After graduating from Juilliard in 2012, Soo was cast as Natasha Rostova in the Ars Nova production of Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, based on Leo Tolstoy's War & Peace; the show went on to transfer Off-Broadway to Kazino, a tent custom built for the show.
In 2013 she was cast in a small recurring role in the NBC television series Smash as the character Lexi. She appeared in five episodes in the second season before the show's cancellation.
After seeing her in Great Comet, director Thomas Kail and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda asked her to take part in an early 2014 reading of the musical Hamilton, where she read as the leading female role, Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. Soo remained with the show through its Off-Broadway and Broadway debuts. She left the show on July 9th 2016 to reprise a previous role in Amelie.
Take a Break
Phillipa Soo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cinq six sept huit neuf
Good! Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept huit neuf
Sept huit neuf-
Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept huit neuf
Un deux trois quatre
Cinq six sept huit neuf
Sept huit neuf-
Sept huit neuf-
One two three four five six seven eight nine
My dearest, Angelica
"Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day"
I trust you'll understand the reference to
Another Scottish tragedy without my having to name the play
They think me Macbeth, and ambition is my folly
I'm a polymath, a pain in the ass, a massive pain
Madison is Banquo, Jefferson's Macduff
And Birnam Wood is Congress on its way to Dunsinane
And there you are, an ocean away
Do you have to live an ocean away?
Thoughts of you subside
Then I get another letter
I cannot put the notion away...
Take a break
I am on my way
There's a little surprise before supper
And it cannot wait
I'll be there in just a minute, save my plate
Alexander-
Okay, okay-
Your son is nine years old today
And he has something that he'd like to say
He's been practicing all day
Philip, take it away-
Daddy, daddy, look-
My name is Philip
I am a poet
I wrote this poem just
To show it
And I just turned nine
You can write rhymes
But you can't write mine
I practice French
And play piano with my mother
I have a sister, but I want a little brother
My daddy's trying to start America's bank
Un deux trois quatre cinq
What
Okay
Bravo
Take a break
Hey, our kid is pretty great
Run away with us for the summer
Let's go upstate
Eliza, I've got so much on my plate
We can all go stay with my father
There's a lake I know...
I know
In a nearby park
I'd love to go
You and I can go when the night gets dark...
I will try to get away
My dearest Alexander
You must get through to Jefferson
Sit down with him and compromise
Don't stop 'til you agree
Your fav'rite older sister
Angelica, reminds you
There's someone in your corner all the way across the sea
In a letter I received from you two weeks ago
I noticed a comma in the middle of a phrase
It changed the meaning. Did you intend this?
One stroke and you've consumed my waking days
It says:
"My dearest Angelica"
With a comma after "dearest." You've written
"My dearest, Angelica"
Anyway, all this to say
I'm coming home this summer
At my sister's invitation
I'll be there with your fam'ly
If you make your way upstate
I know you're very busy
I know your work's important
But I'm crossing the ocean and I just can't wait
You won't be an ocean away
You will only be a moment away...
Alexander, come downstairs. Angelica's arriving today
Angelica
Eliza
The Schuyler sisters
Alexander
Hi
It's good to see your face
Angelica, tell this man John Adams spends the summer with his family
Angelica, tell my wife John Adams doesn't have a real job anyway
...you're not joining us? Wait
I'm afraid I cannot join you upstate
Alexander, I came all this way
She came all this way-
All this way-
Take a break
You know I have to get my plan through Congress
Run away with us for the summer
Let's go upstate
I lose my job if I don't get my plan through Congress
We can all go stay with our father
There's a lake I know
In a nearby park
You and I can go
Take a break and get away-
Let's go upstate
Where we can stay
Look around, look around
At how lucky we are to be alive right now-
We can go-
When the night gets dark
Take a break
I know I'll miss your face-
Screw your courage to the sticking place-
Eliza's right-
Take a break
Run away with us for the summer-
Let's go upstate
We can all go stay with our father
If you take your time-
You will make your mark
Close your eyes and dream-
When the night gets dark
Take a break
I have to get my plan through Congress
I can't stop until I get this plan through Congress
The song "Take a Break" by Phillipa Soo is a conversation between Alexander Hamilton and his wife, Eliza, along with Angelica, Eliza's sister, who visits them from England. The lyrics describe Hamilton's responsibilities as the Secretary of Treasury and his determination to get the plan through Congress. While continuing in his work, he receives updates from his wife about their children, including a memorable interlude where his nine-year-old son, Philip, recites a poem that features the line “You can write rhymes, but you can't write mine." Angelica advises Hamilton to compromise with Thomas Jefferson and help him pass the plan through Congress, while Eliza suggests they take a break and escape the city for a while.
