I didn’t like Hamilton the first time I watched it. The music felt unoriginal, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s face and voice were annoying me, and I didn’t follow the plot.

But…I loved the ending and really liked the women in the show, especially Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton. I liked them so much it made me ponder whether or not I had made some sort of mistake. So, I waited a couple of days and watched it again.

Upon second viewing, I loved Hamilton from start to finish, and Miranda grew on me to the point that I found him adorable. Not sure what happened the first time; perhaps I was distracted, perhaps I was just grouchy. This sort of thing has happened only once or twice in 25 years of film reviewing (Most notably, my about-face on Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas).

During the second viewing, my brain clicked on to the Hamilton frequency. I heard all of the lyrics, the melodies jumped out at me, and the choreography was stunning. It’s deserving of all the hype, and boasts a boldly original concept; the founding fathers played by multiple ethnicities, often rapping. The cast is superb, including Miranda as the title character, Leslie Odom, Jr. as friend-turned-enemy Aaron Burr, and a host of performers sometimes playing two parts.

MVP winner for the best comedic turn in the show goes to Jonathan Groff as the sassy King George, so assured the American colonies will be back under his reign and, yes, gloriously spitting while singing in vivid HD.

As good as everybody is, Soo steals her every scene and gives the musical major heart. She’s the reason I took a breath, took the time, watched the show again, and realized my near mistake. Hamilton is the gem it was rumored to be.

The lost treasures of Tucson are spoken of in hushed whispers. Who knows what happened to these legendary talismans after they vanished more than a century ago? Did they really have magical powers? And where are they today?

Tucson Weekly is on the hunt for these long-lost treasures—and we need your help to find them as we embark on Best of Tucson® 2020.

But we’re not just looking for lost treasures. We’re celebrating the living legends of today: our restaurateurs, our brewers, our artists, our musicians, our bartenders, our coffee grinders, our bakers, our writers, our merchants and all the others who make our Sonoran home such a hospitable place.

That’s where you come in. We’re asking you to vote once again in Best of Tucson®.

You can nominate anyone in any category through midnight on Monday, July 6. We’ll tally those primary results to get the top five nominees in each category. Those top finalists will compete for your votes through midnight on Monday, Aug. 24. And on Oct. 22, we’ll announce the winners in our special Best of Tucson® collector’s edition!

Find your ballot here!

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, after a four-year absence from starring roles in order to become a new daddy, returns with the pretty standard, sometimes tense airplane thriller, 7500.

Levitt does competent work as Tobias, a nebbish co-pilot on a night flight that includes his girlfriend (Aylin Tezel) on the crew. They aren't in the air long before a band of hijackers take hostages and demand entry into the cockpit, banging relentlessly on his door.

Director and co-writer Patrick Vollrath does very well with the film's first half. Actually, the film is quite good when the plane is in the air. Tobias communicates with the hijackers banging on his door via black and white video, and it's scary to watch. The film most certainly recalls the tense final moments of Paul Greengrass' United 93, when a similar, real-life situation occurred on 9/11.

Once the plane lands, Tobias ends up in the cockpit with one of the hijackers (Omid Memar), and this is where the movie sputters. The two actors give it their all, but the script calls for paint-by-numbers "hijacked plane on the tarmac" conversations, and this simply doesn't deliver on the promise of the film's first half.

Still, it's good to see Gordon-Levitt here. It's a demanding role for him, and he gets to shake the rust off in mostly fine fashion. Too bad the entirety of the movie doesn't match the quality of his performance.

7500 is streaming on Amazon Prime Video

Take a break from the quarantine blues and head up to Oro Valley to enjoy some live music in a fun, safe, and family-friendly environment at the Gaslight Music Hall. Playing next Wednesday and Thursday are Little House of Funk and Backroads Country Band, respectively.

Get your groove on Wednesday, July 8 with Little House of Funk, known for dishing out Sonoran soul and “deep-fried blues” and voted in 2018 as Tucson’s best R&B band.

“Their setlists include popular covers, sultry arrangements and dynamic originals for all the hip-swinging, toe-tapping energy you crave,” said Gaslight General Manager Heather Stricker.

On Thursday, July 9 the ultimate country cover band is rolling into town. Backroads Country Band plays all of the hits, including songs by George Strait, Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, Travis Tritt, Brooks and Dunn—all the way to the No. 1 hits of today from Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Sam Hunt, Old Dominion, Florida Georgia Line, Zac Brown Band and more.

Do you and your family need a helping hand to fill out your pantry and refrigerator? Look no further than The Salvation Army Tucson Amphi Corps Community Center, 218 E. Prince Road, where free emergency food boxes will be distributed Tuesday afternoon.

The Salvation Army Tucson Amphi Corps and Fresh Bites Foods are teaming up for the program, which takes place Tuesday, June 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed between noon and 1 p.m.) Families will receive USDA food boxes of dairy and produce.

