Somehow, I always think that the day after a celebrity death is going to be easier, somehow? That the pain of the loss is no longer fresh, and that the next day will immediately begin the healing process. That's not how it works, especially on Friday when the Hamilton cast's tribute to Prince was uploaded to their Facebook page, and my heart exploded into a very confusing medley of love and sadness and appreciation and just plain old pain. It's a lot. While I'm never sure how to properly mourn a famous person whom I've never met, one way that's worked pretty consistently for me is to look at the way they're spoken about by their peers and the people they inspired. It's always a beautifully bittersweet moment, seeing how everyone was influenced by a lost talent, and the ways those left behind choose to honor people like Prince who paved the way are as compelling as they are heartbreaking.
Take, for example, the way that Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of the hit Broadway show Hamilton chose to say their goodbyes after the show on Apr. 21. They did it not by strictly mourning Prince's death, at least not in any traditional way, but by celebrating his life, with an on stage dance party to "Let's Go Crazy." First Miranda reads a beautiful little speech paying tribute to the groundbreaking, immensely talented artist, and then the band strikes up, and the whole cast, still in costumes... you know... goes crazy. Everyone's dancing, throwing their bodies around, huge smiles on their faces, and it's just the perfect moment. I feel like it's exactly what the time called for, and Prince would have loved every second.
Thank you to Lin-Manuel Miranda and the entire cast for this fitting celebration of a great man's life. Thank you as well for for helping me start my day with a deluge of tears. Rest In Purple, Prince. We all miss you so much already.
Image: Hamilton:AnAmericanMusical/Facebook
