If you've been paying attention to social media at all in the past few months, you've probably heard of something called "Hamilton." However, I'm guessing most people don't know what that is, and therefore do not understand what all the hype is about.
"Hamilton" is a musical that opened off-Broadway in February of 2015 and moved to Broadway after a three-month run off-Broadway. It tells the story of Alexander Hamilton and other Founding Founders as they fought for our freedom and built our nation. But here's the catch: it's a hip hop musical. That's right, hip hop. Sounds crazy, right? And yet, it works.
"Hamilton" opened on August 6th, 2015 to sold out crowds that haven't stopped coming since. Tickets are absolutely impossible to get, sold out from now until February of 2017, and any tickets that are available will cost you $500 each or more. They offer a ticket lottery before every show, drawing names for 21 front row tickets at $10 each, but the odds of winning are slim, with thousands of people entering the lottery each day. This doesn't stop people from entering, however. The lottery currently exists online, but in warmer months, it is held live in front of the theatre, with the creator and star of the show, Lin-Manuel Miranda, putting on performances for the people waiting in line. These have come to be known as #Ham4Ham shows, so named for the idea that you can "see 'Hamilton' for a Hamilton," since Alexander Hamilton is the face on the $10 bill. Each show is different, and audiences never know who will show up as a guest star! The shows have been videoed and put online, and have become such large events that they've had to move the lottery online until it becomes warmer, to give them time to work out safety concerns and sound issues.
If you're lucky enough to get a ticket, there's a very good chance you'll see someone famous in the audience. Hundreds of celebrities have attended the show in the past months, including Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Will Smith, and Nick Jonas. Even the Obamas have attended-twice-and given rave reviews.
One of the most interesting things about this show is its casting. Very few people in the show are white; most are African American, Latino, or Asian. Lin-Manuel Miranda described it as "American then, told by American now." With a Latino Alexander Hamilton and an African American George Washington, the show has a unique way of telling history in a way that relates to this generation. Cabinet meetings become rap battles, stories are told in rhyme, and the founding fathers even drop a few F-bombs.
To listen to the whole album all the way through takes about three hours, but it's well worth it. The music is fantastic, and every time you listen you hear something new that you didn't hear before. The message of the show is inspirational. It focuses on the value of hard work, setting a goal and achieving it, and “not throwing away your shot,” to quote one of the musicals most popular songs. It also has a very strong message about the power of women, with the three main women playing just as big a role in the formation of the country as the men.
If you’ve never heard of "Hamilton," I highly recommend listening to the album. If you already have, congratulations on discovering its amazingness.
