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.
That Would Be Enough
Phillipa Soo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look around, look around at how lucky we are
to be alive right now.
Look around, look around…
How long have you known?
A month or so.
Eliza, you should have told me.
I wrote to the General a month ago.
I begged him to send you home.
You should have told me.
I'm not sorry.
I knew you'd fight
until the war was won
(The war's not done.)
But you deserve a chance to meet your son.
Look around, look around
at how lucky we are to be alive
right now.
Will you relish being a poor man's wife,
unable to provide for your life?
I relish being your wife.
Look around, look around…
Look at where you are
Look at where you started.
The fact that you're alive is a miracle.
Just stay alive, that would be enough.
And if this child
Shares a fraction of your smile
or a fragment of your mind,
look out world!
That would be enough.
I don't pretend to know
the challenges you're facing.
The worlds you keep erasing and creating in your mind.
But I'm not afraid.
I know who I married.
So long as you come home at the end of the day
that would be enough.
We don't need a legacy.
We don't need money.
If I could grant you peace of mind,
If you could let me inside your heart...
Oh, let me be a part of the narrative
in the story they will write someday.
Let this moment be the first chapter:
where you decide to stay
and I could be enough
and we could be enough
that would be enough.
...
In Lin-Manuel Miranda's song "That Would Be Enough," Eliza and Alexander Hamilton have a conversation about their future together. Eliza has just told Alexander that she is pregnant with their first child, and Alexander is worried about their finances and ability to provide for their growing family. Despite his concerns, Eliza reaffirms her love and devotion to him, insisting that their happiness together is all that truly matters.
As the song progresses, the lyrics draw attention to the importance of appreciating the present moment and being grateful for what one has. The line "look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now" emphasizes the fleeting nature of life and encourages listeners to savor every moment. The song ends with the hope that their love will be enough to sustain them through the challenges they will inevitably face in the future.
Overall, "That Would Be Enough" is a poignant reminder of the power of love and the importance of appreciating the present moment. It emphasizes the idea that in order to find true happiness, we need to focus on what really matters in life: connection, intimacy, and the ability to appreciate the beauty in small moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Look around, look around at how lucky we are
to be alive right now.
Let's take a moment to appreciate the fact that we are alive in this moment.
How long have you known?
A month or so.
Eliza, you should have told me.
I wrote to the General a month ago.
No.
I begged him to send you home.
You should have told me.
I'm not sorry.
Hamilton expresses his sadness at not being told about Eliza’s pregnancy earlier, but is not sorry for joining the revolution since he knew Eliza wanted him to fight on till the end.
I knew you'd fight
until the war was won
(The war's not done.)
But you deserve a chance to meet your son.
Hamilton acknowledges that the war is not done yet and that Eliza deserves to see their child.
Look around, look around
at how lucky we are to be alive
right now.
Let's take another moment to appreciate the fact that we are alive in this moment.
Will you relish being a poor man's wife,
unable to provide for your life?
I relish being your wife.
Hamilton wonders if Eliza will be happy being a poor man's wife but Eliza responds that she treasures being Hamilton's wife regardless of their wealth.
Look around, look around…
Look at where you are
Look at where you started.
The fact that you're alive is a miracle.
Hamilton reminds Eliza of their humble beginnings and that the fact that they are alive together is a wonderful thing.
Just stay alive, that would be enough.
Hamilton would be content with just having Eliza by his side and keeping her safe.
And if this child
Shares a fraction of your smile
or a fragment of your mind,
look out world!
That would be enough.
Hamilton is excited at the prospect of having a child that shares any part of Eliza with the world.
I don't pretend to know
the challenges you're facing.
The worlds you keep erasing and creating in your mind.
But I'm not afraid.
Hamilton admits that he does not fully understand Eliza's challenges and dreams, but he is not afraid despite his lack of understanding.
I know who I married.
So long as you come home at the end of the day
that would be enough.
Hamilton is confident in his love for Eliza and as long as she comes home to him every day, he would be content.
We don't need a legacy.
We don't need money.
If I could grant you peace of mind,
If you could let me inside your heart...
Oh, let me be a part of the narrative
in the story they will write someday.
Hamilton asserts that they do not need material things or a legacy, but he would love to be a part of Eliza's story and life.
Let this moment be the first chapter:
where you decide to stay
and I could be enough
and we could be enough
that would be enough.
Hamilton hopes that this moment would be the start of a story where Eliza decides to stay with him and they are enough for each other.
Contributed by Jonathan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.