Lin Manuel- Miranda. For those who don’t know who he is he is the genius behind Hamilton: An American Musical. Hamilton has 16 Tony nominations and 11 Tony’s, Lin Manuel- Miranda has won a Pulitzer Prize for Hamilton and has hosted Saturday Night Live. Ok, so that is why Lin Manuel- Miranda is amazing; now let’s talk about why Hamilton is such an amazing play.
1. It is about a founding father
Hamilton follows the life of Alexander Hamilton the first Secretary of Treasury, from his arrival in New York pre-revolutionary war to his death. Now please don’t discredit this if you do not like history, this play tells the story in such a way that even former AP History students wouldn’t know all the facts that get told during the performance.
2.The songs will forever be stuck in your head
Now these songs are not like other Broadway songs. They have some of them same characteristics like when Thomas Jefferson sings “What did I miss?” But if you compare that to when Alexander Hamilton, played by none other than Lin Manuel- Miranda during their first run, sings “My Shot.” You will automatically hear the difference between them and shows like Wicked, another great show, and their songs “Defying Gravity,” and “Popular.” These songs will be stuck in your head there is no way to get them out, even everyday conversation will get them back in.
3. You will have an emotional connection with a man who died 212 years ago
By going on this journey with Alexander Hamilton, you start to realize that the Founding Fathers were humans trying to build something. And just like all humans they had flaws and made plenty of mistakes. They had fights with their friends and did some dumb things to try and keep their legacy alive. Listen to “The Reynolds Pamphlet” to experience Alexander Hamilton’s biggest mistake.
4. There is a documentary on PBS all about the making of Hamilton: An American Musical
Watch it! If you ever want to see a group of people have as much fun as the cast of Hamilton or see how they got into character, watch it! To see how much work and dedication got put into making Hamilton as big of a success as it really is, is just an amazing thing to see.
5. They performed at the White House
They, as in the cast and crew of Hamilton performed for the President of the United States Barack Obama and the First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama and a ton of Washington DC students. They performed an hour worth of their show so they can try and educate the students on American History.
Go listen to the soundtrack, and if you are anywhere near New York or Chicago, the two cities they are currently performing at, please go try and see it. Either of those things will have the possibility to change your life.
