Lin-Manuel Miranda is the creator of Hamilton, a musical about famous historical figure Alexander Hamilton, that is revolutionizing Broadway as we know it. Hamilton follows the life of the founding father through a series of hip hop songs. From singing styles like Alicia Keys, to rhymes like Eminem, Miranda includes it all. It's arguably the best musical on Broadway right now, and here's why it should be your new obsession.
It's funny. Everyone likes some comedy, right? Miranda doesn't make history boring. Jefferson and Hamilton have rap ‘cabinet’ battles. King George’s solos are hilarious on their own (my personal favorite is "You’ll Be Back"). And last but not least, Hamilton’s attitude of always being better than everyone else adds humor without even trying.
It’s emotional. From Alexander’s desire to be more than his identity as an orphan, Aaron Burr’s struggle with his rivalry with Hamilton, Alexander and Eliza losing their son, Angelica being in love with her sister’s man, and Eliza finding out Alexander cheated on her more than a few times, there's something for everyone. Everyone can identify with one character or another. There is some struggle or internal conflict all the characters the audience can empathize with.
The music is amazing. Every song on the album is absolute gold. Not one song is boring or poorly written. Miranda made sure of that. Even the comical raps are well thought out. You can get a feel for every character without even watching the musical itself based on the way they sing. Every character has their own voice and style. Angelica Schuyler is feisty but strong. Aaron Burr is wise but insecure. You can tell that and more about every character just from their singing voices.
The story is interesting. I'm telling you, this isn't your everyday textbook history lesson. Lin-Manuel Miranda gets down to the dark and dreary details of American history during Alexander Hamilton’s lifetime. There's death, love, loss, greed, and everything in between. You can't help but feel sympathy for Alexander Hamilton by the end of it. Even though in reality he was an arrogant, self-righteous, disloyal man to his family and friends, Miranda shows the good sides of him to the audience. He shows the kind, repentant, and gentle sides of Alexander. Miranda shows Hamilton in a vulnerable state, which always draws a pathological appeal from the audience.
Why not try something new? Whether you're a Broadway fan or not, Hamilton is nothing like anything you've ever seen before. It's redefining everyone’s view across the world of musical theatre. It's easily taken over the world of Broadway, and become all anyone talks about. I remember the first time I showed my friend, who LOVES musicals, the Hamilton album. She was repulsed within 15 seconds of the title song, “Alexander Hamilton.” The hip hop music was not anywhere near her taste. I was disappointed to say the least, but the next day she came into school raving about the entire musical. Needless to say, she wasn't the last of my friends to fall in love with this work of art. Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't just create a new musical, he created a revolution of musical theatre. (Let's raise a couple more… To the revolution!) Listen to album. Go see it on Broadway if you have a chance. It will be worth your time.
