Rap music, the Revolution, the Constitution, hip-hop, tearful ballads, and the Founding Fathers. Initially, you’d probably think that there is no way all of these things could have a correlation, but according to Lin-Manuel Miranda and Beyoncé, you couldn’t be more wrong. This correlation can be found in no other than the Broadway hit musical, "Hamilton." Yes, Beyonce loves Hamilton, if that doesn’t convince you to go ahead and listen to it, then I don’t know what will.
"Hamilton" is the newest (and most popular might I add) show on Broadway right now. It tells the life story of a man named Alexander Hamilton, who was one of the founding fathers of our country and the first U.S. treasury secretary. You may also know him as the man on the ten-dollar bill. The very first line of the musical serves as the question that the cast will spend the entire show trying to explain:
“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 and impoverished, in squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar?”
The entire country has become obsessed with "Hamilton," and I am also one of those people. If I don’t have the opportunity to listen to the cast recording for like a couple of days on Spotify, then it bothers me. I watch clips of the show as much as possible and if there is ever an interview with any of the cast members, then you best believe I’m watching it. My whole life I have been such a nerd about the American Revolution anyway, and musical theatre is my life, so the combination of the two is basically a match made in heaven for me. However, it seems to be a match made in heaven for the rest of America as well, for each show is a sold-out affair.
For Broadway haters, I can’t stress to you enough why you need to give "Hamilton" a chance. This is a groundbreaking musical, one that is completely different than anything Broadway has seen before. "Hamilton" provides the balance between musical dramas of the past while combining it with the pop culture/rap emphasis of today. It’s this balance that has proven to be monumental in attracting everyone to watch the show.
It also addresses the need for racial equality in today’s society and in the future of the arts. The only role in the musical that is played by a white man is King George. For example, the actor playing Thomas Jefferson is African American. This casting was completely intentional too. Lin-Manuel Miranda wanted the story of America to be told by the people of America today. Back then, our country consisted mostly of white people in wigs who held the power and influence, but that is not the case anymore and Miranda wanted to exhibit that in his musical.
It’s a fun, entertaining musical that gives a fresh take on a history lesson. Often times musicals can get a bad rep for being dated or not relevant in the pop culture world of today, and "Hamilton" destroys that social norm. It’s rap music y’all, like legit rap. Miranda is a lyrical mastermind of a writer/composer and it shows in every song. Despite never seeing it before, which is impossible right now unless you’re Amy Schumer, Eminem, or the President of the United States because it’s so expensive, you can still feel the energy of a live performance while listening to the cast recording. It has some humor too which is also appreciated. For example, the three songs sung by King George are hysterical, each of which basically represent a breakup song with the United States of America.
I could write pages and pages as to why I love the musical "Hamilton" so much. The cast is incredible, the music is incredible, the show is incredible, really everything about it is incredible. For the first time ever, it seems, there is a musical that can apply to every single person in America. Whether it’s the historical context of the show that accurately represents how our country began, or it’s the emotional struggles displayed by the characters, it’s hard to not find a connection to your own self. There are no words to describe the impact that "Hamilton" has had on my life, the Broadway world, and the rest of the Unites States. It’s only the beginning for this musical, and if you haven’t given it a listen yet, I highly encourage you to. You won’t regret it.