From the first words of the soundtrack "How does a bastard, orphan..." "Hamilton" is a hit. With a diverse cast, a true story line and a hip-hop music score, this musical is everything Broadway needed.
Lin-Manuel Miranda is the creator of this American musical and also starred in it as Alexander Hamilton. It follows the life of one of our founding fathers, Hamilton and his journey from being an orphan in the Caribbean to the creator of America's financial system.
I think every American should appreciate this musical. I understand that it is very expensive to see a Broadway show and I haven't even seen it, but it is important to know this story. A rags to riches story is a classic story line that America loves, and this is one that is not only true but helped shape our country.
Hamilton fought alongside Washington in the Revolutionary War, signed our Declaration of Independence and Constitution and served as Secretary of the Treasury. He founded the Federalist Party, the Coast Guard and The New York Post newspaper. This was one of our most influential founding fathers, yet many do not know anything he accomplished because he was never president.
Just listening to the soundtrack of "Hamilton" can teach someone so much about American history, and it is really fun to listen to. Miranda made the musical hip-hop based with a diverse cast for many reasons. The music follows the rags to riches theme because many hip-hop songs have this message. The diverse cast was risky because many people do not understand why a black man plays characters like George Washington, but it is a statement. America was and still is a diverse country with people from all parts of the world, so why have a cast that is supposed to represent America be all white? Also the best actor/actress should play the part that they deserve, so not discriminating actors by if they look like the actual person was great on Miranda's part.
Overall, I believe that Americans should learn the story of Hamilton and appreciate the musical. It is a timeless story that made our country the way it is today, and being informed on history can help us decide how to change our country today. Fifteen minutes of the musical will be played on PBS on October 21.
