiers and mobs of American protestants. Radicals will call the 5 killings in March 1770 the Boston Massacre, whereas the British name it 'the incident on King Street'.

March to June 1774

The British Parliament passes the Coercive Acts, also known as the Intolerable Acts in America. This meant that Britain closed the port of Boston and placed British troops in taverns and housed them in vacant buildings. This was to ensure that Americans were behaving and paying all due taxes.

April 19, 1775

War breaks out as the first shots of the Revolution are fired at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. The news of the bloodshed spreads along the eastern seaboard and thousands of volunteers converge. This was the beginning of the Continental Army

June 17, 1775

As the first major action of the war, inexperienced colonial soldiers held off British Veterans for over two hours at Breed's Hill. However, they were eventually forced out and forced to abandon their position. Of the 2,200 British action, more than 1,000 ended up dead or wounded, highlighting how the patriots showed they were not intimidated by long lines of red-coated British soldiers.

November 1775

Britain then forms an alliance with Patriot slaves. The British Governor of Virginia offered freedom to any slaves of rebellious Americans who are able to enter British lines. All throughout the war, tens of thousands of African Americans sought their freedom by supporting the British.

July 1776

The Declaration of Independence is adopted by the second Continental Congress. Following a decade of agitation over taxes and a year of war, American representatives made the break with Britain. King George III is not willing to let his subjects go and a loyalist belief remains strong in many areas. Americans' allegiance is to their states, believing that nationalism will slowly grow.

December 1776 to January 1777

George Washington moves his troops into New Jersey on Christmas night, surprising patriots with a force of German troops fighting for Britain. They then achieved a similar victory over British troops at Princeton on January 3rd, reviving hopes that the war may be winnable.

October 17, 1777

General John Burgoyne's attempt to separate the rebellious New England colonies from those farther south, ends in a spectacular failure. The surrender of 6,000 British at Saratoga shocks London and helps induce France to enter the war on America's side.

December 1777

During the winter, the Continental Army supplies arrangements for their way of fighting to improve. The Continental force became a more unified, disciplined and fighting army.

February 1778

France allies itself with the new American Government. French financial and military aid provide critical necessities for America, eventually aiding their win. The Continental Amy did not hear of this French Alliance until May 1778.

May 12, 1780

The British take Charleston and capture a large proportion of the patriot army, dealing with rebels.This Charleston move was part of a broader British strategy to hang on to the Southern colonies.

March 15, 1781

British troops won a costly victory over Continentals and militia at Guildford Courthouse. The battle is part of General Nathanael Greene's strategy of engaging the British on the ground of his choosing.

May to June 1781

The isolated British garrison is laid siege by patriot forces under General Nathanael Greene. This indicated that Britain had too few troops to hold down the south.

September to October 1781

A joint French and American force traps a large British army on Virginia's Yorktown peninsula. Unable to evacuate or receive reinforcements due to a French fleet being driven off by the British fleet. Although New York City and Charleston remain under British hands until a peace treaty is signed two years later, the war for American Independence is essentially over.

January 1782

The evacuation of loyalists begins. Largely unwelcome in the new United States, around 100,000 Americans who remained loyal to the crown found new lives in Britain, Canada and British colonies.

September 3, 1783

The Treaty of Paris ratifies the independence of the 13 North American states. Canada remains a British province, beginning its separate development as a U.S. neighbour.

1787

A convention of states in Philadelphia proposes the Constitution to replace the much looser central government operating under the Articles of Confederation. With amendments, the Constitution remains the framework of government in the U.S.

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Knowing the political context of the 18th century benefits my performance particularly to gain a deeper understanding of the situations surrounding the character in 'Hamilton'. For example, it allows me to gain a deeper insight to characters in the opening number 'Alexander Hamilton' such as George Washington and Aaron Burr and the political impact they had on America. Furthermore, in this number it also allows me as the actor to understand the context of the lyrics such as 'while slaves were being slaughtered and chartered away' and 'the brother was ready to beg steal borrow or barter'. I now understand this because of the research completed from the political lives of people in America at the time. This will allow me to connect to my character as the ensemble and portray a deeper awareness of the political issues at the time to the audience. This will carryover to 'The Schuyler Sisters' when mentioning societal and political hardships. The song is not just about introducing the Schuyler Sisters, it is also about the struggle for people to find substantial work. This is written in by the ensemble track repeating the words 'Work' throughout the song. This gives the audience a view on all of the social classes in one song, providing even more political context for the audience to understand. Also, when Angelica is seen talking about how she wants a 'revelation' and not a revolution, I will use an intrigued and shocked facial expression, particularly on 'And when I meet Thomas Jefferson, Imma compel him to include women in the sequel'. This will help the audience in understanding how it is so out of the norm for a woman in the 18th century to be saying these political and social ideologies.

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As well as political, economical and historical research, I am going to explore how the social lives of people in the 18th century varied. Lifestyle in america depended greatly on the person's social status, location and occupation.

The Aristocracy and Gentry would have led lavish lives, being housed in two-three stories tall, well-furnished, Georgian homes. These included multiple rooms with parlours, dining rooms, and bedrooms. Georgian houses were deliberately constructed from high-quality materials such as brick or stone, to provide durability and permanence. When it came to decorating these grand houses, the wealthy spared no expense, importing goods from China such as silver or crystal, with fine furniture made from mahogany or walnut. Expensive wallpaper, paintings and mirrors adorned by the walls and carpets or rugs were commonly used to cover the floor. For lighting, candles and oil lamps were common, with the wealthiest of families having chandeliers in the main rooms of the house. Fireplaces were the primary source of heat in this century, so the rich usually had multiple fireplaces throughout to ensure that they would not be frozen during the winter months. These families also would have had groomed gardens and landscaped grounds with flowerbeds and orchards to highlight their wealth even further. For entertaining, the upper class loved to hold social events in their houses, showing off their decorations to their guests. Their large dining rooms and parlours were used to host dinners and parties amongst the Aristocracy and Gentry. This highlights how these homes in the 18th century were not just to live in, but also a symbol of status and power, reflecting the tastes and aspirations of their owners.

For the Middle and Lower classes, housing options were much simpler and basic compared to the wealthy. Middle class homes were typically made of wood or brick, depending on the region the family lived in. These houses were more substantial than the Lower-Class but were still relatively unreliable when hit with bad weather during Winter. These homes were built two stories high with a few rooms spread out across each floor; this would have included a kitchen, living area and two bedrooms. Some of the upper Middle Class may have had a small parlour built in for guests. These houses were decorated with basic but functional furniture with items like wooden tables, chairs and beds being common. They may have a few decorative items on the walls such as paintings, mirrors or wallpaper, but nothing as luxurious as the wealthy. Fireplaces and candles were again their main source of heat and light so the Middle Class would have afforded one or two fireplaces in the main living areas of their house.

Moving on to Lower Class housing, these were very basic and made from any available materials men could find to build with. They would often settle for hard wood with the worst of houses being constructed with sod (rolls of grass) in frontier areas. These homes were extremely small and poorly built due to their quick construction. They would have only had one room split into smaller cabins, with the biggest space serving multiple purposes: cooking, eating and sleeping. Furnishings were minimal and small with the typical lower class family having only a table, a few chairs and beds made of straw. A single fireplace or wood stove was used for both heating and cooking, and the lighting would have been provided by one or two candles placed in the centre of the room.

These poor conditions often led to bigger issues such as crowding, no sanitation and poor health and hygiene. Privacy was minimal in these houses due to families having many children sleeping and eating in the same room everyday. At this time, there was no indoor plumbing access for the Lower Class, so water had to be fetched from a well or nearby stream with shared outhouses being used for sanitation needs. These cramped living conditions and lack of proper sanitation led to extreme health issues. Diseases such as Yellow Fever and Diphtheria spread easily in these environments, killing mainly babies and children as they could not receive the proper care and hygiene needed.

Despite the hardships, Lower Class communities had strong social bonds with each other. Neighbours helped with tasks such as building homes, farming and caring for each other's children. In towns and villages people formed tightly knit communities whereas southern and frontier regions saw communities spread out. Plantations and farms were isolated, leading to a different kind of community centred around churches or local markets. Church was a central part of community life, services were not only religious but also social events for the middle and lower classes to gather and discuss different affairs and gossip about the news.

Social roles were defined and influenced by a combination of gender, class, and race. Men were typically seen as the heads of households, working outside the home in farming, trades or business. They were also widely involved in public life, particularly politics and community leadership. This varies drastically to women's roles of the century, which were primarily centred around the home. They were responsible for managing the household, raising children, and performing domestic tasks such as cooking, cleaning and sewing. In wealthier families, women would have overseen their servants and slaves,but still would have no impact on their families social standing. Despite limited public roles, women played crucial parts in the continuation of family and maintaining the idea of a community.

