The Room Where It Happens
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"The Room Where It Happens" is a song from Act 2 of the musical ''
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...
'', based on the life of
Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...
, which premiered on
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
in 2015. The musical relates the life of
Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...
and his relationships with his family and
Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...
. The book, music, and lyrics of the musical, including this song, were composed by
Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and ''In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animate ...
. The song describes the
Compromise of 1790 The Compromise of 1790 was a compromise between Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison, where Hamilton won the decision for the national government to take over and pay the state debts, and Jefferson and Madison obtained the nati ...
from Burr's perspective.


Background

The song's writer and composer,
Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and ''In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animate ...
, explained, "'
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' and 'The Room Where It Happens' are two of the best songs I've ever written in my life and [
Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...
] got them both" (as opposed to
Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...
, Miranda's character in the original cast).
Alex Lacamoire Alex Lacamoire (born May 24, 1975) is a Cuban-American composer, arranger, conductor, musical director, music copyist, and orchestrator who has worked on many shows both on and off-Broadway. He is the recipient of multiple Tony and Grammy Award ...
, ''Hamilton'''s musical director, explained how he came to add a
banjo The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
to a hip-hop band: "'The Room Where it Happens' just cried for it. The single greatest idea in the whole show, only because it's so quirky and is so of the style of the music. It's so Kander and Ebb-y,
Dixieland Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ( ...
, so I just sat down to orchestrate it, and I'm thinking to myself, 'What can the guitar do?' And literally in a flash of light, I'm like, 'Oh my god, it could be a banjo!' It invokes the feel of the song and I think it really fits in the world of it, but it's also so left of center and not what you would expect."


Synopsis

Aaron Burr and
Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
Alexander Hamilton discuss the legacy of the deceased General Hugh Mercer, pondering what their own legacies will be. The conversation turns to Hamilton's attempt to gain approval from
Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
for his proposed financial system. Their discussion is interrupted as Hamilton is ushered to a secret dinner table meeting, at which he,
Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father who served as the third president of the United States from 18 ...
, and
James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...
agree upon an unprecedented political compromise: the capital city of their new nation will be situated on the
Potomac River The Potomac River () drains the Mid-Atlantic United States, flowing from the Potomac Highlands into Chesapeake Bay. It is long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map. Retrieved Augus ...
—politically and geographically placing it in the South, Jefferson and Madison's home region—in exchange for the
Democratic-Republican Party The Democratic-Republican Party, known at the time as the Republican Party and also referred to as the Jeffersonian Republican Party among other names, was an American political party founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in the early ...
's support of Hamilton's financial plan. Burr ponders Jefferson's reports on the meeting, and enviously comments on how the American people, and more specifically himself, had no agency in this decision. An outraged Burr confronts Hamilton for "sell ng
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
down the river" and demands to know why; Hamilton replies he had to in order to get what he wanted and be remembered, then goads Burr about his reluctance to stand for anything. Hamilton implies that the location of the capital is far less important than New York retaining the financial center of the new nation. Burr decides to rectify this by running for political office so as to be in the metaphorical "room where it happens"—in other words, to be a party to important decisions. Claire Lampen of
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explained "History has drawn much of its information on the compromise from Thomas Jefferson's account of the evening, according to PBS; neither Miranda nor anyone else can be entirely certain what happened behind those closed doors". This grants Miranda artistic liberty and freedom in retelling the story of the compromise.


