So we all know Alexander Hamilton. His face is on the ten-dollar bill. He was a founding father, but he wasn't one of the big ones. (What did he even really do? Was he just there?) If that's it, then why is his name popping up everywhere in the year 2016?
Lin Manuel Miranda, an actor, composer, and writer read a book about our beloved founding father some years back. He was inspired by Hamilton's story of success that grew out of a slew of unfortunate events. Miranda wrote, composed, and now stars in a Broadway show telling this story by the means of spunky rap music and clever lyrics.
The premise of the show is that it is supposed to be a retelling of this part of American history. All of the cast members, though, are of other races. Actually, they prefer no white cast members at all. The point of this is to more accurately depict the full racial ground of America, not just focus on the Northern European men that were likely in America during Hamilton's era.
In early May, the 2016 Tony nominations were announced and Hamilton broke records by being nominated for the most awards ever. The show was nominated for 16 Tony Awards: Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical, Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Best Costume Design of a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Direction of a Musical, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestrations.
Prior to even these nominations, some were saying that Hamilton is the best Broadway musical of all time. Now with this quantitative material, it is safe to say, permitting the show does win some, if not all, of these awards, that Hamilton is easily one of the best musicals of all time.
The show has gained such immense popularity since August 2015 that it is near impossible to get tickets to a showing without either paying thousands of dollars or purchasing tickets a year in advance. These Tony nominations surely not make it easier for any common broadway-loving citizens to get their hands on some tickets.
Stay tuned on June 12 to see how Hamilton does at the Tony's.