The large social gap between the three classes meant they all had different roles socially, the Aristocracy and Gentry had roles which included managing estates, participating in politics and engaging in cultural activities. Whereas Middle Class families valued education and only participated in community and church activities as social events. Due to their little disposable income, the Lower Class had no social or economic power and no opportunities for social mobility; leading to limited social roles. This bridge between the classes worsened during the Revolutionary War as food, work and clothing was rationed and many families struggled to stay alive. Regarding racial roles of the century, White Americans of European descent held the majority of social,economic and political power. With their roles simply depending on their class and occupation. Enslaved African Americans, who were in America as part of the Transatlantic Slave Trade of the 18th century, had very limited rights and were forced to work on plantations, in homes or in various trades. Free African Americans faced discrimination and had limited opportunities, although some managed to establish business, communities and gain respect.

In this century, there was great exploration of games and leisure, with new and exciting social activities to take part in. The first subcategory being games and sports. For children, playground activities such as hopscotch, Tag and Leapfrog all became common to provide simple and physical fun. This would have been particularly seen in Middle and Working classes as their close knit neighbourhoods would allow children to have a better bond with each other. Among adults, particularly in Southern Colonies, Cockfighting and Horse-racing were popular with both men and women, they would get dressed up in their finest evening wear to go and place their bets on which particular animal would win. However, cockfighting in particular could also be a very viscous sport, often causing arguments or fights between gambling men. Bowling, Archery and Fencing were the most known and played recreational sports of the century, reflecting the influence of European traditions spreading across America. Outdoor sporting activities included Hunting and fishing, and Horseback riding, which were particularly popular in rural areas of the country. Music and dancing were both another way people enjoyed to spend their free time,with many of the upper class and gentry playing musical instruments or receiving singing lessons. The most popular instruments of the time being the violin, flute or piano. Social dancing was also enjoyed, with various styles and dances being performed at gatherings and events, mainly of the upper class. People would also host dinner parties where it was common to gather round a piano at the end of an evening and sing songs to pass the time. As well as parties, upper class members would have also held afternoon tea parties where light refreshments were served to families. These events became popularised due to upper class members wanting to form connections and ties to wealthier families, and to converse or gossip about their everyday lives. At this time, there would have also been celebratory spectacles such as fairs, parades, circuses and public executions. Although by today's standards public executions are not seen as a spectacle, in the 18th century hangings, beheading and other executions were attended by mass crowds and viewed as a form of entertainment.

Despite theatre not being popularised at the beginning of the century due to Puritan beliefs discouraging theatrical performances, it began to thrive in the 18th century. This is due to professional actors from England travelling to America to begin staging their own plays in the colonies. In around 1716, the first permanent theatre was built in Williamsburg, Virginia and hosted a variety of performances, including dramas, comedies and general musical entertainment. Theatre became a significant part of peoples social lives, particularly in urban areas where many of the upper class were located as they had more time and money to pursue such new activities.

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Having this contextual knowledge of the social lives of people in the 18th century majorly impacts my performance as an ensemble member in the 'Hamilton' section of the show. This is because it allows me to understand how women of the time would have interacted with each other and what topics they would have talked about. This will benefit me in 'The Schuyler Sisters' as the first section of the number requires me to sit on a block and converse with other ensemble members around me. Applying my research, I will ensure to talk and act with precise movements so the audience can understand that I am portraying a woman of the 18th century. Completing the social research also helps me understand why we have set where it is in this number. It is to show class and wealth, for example, the Schuyler Sisters stand on the tallest blocks when introducing themselves for the first time to highlight to the audience that they are of higher status than the ensemble members around. To be able to present this fully, whenever I am placed on a piece of set I will adapt how I look to reflect my character's social status at that point in the number.

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Education in the 18th century varied significantly across different social classes, reflecting the broader social and economic structures of the time.

Education for the Wealthy

Wealthy families often sent their children to formal schools or hired private tutors. The boys would have typically received a classical education, learning subjects such as Latin, Greek, Mathematics and Philosophy. Many of these boys also attended prestigious boarding schools, which provided a rigorous academic curriculum and prepared them for university and leadership roles. Boys and girls education was also different, with girls staying home to be taught by a Governess. Their education was focused on accomplishments such as music, drawing needlework and languages. They would be taught basic literacy and numeracy, although it was not encouraged for girls to attend university, moreover to learn the necessities to become a housewife.

Education for the Middle Class

Middle class boys may have attended grammar schools, where they received a more practical education. This included basics such as reading, writing, arithmetic and occasionally Latin. They also had the opportunity to enter apprenticeship roles to learn a trade or profession. This was a popular form of education for the Middle class as it was a lesser cost and combined practical work experience with some formal instruction. Like the upper class, middle-class girls were taught separately to the boys, with a different curriculum. Girls often attended dame schools, small private schools ran by women, where they learnt basic literacy and domestic skills.

Education for the Lower Class

Education for the lower class was extremely limited. Many children from poor families did not attend school regularly. This is due to their need to work and provide for their families. This usually meant children from a young age being placed into workhouses where they would work in poor conditions for little income. For the lower class, boys supporting their families from as young as 5 was common as families needed all of the income they could get. Some charitable organisations and religious groups established charity schools to provide basic education for poor children, These schools focused on reading, writing, and religious instruction. By the late 18th century, Sunday Schools had become popular. They offered basic education to working class children on Sundays, quite often the only day children were free from work due to religion.

Education was more accessible in New England, where Puritan values emphasised literacy for reading the Bible. Towns were required to establish schools, leading to higher literacy rates. These public schools aimed to prepare children for civic participation and religious instruction. In the Southern Colonies, education was less formal and more scattered. Wealthy families often hired private tutors to develop their children's education further. The Founding Fathers of America believed that an educated population was essential for the success of the new democracy, this further led to the establishment of more public schools accessible to all social classes.

As well as education, religion was also a key part of the 18th century. The landscape and demographic of religion was quite diverse and dynamic in this century; both new and old religions were popular.

Protestant Dominance

The majority of the population were Protestants, with denominations such as Anglicans, Congregationalists, Methodists and Baptists being prominent. Anglicans originated from the Church of England which was established in several colonies before the American Revolution. After the war it became known as the Episcopal Church. Congregationalists were descendants of the Puritans, most prominent in New England. They emphasised local church autonomy and a covenant community. Methodists emerged from Anglican tradition, believing in personal faith and social justice. Baptists were known for their faith in adult baptism and congregational governance. The latter religions both grew significantly during the Great Awakening.

The Great Awakening

The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals in the 1730s and 1740s that had a profound impact on Protestantism in America. It emphasised personal faith, emotional experience, and the need for individual repentance and conversion. This is where individuals recognise their own sinfulness and need for salvation under the teachings of preachers such as Jonathon Edwards, George Whitefield and Gilbert Tennent. The revivals led to a significant increase in church membership, particularly among Baptists and Methodists. It also inspired the founding of several colleges such as Princeton, Dartmouth and Brown, to train ministers and promote religious education.

Church Attendance

Between 1700 and 1740, an estimated 75-80% of the population attended church regularly. However, actual church membership was lower, with estimates suggesting that only around 10-20% of the population were formal members of a church congregation. This rose after the Great Awakening as more people involved themselves with up and coming religions.

Deism

Deists believed that religious truth should be based on human reason and observation of the natural, rather than on divine revelation or sacred texts. This changed the way people viewed God and Deism became a more widely believed religion. Deists also rejected the supernatural aspects of Christianity, such as miracles, prophecies and the divinity of Jesus. Several prominent American figures, including Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams were influenced by Deist ideas. This impacted the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution where the Deist principles contributed to the development of the idea of separating church and state.

Religious Diversity

Besides the dominant Protestant groups, there were also smaller communities of Catholics, Quakers and other religious minorities. Non Christian religions were also prominent in America, these included Judaism, Indigenous Religions and African Traditions.

The diversity of Religious beliefs led to a growing acceptance of tolerance. This was enshrined into the First Amendment, guaranteeing freedom of religion. This tapestry of beliefs and practices laid the foundation for the pluralistic society that the United States would become.

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In particular the educational context of the 18th century will aid my performance in 'The Schuyler Sisters' for the sections were the ensemble says 'Work' repeatedly. This allows the audience to not only be introduced to the well-rounded, modern Schuyler Sisters but also be provided with information on the education backgrounds of the people surrounding them. As well as benefiting the audience, knowing the educational context allows me to understand why the ensemble are saying 'Work' and how they would have had to have an education to gain substantial work. Therefore providing context for the actors as well. This will impact my performance by ensuring that I hit the sounds and movements properly for those repeated sections to give the audience time to understand the role of the ensemble i this number. Exploring the religion demographic of the century provides further context for me to be able to grasp the types of people who would have lived in this period. This will help with characterisation of my performance in the Hamilton section.

