"How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman/dropped in the middle of a forgotten Spot in the Caribbean by Providence impoverished/in squalor grow up to be a hero and a scholar?”
And how does he infiltrate American pop culture and interest vast numbers of Americans who have never really had an interest in American Colonial History?
Sorry for the last two lines. I lack the rhythmic prowess of Lin-Manuel Miranda, the brainchild for Broadway’s biggest hit in recent history: "Hamilton" — a New American Musical.
“Like Alexander Hamilton?”
Yessir!
“The guy on the $10 bill?”
YES. That one. And he’s so much more.
Source: Biography
Alexander Hamilton is one of the classic archetypal figures of the American dream, rising from nothing and securing his spot as one of the most influential Americans in our 239+ years of sovereign existence.
He rose from being an impoverished immigrant to being an exceptional scholar, war hero and first secretary of the treasury, then he ended his 49 years as an American martyr.
When you think about it that way, it makes a pretty great story doesn’t it?
Miranda thought so too. He is the amazing creator, composer, lyricist and title character of "Hamilton." When he first read Ron Chernow’s "Hamilton" biography, he said the first thought that he had was a rap battle between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. And so it came to be. And it is so cool.
Miranda is actually a genius — let’s talk about it. He’s 36 and has already garnered two Tony awards with his first hit, "In the Heights," winning Best Musical and Best Original Score in 2008.
Listen to "In the Heights" here!
Along with dozens of accolades for his earlier work, he and the cast continue to accrue nominations for "Hamilton" in the dawn of awards season, including a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theatre Album. Listen to it HERE! (Please).
Both albums are complete ‘fire’ as the kids say. I highly recommend.
Alright, on with the show.
“Why is this so big?”
Well, try to name the last time you heard heard a black George Washington rapping about a Cabinet meeting. My expectation is that you haven’t (but if you have that’s totally cool and you should let me know). And that’s part of the reason this is such a big deal.
Source: NewYork.com
The music is not the traditional and flashy “Broadway,” but instead it’s an amazing amalgamation of completely epic rap battles between Founding Fathers, pop ballads from historic Mistresses and heartbreaking serenades from American Revolutionaries that could reside easily among the radio mainstream.
The music is beautiful. It’s melodically beautiful on the surface, or you can approach it from a literary perspective and dive into deeper meaning in metaphor and ridiculously clever wordplay. Either perspective you come from, the songs will be stuck in your head permanently.
A hip-hop musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton. Oh, and did I mention that only one of the major characters is white? That’s unprecedented. Miranda noted on the demographic of the cast, saying “This is a story about America then, told by America now… and we want to eliminate any distance between a contemporary audience and this story.” (Read the full Atlantic about it here.)
"Can I get tickets???"
The popularity of the show has exploded since it opened Off-Broadway when it premiered at the Public Theater last January, and its transition to the Richard Rogers Theater on Broadway last September, where it runs eight sold-out shows a week. It’s actually sold out until September 2016. See the sadness for yourself.
It’s one of the highest grossing box-office tickets in Broadway history, already bringing in over 10 million dollars in 2016 alone.
As a long-time colonial history enthusiast and Broadway lover, when my favorite things came together it was COMPLETELY amazing. I’ve annoyed friends who are anti-Broadway into listening the album and fall in l-o-v-e with this musical.
Added warning: History haters may develop serious attachments to our dead presidents as a direct result of this musical masterpiece. Just sayin’.
After listening to this show you’ll fall in non-stop love with it, never able to be satisfied. So, raise a glass and hope that this musical’s legacy never dies. If you’ve listened to it you’ll understand.
But hey, I’ll let you make your own judgements...maybe with the influence of the NY Times Review of the show from last February. Enjoy!
I am honored to be your obedient servant, S. M.
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