The French counting lines at the beginning, “Un deux trois quatre Cinq six sept huit neuf” translates to “One, two, three, four, Five, six, seven, eight, nine.” Hamilton sings this before Philip's poem as a sort of warm-up exercise, and it also adds to the song's unique value. The first two lines of the song, "My dearest, Angelica 'Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,’" are a nod to a scene in William Shakespeare's "Macbeth." It is a tragic play, which matches the mood of this Hamilton song, where Hamilton's ambition and dedication to his work are the main themes.
Line by Line Meaning
One two three four five six seven eight nine
Counting numbers
I trust you'll understand the reference to Another Scottish tragedy without my having to name the play
Reference to a famous play Macbeth
They think me Macbeth, and ambition is my folly
People think I am Macbeth-like ambitious
I'm a polymath, a pain in the ass, a massive pain
I have diverse knowledge but I can be a difficult person
Madison is Banquo, Jefferson's Macduff
Comparing political figures to the characters in Macbeth
And Birnam Wood is Congress on its way to Dunsinane
Metaphor for Congress approaching a goal like an army (from Macbeth)
Do you have to live an ocean away?
Can't you live closer to me?
Thoughts of you subside
Then I get another letter
I cannot put the notion away...
I forget about you but your letters keep me thinking of you
There's a little surprise before supper
And it cannot wait
I have a surprise for you
Daddy, daddy, look-
My name is Philip
I am a poet
I wrote this poem just
To show it
And I just turned nine
You can write rhymes
But you can't write mine
I practice French
And play piano with my mother
I have a sister, but I want a little brother
My daddy's trying to start America's bank
Un deux trois quatre cinq
What
Okay
Bravo
Hey, our kid is pretty great
Philip introduces himself, shares his poem, and brags
I will try to get away
My dearest Alexander
I'll try to come see you, my dearest Alexander
Your fav'rite older sister
Angelica, reminds you
There's someone in your corner all the way across the sea
Angelica reminds you that she supports you from afar
I noticed a comma in the middle of a phrase
It changed the meaning. Did you intend this?
I noticed a change in meaning due to a comma and ask if it's intentional
I'm coming home this summer
At my sister's invitation
I'll be there with your fam'ly
If you make your way upstate
I'm coming home to visit you with your family at the invitation of my sister
Alexander, come downstairs. Angelica's arriving today
Angelica is arriving today, come down to see her
You and I can go when the night gets dark...
Take a break and get away-
Where we can stay
Look around, look around
At how lucky we are to be alive right now-
We can go...
We can go out at night and appreciate our lives
I have to get my plan through Congress
I can't stop until I get this plan through Congress
I have a plan that I need to see through Congress
Contributed by Isaac D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
hi, i'm nica :)
the dude screaming "elizaaa" when phillipa soo appeared 💀💀 LMFAO, it's funny because that would be something i would easily do (although i know pippa would probably slap me in the face if i continued, i mean look at her face here 10:04
also look at her laugh here 11:47 oh pippa, u're still a cinnamoroll
12:38 REEEMIX
13:25 hell this part---- ILY PIPPA SOO!!
13:58 they hugging, OH MY FUCK1NG HEART THIS WAS SO BEAUTIFUL
Michael Anthony Butler
1. I'm obsessed with every minute of this video
2. I cried when Pippa started "Take a Break" -- She will always be the perfect Eliza! #LookAround
AllieGirl24
The way Lin looks at Pippa makes my heart melt! I know they are both happily married but you cannot convince me that they were not soulmates in a past life. Lin goes through SO many emotions during the remix while Pippa is singing. Like it looked like he was about to cry at the start of it. Also, the little excited dance he does during the "dance break" after the remix was adorable. He's so proud of Pippa 🥹
Addison Haught
i was looking at him looking at her its so wholesome i refuse to believe they once were not soulmates
AllieGirl24
@Addison Haught Exactly! He just adores her and is so proud 🥹
Addison Haught
@AllieGirl24 it so 🥰
Karrie N.
Pippa Soo is madly talented and charismatic! This is so fun! Camelot is one of my all-time fave musicals - so happy it's being remade! 👍👍
moreblack
She's only gotten better after all these years
G
12:44 LIN'S FACE IS PRICELESS! Literally was watching him the whole time, he's so awesome
Susan Presley
It's called acting. He surely saw all the rehearsals.
phalanges447
@Susan Presleyhe saw the run through they did in the theatre before coming outside, yes, but I don't see how that precludes him from having genuine reactions to what he's experiencing in the moment along with the rest of the crowd?