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Fashion in 18th century America was heavily influenced by European styles, particularly those from England and France. Exploring the different styles of this century allows me to contextually understand how characters in the 'Hamilton' section would have dresses and therefore walked and acted depending on their social class. The social divide was highlighted further by different materials and fabrics used to make clothes and how expensive their accessories were.

Upper Class Fashion

Wealthy individuals could afford luxurious fabrics like silk, velvet and fine wool. Their clothing often featured elaborate embroidery and lace to show off their wealth to everyone. The gentry all followed European fashions; men wore tailored coats, waistcoats, and breeches, whilst women donned gowns with intricate designs and accessories such as fans and jewellery. Accessories were important for women as it allowed them to convey emotions in public or social events. Using a fan was the main way they could hold or flutter them in different ways to attract or decline offers from interested courtiers. Upper class men and women would have also had access to items such as wigs, hats, and gloves which were also made of expensive materials.

Middle Class Fashion

Middle class fashion was practical yet stylish, reflecting their social status and economic means. Middle class men wore simpler versions of the elaborate coats and waistcoats seen in the upper class, with women typically wearing gowns with fitted bodices and full skirts. The robe a l'anglaise originating from France were popular among middle class women, often being made from cotton, wool or linen. This would have been paired with stays (corsets) to achieve the fashionable silhouette of a narrow waist and full hips. They would also still accessorise, but with simpler and more basic bonnets, caps or aprons. Wigs were more popular among men of the middle class, especially for formal occasions, sporting Tricorne hats to complete the look. Men wore leather shoes with buckles, and stockings were an essential part of their attire. Many of the general trends in fashion for this social class was built for practicality, designed for everyday wear and durability.

Working and Lower Class Fashion

Their fashion was purely functional, reflecting the daily labour and limited resources of the two classes. Despite this, the lower and working classes strived to maintain a respectable appearance. Women typically wore simple gowns or bed-gowns paired with petticoats, made from durable fabrics such as wool, linen and cotton. Aprons were essential for protecting clothing whilst working with women wearing caps indoors and bonnets outdoors to protect their hairstyles. Cloaks and shawls provided warmth for families with no fires or candles to keep themselves warm in the winter. Men wore linen shirts and breeches with wool stockings, waistcoats and jackets were common, with more layers providing warmth for men. Wide brimmed hats were worn by men for protection from the sun and other elements whilst working. Children often donned homemade clothes, as families could not afford to clothe their large families. Children wore smaller versions of waistcoats or gowns than their parents, the only difference being children's pinafores were deemed more suitable for play and daily activities. All of the working and lower class clothing was designed to withstand the rigours of daily work and fabrics chosen for their durability and ease of maintenance. Although they could not afford the luxurious fabrics of the upper classes, they often imitated the styles in simpler forms. The clothing also varied with the seasons, with lighter fabrics in summer and heavier dressings in winter.

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HAIR

Much like the fashion of the 18th century, hair styles varied significantly across the social classes, reflecting both European influences and practical considerations.

Upper Class Styles

Men of the upper class often wore elaborate wigs, which were a symbol of status and wealth. The wigs were usually white and styled in various ways, such as the full-bottomed wig with long curls or the tie wig with a queue, better known as a ponytail tied with a ribbon at the back. More formal occasions such as balls or parties called for specially made powdered wigs adorned with curls and rolls. Upper class women sported highly elaborate hairstyles, often using hairpieces and wigs to achieve towering heights. Styles such as 'The Pouf' became popular, where hair was built up on cushions and decorated with accessories such as ribbons, feathers, and even miniature ships. The more decorated a woman's hair was, the higher others viewed their social status and class. As well as this, powdered hair was popular with white chalk used to give it a pastel colour, appearing youthful and brightened.

Middle Class Styles

The style of Middle Class hair did not differ that much to that of the upper class, having men and women wearing simpler and less accessorised wigs. The wigs were also mainly used as a practicality rather than to show off to others. 'The Bob Wig' which was shorter and simpler, was common among the middle class as it was not too expensive. For more informal occasions or social events, men would most likely have worn their hair naturally,but tied back into a low ponytail and powdered. Women of the middle class did follow the trends of the upper class gentry but in a more subdued manner. They wore their hair in styles similar, yet without the towering height and extravagant decorations. If they were not wearing a wig, women would often style their natural hair in curls or rolls, decorated with simple ribbons and caps.

Working and Lower Class Styles

Many of the working and lower classes could not afford any of the elaborate wigs or hairstyles seen in the middle and upper classes, due to their expense. Men also did not wear wigs at all because of their impracticality whilst working. Instead, they regularly had their hair cut for keeping it shorter when tying up. Hair cuts were kept as simple and functional as possible for men, often just being brushed and tied with a ribbon. For women of the century, it was easier to wear their hair in practical styles which kept it up and out of their faces whilst cleaning, cooking or caring for children. Common styles included buns, plaits (braids) and simple up-dos. They would also have covered their hair with caps or bonnets whilst working, so having elaborate hairstyles would have been deemed pointless and money consuming. Powdered hair was extremely uncommon due to the cost of buying the powder and the effort it takes to powder hair. The working and lower class hair styles reflected on their daily labour needs, being designed for practicality and ease of maintenance.

MAKEUP

In the 18th century, makeup was mainly used by the Aristocracy and gentry by both men and women to achieve a fashionable appearance. However just like today, makeup was used to enhance a person's natural beauty and features. The working and lower class likely would not have had the opportunity or access to buy makeup in this era due to the cost and often it being sold privately to wealthy families.

Makeup Practices

A pale complexion was highly sought after in the 18th century, seen by kings, queens and royalty in paintings and oils. Face whitening became popularised to signify wealth and a life of leisure. People believed that the whiter their face was, the more youthful and expensive they would look. To achieve this complexion, people would use various face creams and washes that promised to whiten the skin. Many of these would have included ingredients such as rice powder, vinegar, and asbestos. As known today, many of these products were toxic and caused harm to the skin due to being made with lead-based products. This led to extreme health issues and skin burning due to the high toxicity of using lead on the face.

As well as a pale complexion, both men and women applied rouge to their cheeks to achieve a healthy, rosy appearance. This practice originated from the Aristocracy in Europe, particularly Britain and France's influence. Trends set in these countries often followed into America due to their widespread popularity amongst travellers of the upper-class. This complexion was associated with youth and vitality with people considering blushed cheeks to be the height of beauty. This delicate rouge indicated that the people wearing it did not have to work outdoors and was therefore a sign of a high social standing. Distinguishing the upper class from the working class, who often had tanned and weathered skin from their jobs and labouring outside for long hours. Rouge was also used by the upper classes to help cover blemishes or illnesses, attempting to create a happy and healthy appearance at all times.

Lips were often used as a form of expression, the goal was to achieve a subtle, natural lip look rather than a striking bold colour. Again, stained lips were a sign of health and good fortune as it highlighted that people were not working outside on cold days which would have chapped and dried their lips. Many of these lip stains were made with natural dyes from plants and berries with Aristocracy and royalty having access to new lipsticks from Europe. With eye makeup, eyebrows and eyelashes were sometimes darkened using ashes or other natural pigments such as coal or even sometimes ink. Heavy eye makeup was deemed less common amongst the wealthy, but was popularised by night workers, such as escorts. As well as this, small pieces of gummed or wet silk, known as patches, were used to cover small blemishes such as small pox scars. These could also be used in a decorative fashion by being cut into different shapes like stars or hearts.

After the American Revolution, the use of visible whitening and paint became less socially accepted. With makeup becoming associated with vanity and immorality, in particular for women. It was deemed more appropriate to adorn a 'natural' look by using homemade recipes to achieve this beauty discreetly. These homemade recipes would have been passed down through generations of families or found in women's magazines, and had ingredients such as milk, honey and herbs to create lotions and washes for the skin.

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Explore a hand-picked collection of Pins about LMM concert hair on Pinterest.

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Explore a hand-picked collection of Pins about LMM Concert makeup on Pinterest.

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For the show, I have decided to style my hair in two plaits at the top and have the rest of my hair down and curled. I have chosen this hair style as I believe it relates to all numbers within the show. For Hamilton it will reflect how people of the 18th century had a loose curl to their hair when wearing their hair naturally without wigs. Plaits or braids also became popular in 18th century America for Women, so my hair style aims to include that reference. I believe it is a good style for 'What I Was Born To Do' also as being from 'Bring It On-The Musical' I completed research of how Cheerleaders have their hair when performing. I came across lots of half up-half down styles with ponytails, plaits or buns. I chose to incorporate a plait as I believe it will also keep my hair out of my face for the entirety of the show. Cheerleaders also often have their hair curled to create an overall bouncier look to their performances, so I will incorporate this into my hair style. For 'In The Heights and 'Surface Pressure', I believe my hair reflects the nonchalant feel to both dances, whilst keeping a polished look throughout. For the final number 'How Far I'll Go' my hair style symbolises Moana well as it reflects a hairstyle which a person would be able to see in the film. I believe curls also represent the ocean and the love for it seen throughout the song.

