Fran Lebowitz and Frank Rich talk “Hamilton”

“What I find shocking is that something that great is a success…people tend not to love the great thing until like a hundred years later.”

On March 18, 2016 beloved cultural satirist Fran Lebowitz and longtime journalist and commentator Frank Rich engaged in an evening of sparkling conversation about everything from race and gender to culture and politics in front of a full house at BAM.

[Baribrotzer]

She's like Edna Mode as a real human being.

[danromero]

Anyone else hold their breath in that pause before her reaction?

[zeldasmith]

She's amazing and it's very rare anything is amazing to me except rain, sun, clouds, flowers, etc.

[Tracijoy]

Lived in Manhattan in 70’s, early eighties. Fran is an Icon.
PS....I hate musicals as

[danielstanwyck]

A little of Fran goes a long way. Brent McGee's comment below mine is right on target. She does stuff for effect and with affect. She's a purposeful commentator with one thing in mind: herself. I used to enjoy her but that was when she was not all over the place.

[jennyzarate]

She's so funny, love her. Saludos desde Bolivia 🇧🇴.

[KindCountsDeb]

Imagine, an effervescent Fran. Who da thunk,

[MrLopezsMusicLounge]

are you people going to upload the whole video to your site? or are you just going to make this annoyingly short clip all that is available???

[ronneyrendon]

I’m with Fran, I can’t stand musicals.

[keithnichols]

I assume Fran detailed why Hamilton is "great, " although coming from one who hates musicals and apparently theatre in general, her reasons may be suspect.

[amazingandrea]

I love musicals. I go occasionally in NY and frequently in London and will repeat seeing a show I love over and over. However, for some weird reason, you could not drag me to Hamilton...

[pam]

She grew up wanting to be Leonard Bernstein yet says that Hamilton is the only great musical of her lifetime? West Side Story Fran?

[HaZZb]

She should do stand up. She’d be up there with legends like George Carlin and Billy Collony.

[istvanpraha]

She says she outlandish but always goes with the mob here in NY. For once I want someone here to say the “music” was horrible in Hamilton

[garrettglauser]

I will never understand why she is famous

[bemusedobserver]

Her neoliberalism pops out at times- I prefer the contrarian Fran.

[timk]

Act 1 of Hamilton is spectacular. Act 2 is good. “What Did I Miss” is a total clunker. Should have been left at previews.

[davidmayhew]

I really like Fran but I love musicals. She just couldn't be more wrong.

[rhlang]

Hamilton is so great that it's not memorable. Not one song, line, feeling, etc. It is a powerhouse but it's not something that has one single memorable song.

[keithnichols]

Hamilton's historical simplifications and what may be revelations are good, but it isn't all that "musical." On the other hand, the more traditional musicals aren't that tunefully original nowadays, so Hamilton may profit from that and that selling a rap show as a musical is novel.