Summary

The brief, transitional “Winter’s Ball” echoes the music and rhythms of “Alexander Hamilton” as Burr narrates his and Hamilton’s arrival at a winter soldier’s ball which the Schuyler sisters are attending.

“Helpless” begins with the arrival of Eliza and her sisters at the ball, Eliza singing about how helpless she feels when she looks into Hamilton’s eyes. For her part, Angelica is attracted to Hamilton’s mind and way of talking, but realizes that Eliza has already fallen for him, and so takes him to meet her. The rhythms and melody line are pop-oriented as a month’s events are compressed into four minutes: love letters, longing, fatherly disapproval, Hamilton’s wedding proposal (in which he confesses his poverty and insecurity, brags about his intelligence, and promises to give her the best live he can), and their wedding. Eliza...