In regards to my makeup for the show, I will keep it as a more natural look to be able to fit with the theme for every number. To achieve this natural look I will use 'dewey' products for my skin paired with a darker coloured blush. I will make my contour and blush slightly darker to be able to appear a good colour under the stage lights, as they tend to make natural skin paler. For 'What I Was Born To Do' I will also incorporate lipstick for a bolder look. This will reference my role as 'Campbell' in the number, who is Cheer Captain. For my eyes, I will just use mascara to make my lashes appear elongated on stage. I will not use any eye-shadow to darken the eyelid as I believe this would contradict the natural makeup look I am aiming for.

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A S.W.O.T analysis is a device used to evaluate and define a person's performance in order for them to improve in their chosen subject. The word SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats.

My strengths are:

I have determination to thrive in the industry

Some danced styles I have received training in are: Ballet, Tap and Jazz

I can perform as different characters

Correctly accenting a character whilst performing

Confidence whilst dancing

I have shown professionalism within lessons

My reactions to other actors in performances

Versatility as a performer

I have ease with Choreographing lyrical and contemporary style dances.

My weaknesses are:

I struggle with my flexibility in dance which restricts me from certain moves.

My diction within singing is weak which makes words in songs numbered and hard to understand.

When asked to improvise in a dance I lack the confidence and struggle to come up with moves.

Whilst performing, connecting to the song I am singing is a weakness which means the audience may not fully understand the emotions I am portraying.

I lack confidence in singing due to the subject being the least focused on throughout my training.

I struggle to sing in front of large crowds due to the insecurity that I am off tune or singing incorrectly.

I suffer from audition anxiety/nerves which means I often freeze up in an audition room.

The opportunities I have been given are:

I receive external dance lessons in Ballet, Tap and Modern

I have volunteered as a dance teacher at my local dance school

I am a member of a theatre school called WATS (Weldon Amateur Theatre School)

Previously, I have performed in multiple dance shows and musicals a year

I recently achieved the role of Dance Captain at my theatre school

I am a member of a netball team outside of college which allows me to track my fitness levels

I have taken part in four pantomimes from 2014-2018 with the role of junior dancer.

After auditioning, I was given the role of 'Roxie Hart' in a dance number for 'Corby Pride', my first paid performance.

I receive external 1:1 singing lessons bi-weekly

I have past experience with auditions at my theatre school.

I have precious experience with choreographing dances in the style of contemporary, lyrical and jazz.

The threats which may halt my progresses are:

Laziness outside of college may cause a lack of coursework being completed or not meeting my assessment deadlines.

My lack of flexibility may halt which audition dances and movements I can achieve in an audition.

A lack of money may reduce my enrichment

My organisation skills may stop me from being prepared for the day and also becoming overwhelmed easily.

Not focused on the task given could result in a less engaged performance.

A lack of time management may lead to un-organisation which results in a lack of concentration in lessons

Having a negative attitude in rehearsals may bring down others around me.

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Coming into my second year of studying Musical Theatre at college I already know how to understand my strengths and weaknesses and how to pin point key areas to improve. This was developed from Year 1 MT where I chose to evaluate the rehearsals everyday of my final unit ‘Fame jr’. Forcing me to expand on analysing myself and my performance has improved the way I perform as a whole due to the constant self-evaluation. Having this strength will allow me to improve my evaluations in this unit of coursework and work efficiently to refine my weaknesses in rehearsals every week. I believe that having previous dance training ensures that any dance auditions or dances choreographed i can grasp the timing easily. This is helpful as it allows my peers to come to me for help on anything dance related they are struggling with and i can act as a coach almost. In the Year 1 FMP ‘Fame jr’ I was given the role of Miss Bell which gave me more confidence with my singing and belting in front of an audience. This will help with the ‘Lin Manuel Miranda’ concert when auditioning in front of my peers. Also in Year 1, I learnt how to sing with technique which has helped my development over the year and going into Year 2. This also allows me to sing healthily vocally whilst performing. Using this skill in ‘Fame jr’ helped me perfect it for future shows where i may become vocally fatigued easier. The FMP also strengthened my acting through song because of the duet ‘the teacher’s argument’ which meant i had to get into the mind of a dance teacher to convey a realistic characterisation of Miss Bell. Acting through song is a key strength I am bringing into this unit as particularly’What I was Born To Do’, the number I was given in the Lin-Manuel Miranda concert, needs a connection with the audience so the meaning behind the song is clear. For my career, the first goal I have is to gain acceptance into an independent drama school and graduate where I can begin performing in the industry and on west end stages. Later on I would also like to teach Musical Theatre and Dance to the younger generation. I believe being able to teach others is a vital strength to have in the industry as it allows me to always be a step ahead. Having this would also attract me to production roles such as choreographer and dance captain in the future.

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SMART TARGETS are aims set for myself to improve the weaknesses I stated in my S.W.O.T ANALSYSIS. They are precise and accurate directives to ensure that my improvement is swift by setting myself these realistic short term goals to achieve. There are two SMART TARGETS one focused on a specific part of my practical work and the other coursework based.

My first SMART Target is to gain confidence and self belief whilst singing in front of an audition panel. To be able to achieve this goal, I will practice singing for 30 minutes three times every week. At the end of every practice, I will track my progress by recording myself singing one of my chosen audition songs and evaluate my performance. Improving my confidence in singing will align with my personal goal in being able to express myself fully and act through the song by connecting through the lyrics. I will achieve this target within the next 3 months and demonstrate this within my Unit 10 coursework where I will perform in front of a panel.

My second SMART Target is to improve my organisation and time management to assist with the completion of theory and coursework. To be able to achieve this I will create a daily schedule or use a planner to allocate specific blocks of time for the individual sections to my coursework. I will also incorporate assignment deadlines and breaks from working. I will be able to track my adherence and adjust as needed as allocating specific time for each task is realistic for me. This will allow me to have effective time management which will directly impact my coursework and make the standard of my writing more professional and well-written. I will implement this schedule starting immediately and evaluate its effectiveness regularly for the next three months. This will be shown within my Unit 9 coursework for 'A Celebration of Lin Manuel-Miranda' and its completion on time.

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In today’s rehearsal, we began with sitting and running through all of the songs in the concert to be able to get a feel for the order and how the songs feel to sing. I believe a strength of mine whilst doing this was already knowing the lines to all of the songs I am in. This allowed me to be prepared whilst setting harmonies as I was already off book with the lyrics. This is a strength as it ensures I can also help others around me if they are struggling with any lyrics or harmonies within the song. Furthermore, in future productions it may also draw me to a more creative role which would allow me to broaden my knowledge of jobs within the industry. In the next part of rehearsal, we set the harmonies for the opening number ‘Alexander Hamilton’ and finalised any characters which were still to be handed out. A strength of mine in this section was grasping my harmonies quickly and being able to remember them throughout the rehearsal. Allowing myself room for error, I also asked questions to ensure that the harmony I was singing was correct. There was also a split between two and three part harmony and due to being an alto, I was put into the middle harmony when it was a three-split. To be able to remember when I was singing the low or middle harmony, I recorded each section whilst we were practising it. This includes the words 'Scammin' and 'Plannin' which required a three part harmony. To be able to be prepared for next week's rehearsal, I will sing through the song using my voice recordings and analysing whether I have remembered the correct harmonies.

Despite the strengths of today's rehearsal, there were also some significant weaknesses which I will improve for coming rehearsals. The first weakness I noticed was that I did not complete a vocal warm up before beginning singing through the songs as well as my body not being relaxed and ready to sing. This is due to my lecturer wanting the most time to set up new work in the lessons. This weakness is also dangerous to the health of my voice as I could have caused vocal strain leading to an unhealthy singing voice and a sore throat after the rehearsals. To be able to develop this for next week's rehearsal, I will ensure to complete a ten minute warm-up before practising at home to be able to sing healthily. Next week, I will also arrive fifteen minutes earlier to the lesson to give me enough time to warm up my body and voice. A second weakness brought to my attention in today's rehearsal was a lack of concentration and focus throughout. I often became distracted with the people around me which meant I was not listening to what my teacher was setting at that point. This means that I may have missed key lyrics or notes which she may have been explaining for the song. To ensure this is corrected for the next rehearsal, I will place myself away from anyone who could distract me in the lesson and make certain I listen to the information given to me.

