Sometimes, I make spaghetti and cover it with a generous amount of tomato sauce before storing the leftovers in my refrigerator. Something about the way the sauce permeates the noodles makes the meal taste even better the next day.

Something similar happened with my Hamilton experience. Five years ago, I took my son to the Lin-Manuel Miranda creation during its first Chicago residency. We loved it. The music, the acting, the story, and the dancing were all exceptional. Tuesday evening, I returned to see an entirely new cast perform the musical life of founding father, Alexander Hamilton.

In the years since I first experienced Hamilton, I became familiar with the music and the story. I even read Ron Chernow's "Hamilton" - the biography on which Miranda based his musical. \

This performance was like visiting an old friend. Although I missed the thrill of experiencing each number for the first time, I loved the joy of greeting a familiar piece I felt in my soul.

Pierre Jean Gonzalez as the title character and Deon'te Goodman as his rival Aaron Burr were outstanding, as was Jared Howelton, who played the Marquis de Lafayette in Act 1 and Thomas Jefferson in Act 2. Neil Haskell stole the show during his brief appearances as King George, whose relationship with the American colonies echoed that of an abusive husband.

I believe the sets remained unchanged from the earlier run, which was good because it worked. The rotating center of the stage allowed for the appearance of more action than could fit on the Nederlander Theatre stage.

Time and familiarity enhanced my love of this musical. With any luck, I will return to it in a few years.