Halfway through June already! Let's look at the stories that we covered today:

• The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Arizona jumped past 36,000 as of Monday, June 15, with a jump of 1,014 new cases reported this morning, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
• The Bighorn Fire is now approximately 14,600 acres and is 22 percent contained.
• For weeks, Rachel Willard, the county health director in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, had watched with alarm as COVID-19 cases rolled in from the Tyson Foods chicken plant in the center of town.
• In late March, as the number of COVID-19 cases was growing exponentially in the state, Cuomo said New York hospitals might need twice as many beds as they normally have.
• Two weeks after the polls closed in this year’s Ohio primary, two U.S. Postal Service employees showed up in the office of Diane Noonan, the director of elections in Butler County. The workers carried a tray of 317 unopened ballots that had been sitting in a Postal Service warehouse since the day before the election.
• Escape the summer heat (and quarantine) with the rocking sound of live music, happening every week at The Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley. Dance with your friends, enjoy some tunes, and snack on the region’s best pizza.
• Customs and Border Protection officials spent funds that were supposed to go to medical care and migrant processing facilities to pay for computer upgrades, canine units, ATVs and other items instead, a new government report shows.
• If you have kids, summer in Arizona usually contains many trips to the pool, splash pads, museums, or summer camp. This year has been a bit different.
• Sundt Construction Co. and its partner Kiewit picked up an award for their joint efforts on the Ina Road Traffic Interchange earlier this month, the companies announced in a press release.
• Local financial firm Hughes Federal Credit Union recently earned awards for its website, inclusivity initiatives and marketing strategies by Progress Software and the Credit Union National Association, the company announced Monday.
• The University of Arizona will now offer a Master of Arts in Bilingual Journalism, which is expected to prepare future journalists to “cover complex issues affecting Latinx people in the U.S. and abroad,” according to a press release from the UA’s School of Journalism.

If you have kids, summer in Arizona usually contains many trips to the pool, splash pads, museums, or summer camp. This year has been a bit different. Although splash pads are now open in some local communities, pools are not. Many summer programs have been completely canceled, and most public spaces still remain closed.

Something you can do is you can enjoy the Arizona Science Center after it opens to the public on June 20, that is if you don't mind a quick jaunt up to Phoenix to experience it. If you've been before, though, expect some changes.

Because kids and germs don't mix very well (or maybe too well, depending on your perspective) the usual open format of the center is a definite no-go. Instead, they now have four different experiences for you and your children to enjoy. Here's how it will feel to experience it.

Escape the summer heat (and quarantine) with the rocking sound of live music, happening every week at The Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley. Dance with your friends, enjoy some tunes, and snack on the region’s best pizza.

Tickets are selling fast, but still available for this week’s shows: Bluegrass Night with The Sonoran Dogs, Funky Grooves with OnesAll Band, and Blues Night with The Porch Rockers.

"We have decided to keep the Outdoor shows going at The Gaslight Music Hall in Oro Valley all summer long,” said Music Hall General Manager Heather Stricker. “The response to the fun and safe atmosphere has been amazing.”

Playing Tuesday, June 16, The Sonoran Dogs formed in 2011. Since then, they’ve toured across the Southwestern United States, and even as far as Melbourne, Australia. According to the group’s bio, The "Dogs" are made up of seasoned veterans “who have come together to enjoy bluegrass music and friendship, oftentimes adding one or more ‘strays’ on fiddle, dobro, and even accordion.”

The group’s expertise is on display no matter what they play, which includes improvising and original songs spanning traditional and contemporary music as well as an eclectic mix of Bluegrass, Folk, Americana, Celtic, and Newgrass.

The following day, Wednesday, June 17, OnesAll Band takes the stage. The group is composed of Kathi McKay, Jordan and John Stafford, Kent Baker, and Abel Salgado. Jordan started the group when he was 17, and the band is considered “a true labor of love.”

When they play, expect hits from Average White Band, Earth Wind & Fire, Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson Heart, and more.

Keep the party rolling at The Gaslight Music Hall, where the show has moved into the parking lot over the last few weeks after founder Tony Terry launched his newest production: The drive-in concert series.

Next up is Bluegrass Night with The Sonoran Dogs, Funky Grooves with OnesAll Band and Blues Night with The Porch Rockers, which takes place next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights, respectively.

The Sonoran Dogs, which play Tuesday, June 16, formed in 2011. Since then, they’ve toured across the Southwestern United States, and even as far as Melbourne, Australia. According to the group’s bio, The "Dogs" are made up of seasoned veterans “who have come together to enjoy bluegrass music and friendship, oftentimes adding one or more ‘strays’ on fiddle, dobro, and even accordion.”

The group’s expertise is on display no matter what they play, which includes improvising and original songs spanning traditional and contemporary music as well as an eclectic mix of Bluegrass, Folk, Americana, Celtic, and Newgrass.