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26/09/2024 Alexander Hamilton Staging Part 1

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26/09/2024 Alexander Hamilton Staging Part 1

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26/09/2024 Alexander Hamilton Staging Part 2

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26/09/2024 Alexander Hamilton Staging Part 2

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26/09/2024 Alexander Hamilton Staging Part 3

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26/09/2024 Alexander Hamilton Staging Part 3

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26/09/2024 What I Was Born To Do sing through 

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26/09/2024 What I Was Born To Do sing through 

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Close up of the set being used for Alexander Hamilton 

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Close up of the set being used for Alexander Hamilton 

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I have set myself 5 aims which are the goals I am going to be constantly working towards to achieve by the end of this unit.

The first clear aim I have is to sing with correct intonation and pitch in the performance. I will strive to achieve this in every number of the concert, but specifically for me ‘What I Was Born To Do’, as that is the song I have the most solo singing. To be able to achieve this by the performance I will practice this song for 10 minutes every day, slowing it down and ensuring I am hitting the correct notes at the right time. This will also help with Unit 10, Preparation for Progress, when choosing songs to use for auditions.

The second clear aim I have is to make time for 30 minutes of coursework everyday. I have made this an aim to give myself some structure whilst also allowing fluidity without a timetable. This will help with hitting assessment deadlines and ensuring I submit this unit by the course requirements. This will also allow time for Unit 10 to be completed as well as the coursework for Unit 9.

A third aim I have is to be able to pick up choreography quicker in rehearsals. Being able to remember choreography set is a significant strength to have as in future auditions, I may be asked to perform a dance I have only just learnt and gone over a handful of times. To be able to achieve this I will listen and play close attention to the choreographer and ask questions if I am struggling or not understanding a move.

A fourth aim I have for myself is to gain flexibility within dance. I have set myself this aim as having reduced flexibility minimises some movements in dance. Improving my flexibility will also refine my dancing for the performance of 'A Celebration of Lin-Manuel Miranda' in key dance numbers such as 'Surface Pressure' and 'In The Heights'. I will work on developing my flexibility by stretching for 15 minutes every day particularly focusing on legs and hamstring stretches.

A final aim I am setting for myself is to gain confidence when belting in front of audiences. Particularly in 'What I Was Born To Do' the Director has given me an opportunity to work on my mix belt and make it stronger. Working on this will improve clarity of voice whilst belting and holding the notes. This will also help with future auditions for drama schools as part of Unit 10. To be able to improve this fully I will spend 10 minutes a day practising the belt sections of the song and vocal exercises which will help with mixing my voice.

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In today's first rehearsal, we started with a vocal warm up run by our vocal coach, Catherine to be able to prepare us before running the songs we set last week. After running through 'Alexander Hamilton' we fine-tuned any harmonies which sounded off and re-recorded them to ensure everyone was singing the correct notes. I believe a strength of mine in this section of rehearsal was remembering the harmonies and vocals set in last week's rehearsal. This is a strength as it highlights how I have practised over the week to fully prepare for today's rehearsal. I also achieved this by listening to the voice recordings I created last week to help when I was struggling with harmony. We then worked on the backing vocals for 'The Schuyler Sisters' which required an increased clarity of voice and diction, particularly on words such as 'Work'. I made the consonant sounds at the end of the word short and sharp to ensure the audience will be able to fully understand phrases such as the repetition of 'Work, work'. I will continue to work on this over the coming weeks by completing tongue twisters which involve 'K' sounds. In the second part of rehearsals we began setting and choreography for the opening number 'Alexander Hamilton' using the staging and props we will be using in the performance. I believe a strength of mine was listening to the directions given and inputting choreography with ideas which I think would work. This is a positive as it shows the Director that I am listening to the feedback given on my performance and can take any negatives and use the analysis to improve. To be able to develop this further, I will continue to pay full attention when choreography is being set and ask for feedback at the end of every session. This will also improve my Unit 10: Preparing for Progression coursework when I will self-evaluate my audition tapes.

Despite the strengths of these rehearsals, there were also some weaknesses which I will address to begin improving. The first one I noticed was whilst singing through 'What I was Born To Do' and setting the vocals, often my head voice lacked clarity and intonation of the correct notes. To be able to develop this for the next rehearsal, I will rehearse the sections of the song I am struggling with for ten minutes every day. I will also receive the help of an external singing teacher for help with the intonation and pitch. Improving this over the coming week will allow me to be fully prepared for running the song in next week's rehearsal. This will also aid the ensemble tracks in the song as occasionally their lines rely on me singing the correct timing. A second weakness I noticed in this rehearsal was failing to record the ensemble vocals for 'The Schuyler Sisters'. This is a weakness as it means that I cannot practice set harmonies over the coming week. It could also result in learning and singing the incorrect harmonies due to this lack of practising in my own time. To improve this in next week's rehearsal, I will record every piece of vocal set and ensure I practice the correct harmonies. For 'The Schuyler Sisters' backing vocals, I will use a recording from one of my peers for the next week to refine my vocals for this number.

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HAMILTON SECTION

Tight black clothing

Black trainers/ Jazz shoes

BRING IT ON SECTION

Cheerleader dresses

Pom-Poms

Colourful trainers

IN THE HEIGHTS SECTION

Baggy clothing

Pop of colour e.g. trainers, t-shirt, bandanna, skirt

Trainers

SURFACE PRESSURE

Baggy black and blue clothing

Trainers

HOW FAR I'LL GO

Blue and Black clothing

Trainers

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03/10/2034 WHAT I WAS BORN TO DO BEGINNING

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03/10/2034 WHAT I WAS BORN TO DO BEGINNING

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In today's session, we began by completing a quick vocal warm up followed by running the vocals for 'Alexander Hamilton', 'The Schuyler Sisters' and 'What I Was Born To Do'. A strength I showed whilst completing these vocal rehearsals was remembering the harmonies given in previous sessions. Remembering the harmonies set is beneficial to the development of the show so every week the lecturer does not have to go over the same songs. I will continue to improve my retention of harmonies by listening to voice recordings set and ensuring that I am singing with the correct pitch and tone. After I have learnt the harmonies, I will explore different emotions I can portray through intonation so the audience grasps the meaning behind the songs. In the second section of rehearsals, we set the vocals for 'Helpless' and learnt 6 counts of 8 of Cheer. We were taught these by a member of the class, Katie, who used to receive external cheer lessons. A strength of mine in this was helping her teach the choreography to the class by counting for her and ensuring everyone had the correct timing. This is a strength as it highlights how I can pick up choreography quickly as well as the timing for the movements and know it enough to teach others around me. In the future, this may attract me to production roles such as Dance Captain as this is a strength which they require. I will continue to work on this in dance classes and aim to pick up choreography quickly to be able to test my retention skills.

In the third rehearsal of the day, we finished staging 'Alexander Hamilton' and began choreographing the first counts for 'What I Was Born To Do'. A weakness I noticed in this rehearsal was having a lack of vocal energy whilst running through the dance for the opening number due to focusing on the new choreography given. This is a weakness as this number has many harmonies which have the potential to sound flat and not sung properly if they lack vocal energy whilst performing. I will aim to improve this by learning the choreography by watching the videos taken of the number at home to be able to fully grasp the movements. I will then repeat the dance and sing my harmonies alongside to get my voice used to singing and dancing at the same time. I will also complete this rehearsal process with other key numbers such as 'The Schuyler Sisters' and 'What I Was Born To Do' to ensure I am fully portraying my characters through vocals and not just performance. A second weakness I noticed from all of today's rehearsals was not singing with a strong enough voice for my solo parts of 'What I Was Born To Do'. This occurred due to a lack of practice of my belt and mix voice over the past weeks which meant I was not prepared for the difficult vocals of the song. To ensure this is improved for next week's rehearsal, I will recap the notes for the solo sections and go over them slowly to ensure I am hitting them correctly. I will also research vocal exercises focusing on belting to improve my projection and voice for the climax of the song.

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An excellent start to the year Scarlett! You truly are an exceptional student, always striving to go above and beyond for yourself AND others.

You are a natural leader, and you are listened to and respected by your peers.

Your contribution to rehearsals so far has been fantastic... voicing creative ideas and concepts, as well as assisting with teaching and recapping choreography.