Style

Monesha Woods of ''
Vibe ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...
'' wrote that song is sung over a "snazzy, jazzy beat almost to tease amilton'sVIP status". Film and stage theater columnist Elizabeth Logan of ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' said the "slick" song is "just Fosse enough", and that it is "yet another reminder that American politicians have always, always made secret deals." Arts and culture scholar Alisa Solomon of ''
The Nation ''The Nation'' is an American liberal biweekly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper tha ...
'' described it as a "razzmatazz show-tune". Theatrical reviewer David Cote of ''Timeout'' deemed it "the ultimate outsider's jazz romp". Theater critic Peter Marks of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' called it "a bluesy elucidation of a politician's urge to be at the center of the action". Poet and Catholic blogger Monique Ocampo of ''
Patheos Patheos is a non-denominational, non-partisan online media company providing information and commentary from various religious and nonreligious perspectives. Upon its launch in May 2009, the website was primarily geared toward learning about re ...
'' deemed it Burr's "villain song". Playwright and dramatic expert Carol Rocamora of '' Broad Street Review'' deemed it a "pop ballad". Theater staff writer Anna Maples of '' MOVE Magazine'' says the song was her "personal favorite" and has a "blend of New Orleans and Dixieland jazz." ''
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'' said: Arts critic Colin Dabkowski of ''The Buffalo News'' deemed it "quiet and haunting". Playwright and ATCA member Lou Harry of '' IBJ'' argued that the song "demonstrates an awareness and respect for 'Someone In a Tree', from Stephen Sondheim's ''Pacific Overtures'' score". Theater critic Robert Cushman of the ''National Post'' expanded on this comparison, writing that "like its predecessor, this song grows in intensity as it proceeds, spurred on by its staging." Making reference to a different Broadway musical, Jeff McGregor of ''Smithsonian Magazine'' said the experience of watching the performance is "a lot like seeing
Ben Vereen Benjamin Augustus Vereen (born October 10, 1946) is an American actor, dancer and singer. Vereen gained prominence for his performances in the original Broadway productions of the musicals '' Jesus Christ Superstar'', for which he received a To ...
take the stage for the first time in ''
Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...
'', a watershed for performer and audience".


Critical reception

The song received critical acclaim. ''
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'' said the "jivey... wicked meditation on being a political outsider" is "now a full-fledged showstopper". ''Huffington Post'' said that it makes the audience root for Burr, and ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' called the song a showstopper and a "rousing number". ''Entertainment Weekly'' deemed it the show's biggest showstopper, describing it as "pulse-quickening" and "surprising". ''Daily Review'' said the song is "an ode to power and the desperate desire to be in the inner sanctum." The'' Los Angeles Times'' "grooved" to the song and appreciated how "Aaron Burr ditches his usual political double talk for no-holds-barred showmanship". This shows how much Aaron Burr is serious about his job. ''Talkin' Broadway'' argues that the song's lyrics do little narrative heavy lifting, "hardly crystalizing more of the man for us". ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' argues the song reveals Burr's "frustration and yearning." ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
'' deemed it a "spectacular second-act production number". NBC New York argued that the song reveals Burr's true nature as a "stop-at-nothing climber obsessed with relevancy". ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' listed it as one of the top ten showstoppers of 2015, describing it as an "unforgettable... song about power and powerlessness". ''National Post'' wrote that the song is the show's most exciting number, aided by the "brilliance of Andy Blankenbuehler's choreography, an almost ceaseless but never excessive swirl, precisely keyed to the beats." ''The Wrap'' deemed it an "infectious showstopper". New York Theatre Guide writes that "the experience is visceral for us all and becomes a show stopper." NBC New York described it as a "sly, dangerous... show-stealing number." ''Deadline'' deemed it "one of the show's most memorable songs." ''Theater Mania'' said it is one of the show's "most high-flying umbers. The ''Post Gazette'' remarked that the song "bring down the house." ''Emertainment Monthly'' noted the song is "one of the most monumental numbers in ''Hamilton''". Uloop called it one of the show's catchiest tunes, along with "
Wait For It Wait for It could refer to: Entertainment * "Wait for It" (How I Met Your Mother), an episode of the CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'' **"Wait for It", a catchphrase of Barney Stinson Barnabus Stinson is a fictional character portrayed by Ne ...
". ''RG Magazine'' wrote the song "captures the emotional and political complexities of Burr."


Certifications


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Room Where It Happens 2015 songs Songs from Hamilton (musical)