You are well on track for your coursework that I can see so far, so keep going... but!! Be kind to yourself. And always reach out should you feel burn out or overwhelm. I am here to support and help you ( :

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In today's rehearsal, we began by singing through the vocals for Alexander Hamilton, The Schuyler Sisters, Helpless, What I Was Born To Do, One Perfect Moment and Breathe. A strength of mine in this section was correctly characterising my voice for 'What I Was Born To Do'/ I achieved this strength by researching the musical and my character to form a deeper connection with Campbell and the emotions she is going through in this number. I was also taking into consideration that this is the first song in 'Bring It On- The Musical' and how my character can add elements of foreshadowing what is to follow. I will continue to achieve this characterisation by analysing my research further and develop every line of lyric to how I should use the tone of my voice to effect how the audience would feel. We ten set the vocals for Killer Instinct to be able to hear what my peers Mia, Phoebe and Paige have been working on with this song. In the second section of rehearsal we ran 'Alexander Hamilton' choreography and vocals and began working on 'The Schuyler Sisters and 'What I Was Born To Do' choreography. A strength of mine whilst completing this was picking up choreography quickly for The Schuyler Sisters. I achieved this by focusing on the Director and what she was setting so I could easily remember when it came to running through the song. I will continue to develop this strength by watching the video of the rehearsal and using it to practice in my own time. This will also allow me to begin to add different characterisation to this number as an ensemble character. A final strength of this rehearsal was feeling comfortable whilst singing and not having any vocal strain whilst singing 'What I was Born To Do'. I completed this by rehearsing with the backing track of the Original Broadway Cast Album and refine my breath control and intonation. Continuing to work on this in the coming weeks will allow a better feel to my voice on the belt verses of the song. and ultimately making my voice healthier.

Despite the positives of today's rehearsal, there are also some weaknesses which I picked up on. The first improvement I will make is ensuring to use character during the number 'Alexander Hamilton' and always be engaged with the choreography. I noticed this as a weakness when watching back the rehearsal videos as at points I was distracted and not showing characterisation thrpugh the movements. Particularly in the beginning where the number just requires the ensemble to stand still and click I must use facial expressions and head movements to allow the audience to feel connected with my performance. I will develop this by using my character analysis to provide appropriate characterisation whilst rehearsing the number at home. This means that in the next rehearsal's run through my character will automatically shine through my performance. A second weakness I noticed today was becoming fatigued whilst dancing and singing at the same time. This is due to a lack of stamina and not being able to vocally project due to being too out of breath. In turn this then followed with me missing some lyrics or cues to sing due to focusing on my breathing. In future rehearsals, I will aim to complete vocal and singing warm ups thoroughly before practising to ensure I can sustain my voice throughout the day. I will also improve this at home by completing breathing exercises and mark down in the lyrics where to breathe so I can easily rehearse the song with control. Regarding not singing certain words, I will also go over the lyrics and what parts I, as the ensemble, am singing in the number 'The Schuyler Sisters' and rehearse my harmonies to ensure I am fully prepared for next week's rehearsal.

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17/10/2024 What I Was Born To Do rehearsal

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17/10/2024 What I Was Born To Do rehearsal

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Practice at home for WHat I Was Born To Do

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Practice at home for WHat I Was Born To Do

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Rehearsal of the belt in What I Was Born To Do

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Rehearsal of the belt in What I Was Born To Do

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Oct 17, 2024 - Explore scarlett🦦’s board “In The Heights” on Pinterest.

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Oct 17, 2024 - Explore scarlett🦦’s board “Hamilton” on Pinterest.

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Oct 17, 2024 - Explore scarlett🦦’s board “Bring It On” on Pinterest.

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In today’s rehearsal we began with a run through of all vocals set so far, as well as running Alexander Hamilton vocals and dance. We then ran what we have set of ‘The Schuyler Sisters’ choreography and ‘What I Was Born To Do’ number to evaluate what we had practised from last week’s rehearsal throughout the week. A strength whilst running the vocals for ‘What I was Born To Do’ was starting the song at the correct time which allowed the beginning verse to run smoothly and allow for proper breath support. This is a strength as it ensures that the ensemble for the number could come in at the correct time as they are relying on me to hit the correct intonation of the music. A second strength of today's rehearsal was characterising in 'The Schuyler Sisters' dance. I achieved this by exploring my character analysis message in a bottle exercise and applying it to rehearsals to be able to have a realistic view of how women of that century would walk, act and talk. To keep this as a strength I will continue to develop my character in other numbers and repeatedly rehearse using different forms of character to see which would suit the number best. A final strength of today's rehearsal was remembering the 'Alexander Hamilton' choreography in the first run through of the number. I achieved this by watching the videos taken during rehearsal and practising in my own time. I would also use the dance studio to rehearse when it was free to get a feel for performing the dance in a wider space rather than my living room. To continue this as a strength in other numbers in the show,I will continue to watch and analyse the videos taken to ensure my performance is perfected and polished before the show day.

Despite the strengths of this rehearsal, there are also weaknesses which I picked up on today. The first improvement I noticed that I need to make is forgetting to sing whilst dancing during 'The Schuyler Sisters'. This is a weakness as it means when using the performance tracks without the words on, the sound will not be powerful as the cast is focusing on the dance rather than the vocals. This also may make the audience confused as all of the lyrics may not be heard correctly and create a false idea of what the song is about. To be able to develop this for the coming rehearsals, I will practice moving around whilst singing the ensemble sections of 'The Schuyler Sisters'. I will also rehearse the dance and song in front of family members and ask for feedback on how I can improve my connection between the song and the dance. A second weakness was also shown in 'The Schuyler Sisters' number, where I did not remember some of the choreography set in the previous weeks. This meant that our Director had to spend extra time going over what had already been set to ensure the cast knew the choreography before moving on to the next section. This is a negative aspect as it means there may be a delay in finishing the dance if we keep on having to go over previous choreography. I will improve this for next week by ensuring I go home and watch all of the videos from this rehearsal and last week's rehearsal to be able to be fully prepared for finishing the dance in the coming weeks.

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On Monday 21st October we began setting the 'In The Heights commercial number with the Choreographer, Jasmine. We spent three hours choreographing and experimenting with different formations for the dance to explore the connection of themes between 'In The Heights'. A strength of mine in this rehearsal was knowing the timing of when to start and staying on time throughout the number. This is a strength as it highlights how I can listen to the intonation of the music and lyrics and know what moves go where. This will be useful for future auditions as it shows the panel how easily I can correlate the choreography to the music. A second strength of this rehearsal was using character whilst performing. This allows me to fully envision being on stage and how my character would express themselves in this dance. I will continue to develop these strengths by rehearsing the dance at home to ensure I am prepared for when we next run through the routine.

With this rehearsal, I also noticed some weaknesses which must be improved for next week's dance rehearsal. First of all, I struggled to pick up the choreography quickly and had to keep going over certain sections. To be able to improve this for the next rehearsal I will practice going over the areas I could not grasp in my own time. This will allow space and time for myself to be fully prepared for carrying on the dance next week. A second weakness was occasionally having the incorrect timing on certain sections. This is due to me needing to practice my rhythm and musicality and connect it to the dance movements. I will achieve this by exploring how different styles of music adapt my dancing, involving timing within this. I will also watch videos of how to gain better intonation and musicality to begin improving this weakness.

On Thursday 24th October we had a rehearsal with our director Jess. We sung through 'Alexander Hamilton', 'The Schuyler Sisters' and 'What I Was Born To Do' numbers as a vocal warm up, before running the staging for 'WIWBTD' and recapping the placement and positions of the number. A strength of mine in this rehearsal was remembering the lyrics without needing the sheet in front of me for Campbell's lyrics in the 'Bring It On' section. This is a strength as it allows the ensemble track to come in at the correct time and can cue certain dance movements in the number. I will continue to develop this as a strength by rehearsing with the karaoke tracks at college and in my spare time. This will allow me to get used to singing solo and not relying on the ensemble to aid with vocals. Knowing the lyrics fully also allows me to develop the character of 'Campbell' further. A second strength of this rehearsal was knowing to use staccato on the word 'work' throughout 'The Schuyler Sisters' vocals. This allows the audience to fully grasp the harshness of how work was viewed for women in the 18th century and how women working forced society to see this as poverty. Staccato enables this feeling by sounding harsh to the ears of the audience, therefore creating negative emotions. I will develop this vocal strength by continuing to analyse my character analysis and how it impacts my vocals in the 'Hamilton' section.

Although there was strengths of this rehearsal, I also picked up on improvements which I need to make before the next rehearsal. The first weakness was my retention of specific movements in 'The Schuyler Sisters' which were set in the last rehearsal. Due to my focus on the vocals of this number, I occasionally lost the placement of the dance and what I was supposed to be doing. This is a weakness as it may effect the ensemble around me when we have to complete certain moves in groups and cannons. This will be improved for next week's rehearsal by re-watching the rehearsal videos, analysing what moves I did wrong and correcting them for next week. A second development I will make for the next rehearsal is looking over the harmony at the end of 'Alexander Hamilton'. I have highlighted this as an area that needs improving as when running the vocals, I lost the middle harmony for the end lyric. This must be corrected as getting the end harmony will ensure a powerful denouement to the opening number of the performance. It will also allow the audience to fully immerse themselves and settle in to the show as they can appreciate a strong opening number.

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In this week's rehearsals, we began with going over 'In The Heights' at the beginning of the week with our choreographer. We then set a partner section which is placed in the Year 2 section of the commercial number. I was partnered with my peer, Honey; I believe we successfully inputted and helped our teacher when figuring out the timing for certain sections. This was aided by my knowledge of the lyrics of the song and being able to make the connection between what movements are completed on specific lyrics. I will continue to rehearse this number over the next week to improve my timing, ability to complete the movements and technical lines.

On Thursday morning I completed a rehearsal in my own time due to not having one at college because of GCSE exams. I ran through my sections in 'What I Was Born To Do' and rehearsed the dance choreographed from last week. This allowed me to prepare for the next two rehearsals of the day. We then continued to set 'The Schuyler Sisters', incorporating some of our own ideas into the choreography. This was a strength of mine as I was able to link my economical research into my performance. This is also a a strength as it allowed my choreography to be included and help out the Director with ideas. I will continue to develop this by refining my research and analysing how it can be incorporated into my performances. After setting the middle section of 'The Schuyler Sisters' we then carried onto 'What I Was Born To Do' and refining the beginning section we choreographed in last week's rehearsal. A strength of mine whilst polishing was adding in character for the number and allowing myself to become 'Campbell' whilst rehearsing. This will help when performing, ensuring I give an accurate portrayal of the character throughout the number. I achieved this by practicing on my acting through song outside of college hours to be able to fully evaluate how Campbell would act when she is not singing and interacting with her classmates. Achieving this characterisation allows the audience to fully understand the context of the lyrics and the meaning behind the song. I have also been working on my vocals for 'What I Was Born To Do' and I believe this was shown in today's rehearsal. I had the correct intonation and pitch throughout the rehearsal and was able to brighten up any notes which may have been flat in previous rehearsals. I achieved this by rehearsing the song repeatedly using different belt vocal exercises to help my voice become stronger and create a more powerful sound. I will continue to work on this over the coming weeks by performing in front of my peers and asking for feedback to be a le to self-evaluate my singing. In the final session of the day, we set the vocals for 'How Far I'll Go' which will be a whole company choir number to end the show. I successfully grasped my alto harmonies quickly and recorded them to be able to rehearse for next week. We were then given a section of time to rehearse anything we thought we needed to catch up on. I spent this time rehearsing a monologue which will be used in the show to open the Bring It On section of the show. I worked on this with the Director and was given feedback on how to make the audience drawn in and understand the context of the following section. Listening to this feedback, I will work on this in my own time and perform it in front of my family to be able to know whether I am putting emphasis on the correct words.

Despite the strengths of these rehearsals, I also picked up on some weakness which I will aim to work on over the next week. The first being a lack of retention of the choreography for the beginning section of 'The Schuyler Sisters'. This meant that we had to spend time rehearsing the same sections which we learnt in last week. This is a weakness as it halts the cast's progress with learning the next part of the choreography. I will improve this for next week by going over the section from last week and the new piece from today's rehearsal to ensure they are refined in time to continue to the end of the number. Linking this to a second weakness of mine, I struggled to focus and pick up choreography quickly when being taught new pieces of choreography for the dances. This must be improved as having this as a strength would help me in all areas of musical theatre, not just this unit of work. It would be useful in auditions and dance calls as well as rehearsals for shows as it would allow me to be able to use facial expressions or character quickly and not worry about the movements. I will work on this by watching videos of dances and practice teaching myself at a quick pace to mock the feeling of being in an environment where a fast paced choreography retention is necessary. A final weakness I noted down of today was the lack of a physical warm up. This would have meant that my muscles and body were not fully ready for movement and I may not have completed every move to my full ability. It also could have resulted in an injury due to my muscles being overworked and stretched whilst cold. In future rehearsals, I will make sure a physical war up is completed before any dancing to allow my body time to prepare for physical movement.

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21/10/2024 In The Heights end section formations

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04/11/2024 In The Heights opening and partner section 

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04/11/2024 In The Heights opening and partner section 

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In The Heights opening and partner section  4/10/2024

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Surface Pressure Year 1 and Year 2 section

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With this week's sessions, we began with completing the Year 2 section of 'In The Heights' and setting everyone in the correct places on Monday Morning. We then polished this section with the Choreographer to be able to slot the Year 1 and Year 2 sections into each other at the next rehearsal. A strength of mine in this rehearsal was remembering the 'In The Heights' choreography fully and teaching it to people who were not present in the lesson to learn it. This is a strength as it highlights how I can work with my peers and help others successfully, in turn presenting how my knowledge of the choreography has improved fully to be able to teach it to others. This is an improvement of the last rehearsal where one of my weaknesses was retention of choreography. After going home and working on all of the dancers set in the show so far, I have caught myself up on all choreography for this week's rehearsal.

On Thursday's rehearsals, we began with an entire run through in the dance studio of everything we have learnt so far. A strength of mine whilst doing this was remembering harmonies, particularly in 'The Schuyler Sisters' and 'Alexander Hamilton'. This was seen in lyrics such as 'The greatest city in the world' and 'The Schuyler Sisters' which are important and impactful lyrics in the number. Ensuring I am singing the correct harmonies in these particular sections is key as it is a powerful moment for the audience to understand the context of the song. To be able to continue achieving these harmonies every week, I will listen to the voice recordings repeatedly to ensure my lower harmony is solidified to be able to successfully sing them whilst dancing. This will also require a level of confidence in myself whilst dancing to be able to resort to the rehearsed harmonies instead of the tune. A second strength of mine during this run through was characterising 'What I Was Born To Do' where I play the role of 'Campbell'. I achieved this character by researching the musical and watching a recording of the Original Broadway Production to be able to analyse how Campbell moves and interacts with other characters. This has benefited me in rehearsals as I am able to create my own unique quirks to her character which allows me to connect with the ensemble, creating a realistic performance. In the lead up to the show, I will continue to research on Campbell and evaluate where in the lyrics I could add moments of character to fully incorporate myself into my character. In the final lessons of the day, we finished staging 'The Schuyler Sisters' and 'What I Was Born To Do'. A strength of mine was being able to pick up the choreography quickly and giving ideas for movements when the Director was asking for our opinion. I will continue to work on these strengths by ensuring I rehearse what was set today in my own time by watching the rehearsal videos. It is also key that I begin to add in elements of character for 'The Schuyler Sisters' to be able to highlight to the audience the time period and contextual knowledge of what is happening in the musical.

Despite the strengths of this rehearsal, there were also some weaknesses which I noticed. A first weakness I addressed was not being able to sing and dance at the same time due to having a lack of breath control. This was most noticeable in the ending of the number 'What I Was Born To Do' where my voice became breathy and had little control. To be able to improve this for next week's rehearsal, I will practice belting the ending using breath exercises to help me. I will also mark out in the lyrics places where I can breathe to allow specific time for me to catch my breath before the harder sections of the song. Developing this into a strength will allow the audience to form a deeper connection with my character as achieving a mix belt for the end section will highlight how important it is for my character to become cheer captain. Another weakness of mine today was not taking the set into consideration when running through in the performance hall. This impacted the dance 'In The Heights' as we had little space to fully complete the choreography and people kept on bumping in to each other. To be able to improve this for our next rehearsal I will mark out the set and make sure that everyone is in their correct spacing so no one clashes with each other. This makes the dance appear messy and unclean to the audience; impacting their views on the numbers.

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In today's rehearsal, we began with a costume walk. This is where we gather all of our costumes for the show and run the dances in each costume to ensure we can move fluidly. This ensures our costumes are fully thought out and fits the theme of the dance. I was excited to try on the cheer outfits for 'What I Was Born To Do' as experimenting with the dresses and pom-poms is what will make the number. I was given a medium sized cheer dress, which is rather baggy in some areas, but I prefer this on stage because the lighting and movements will shorten the image of the cheer dresses, so a bigger size will look better. For my other costumes, I must bring an extra blue layer to put on for 'How Far I'll Go', to make the costume different to the blue and black baggy clothing for 'Surface Pressure'. A strength of mine in this was bringing all of the correct costumes, this meant that I did not have to adapt or change any of my outfits for the show. I believe I fully thought about my costume choices and what subtly fits the numbers without being obvious about the time period. After running all of the dances in our costumes, we then went over 'How Far I'll Go' vocals to ensure all of the harmonies are in the correct placement for the song. We then filmed this number to send off for a charity performance our choir has been invited to perform at. During this, I remembered all of my harmonies for the low vocal of the song which meant that the different harmonies blended well together throughout. I will continue to achieve this by repeatedly watching the recordings of the harmonies to be able to be fully polished before the show. This will also help others around me who are on the lower line to be able to sing in the correct pitch. We then polished 'The Schuyler Sisters' and the end of 'What I Was Born To Do' to be able to be fully prepared for the show in two week's time. Here, I listened to direction and focused during the end vocals which I have occasionally struggled with in past rehearsals. I believe I used the correct placement using my breath control to sustain the final end note. I will continue to improve and work on this by using breath exercises on YouTube to ensure I can successfully hold the note.

Throughout the day, I also noticed some weak points during rehearsal. The first weakness being my lack of focus during the sing through of 'How Far I'll Go' and talking to those around me. This can be distracting to others who are trying to sing their correct harmonies, but cannot hear because of the talking. In future rehearsals, I will give myself the goal to stay motivated and focused whilst singing through to be able to fully polish the vocals and address any notes our director gives. A second weakness of mine today was not being present for the first full run through of the day, this is due to having an urgent Doctor's appointment. Due to this, I missed key notes and staging which were improved throughout the run through. To be able to catch up on any work I missed,I will watch the videos of the full run through and take notes on any sections which were changed. I will also ask my peers who were present to tell me of any changes or placements which have been moved.

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I think in Tap, I have really worked on creating clearer beats by using my ankle. Due to already receiving outside lessons in Tap, I often find myself unchallenged by the routines, so I task myself to make my ankle more fluid to create crisper sounds. This allows the beats to be clear and defined. I believe I could continue to work on using my facial expressions during the routines to add an extra layer of performance.

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For the numbers 'Alexander Hamilton' and 'The Schuyler Sisters' I chose a black off-the-shoulder top paired with flared trousers for my costume. I chose this tight fitted clothing to be able to show my arm and leg lines in these numbers as it is technical choreography. Tight clothing will also allow the audience to see every move I am completing in the dances and be easier for me to move in throughout. I chose that particular top as I believe it adds a slight bit of character to my costume, as although plain, it highlights a difference in my costume to others. The off-the-shoulder is also a reference to women of the time wearing low cut dresses, often exposing the shoulder.

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For 'What I Was Born To Do' we were supplied with this costume and therefore did not have to choose or buy a cheer outfit ourselves. Having a cheer outfit paired with Pom-Poms is crucial for this number as the number is all about cheer tryouts and gaining acceptance into a cheer squad. Therefore the number would not make any sense to the audience if it did not have cheerleader costumes. I will wear colourful trainers with sport socks to further highlight to the audience the nature of this number.

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For this costume, we were given the brief of wearing something which we believe would have reflected the fashion which people would have worn in Washington Heights. After being given this, I researched images of how people dressed and saw that it typically consisted of bright and baggy clothing. I chose to pair baggy bottoms with a tighter top to achieve a better silhouette whilst dancing on stage. I believe that the colours also reflect well off each other and attract the audience's eyes to the bright pink pop of colour. Having this as my costume is also practical for completing the dance, due to it being choreographed in a commercial style. The baggier bottoms allow for freedom of my leg movement which allows me to execute the dance moves better than having tight leggings or trousers on.

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SURFACE PRESSURE & HOW FAR I'LL GO COSTUME

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SURFACE PRESSURE & HOW FAR I'LL GO COSTUME

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For these two costumes, we were told to wear black with a pop of blue colour. I chose this particular outfit because I believe it reflects both 'Moana' and 'Encanto' with the linen trousers and navy blue tank top. In 'How Far I'll Go' I will also add a tied, pale blue shirt over the top to add an extra layer and colour on top. This also allows these two costumes to have a slight difference so the audience does not become bored with seeing the same costume twice in a row.

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Throughout ballet classes this term, I believe I have improved my use of head and eye lines following my leg or arm movements. This creates a more fluid and nicer feel to the routines, particularly those at the barre. It will also help when choreographing my ballet solo and allow me to give a more touching and emotional performance by simply using my expressions and arm movements. I will continue to work on and develop my knowledge of the routines which can be improved by watching the videos after class.

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During jazz, I believe I have improved my confidence during across the floor work in exercises such as straight leg kicks and leaps. I achieved this by learning that determination and character are the most important thing, even if you make a mistake, pick the routine back up and carry on. I think that I could still aim to improve my level flexibility within jazz as that can sometimes set me back slightly. Although I have worked on my stretching and flexibility routines, I would like to become more flexible for future classes.

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Throughout commercial classes, I believe I have vastly improved on my ability to appear fluid whilst dancing. This is key for styles such as 'house' within commercial as the body needs to be loose to be able to move. I will continue to work on styles such as 'hip-hop' and 'locking' as I believe I am weakest at these.

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Today's rehearsals saw the first full tech and dress run of the entire show. We began the day with a vocal and physical warm up to ensure our bodies were fully prepared for the day. The warm ups were lead by my peers Raven and Mia, this creates a better bond between each other as it highlight's different leadership skills in people. After this, we cleaned 'Alexander Hamilton' from the top. This number needs to be powerful as it opens the show and gives the audience context of what this show is going to entail. We were then given the opportunity to listen to the sound bites of Lin Manuel-Miranda talking about each one of the shows we are performing songs from. These were created by my classmate Catherine, this then gave us the chance to congratulate her on her hard work editing the sound bites and giving her recognition. After this, we began a mic check in the performance hall. I believe mic checks are the most important tech we complete before the show as it allows the Technical Director and Director to see if there is any problems with the mics, which could impact our performance. This is why I knew it was important to show professionalism during this check and have a focus on ensuring my mic was working for the show. Before our break, we ran two of our whole company numbers, 'Alexander Hamilton' and 'What I Was Born To Do'. I believe I could have put more effort into my vocals for the 'What I Was Born To Do' number to ensure that my mic was working fully. Furthermore, singing to my full belt is good as it allows Tech to hear my volume level throughout the song. After lunch, we finished getting ready for the show by completing our hair, makeup and the preparation of our costumes for the run through.

Throughout the run through, I noticed some strengths and weaknesses which I will address. To begin with, my strengths of the run through was my characterisation and facial expressions all throughout the performance. Watching the run through back, I particularly noticed my facial expressions during 'In The Heights; and 'Surface Pressure'. Having extravagant expressions during these numbers are key as they are just dance numbers, so having big expressions will keep the audience engaged in the performance. I achieved this by using sharp head and eye lines by researching people who would have lived in Washington Heights to see how they would have interacted with each other. This creates an accurate and precise performance for the audience. I will continue to develop this across all numbers to ensure I am performing to the audience and not just completing the movements given. A second strength of mine today was showing professionalism and carrying on with the dance during 'Surface Pressure' despite others around me not knowing where they are going or what the moves are. I continued to use my facial expressions which show professionalism and my ability to carry on and finish the dance. I also showed confidence during this choreography as I went home and rehearsed the number. This was key for me to do as we only learnt this dance last week, so going home and perfecting it was key for it to be polished for the show next week. I will continue to improve this by working with my peers and helping to teach anyone who was struggling with the choreography.

My weaknesses from the run through were also picked up by the Director. The first being my unsteady vocals during 'What I Was Born To Do' due to my nervousness before going on stage. I had a lack of breath control and vocal control due to these nerves as I felt like I could not catch my breath for the sustained notes towards the end. This meant they sounded off tune as I was struggling to hold the note. To be able to improve this for next week, I will use the advice of the Director and practice putting the belt into my mix voice, which will help with the intonation of the song.This will also hep with sustaining my American accent as to achieve my mix I have to move the sound to my cheeks and nose, creating a more american, nasally singing voice. Over the next week, I will also aim to combat my nerves by reinforcing positive manifestations of what will happen on stage. This will allow me to feel less nervous and improve my vocals for the show. Another weakness I noticed was my knowledge of the lyrics during 'How Far I'll Go'. I mixed up the first and third verse lyrics which confused those around me. To be able to improve this, I will rehearse the song over the next week to be able to fully polish the lyrics with my harmonies to ensure I am prepared fro the performance next week.

Notes given from the Director after the dress and tech full run through:

Give more face and character all throughout.

For the ensemble, they were given the note to not rustle their pom-poms during 'What I Was Born To Do' as it is distracting for me singing.

My monologue did not happen as our Technical Director did not know it was happening

Ensure everyone knows all of the choreography for the dance numbers

Improve everyone's knowledge of the lyrics in 'How Far I'll Go'

Clean the end of 'Alexander Hamilton', 'The Schuyler Sisters' and 'What I Was Born To Do'.

After the run through, we spent some time going over the choreography for the numbers which the Director noted down needed cleaning. This included a trust fall during the number 'Alexander Hamilton' on the lyrics 'Alex got better but his mother went quick'. This is completed with my peers Hannah, Paige, Katie and Grace. We spent time going over the fall to ensure we all felt comfortable in what we were doing. This practice was to ensure we felt ready to complete the lift in next week's show.

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25/11/2024 In The Heights- full year 2 run through 

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25/11/2024 In The Heights- full year 2 run through 

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How Far I'll Go (Tresham Musical Theatre Choir)