One of Broadway’s newest musicals, “Hamilton” is getting a rare “world phenomenon” treatment. Since it opened last July, “Hamilton” has been performing to sold-out crowds (The show is sold out until next year!) Before the show opened on Broadway, it already made $30 million dollars. It has received love letters (“highest remarks”) from theatre critics. It also has won many distinguished awards. Last year, “Hamilton” was the first Off-Broadway show to get the Drama Desk Award for Best Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical since “Little Shop of Horrors”,34 years ago. This year, it won the Pulitzer for Best Drama and the Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album.Next Sunday is the 70th Tony Awards, which unsurprisingly “Hamilton” broke the record of Tony nominations. “Hamilton” beat 2002’s “The Producers” with 16 Tony nominations, which means it is nominated for everything!
Now, I am a part of the majority who hasn’t seen “Hamilton”, so I haven’t seen the show up close. And unlucky me, I’m going to miss out on Lin-Manuel Miranda, who departs the show on July 9 to focus on wrapping up the songs for Disney’s “Moana,” which comes out this November. However, listening to the cast album helps me know what the show is like. And hearing the album, I can tell “Hamilton” is worthy of the nomination it deserves. Here are the 5 Tonys that the show most deserves.
5. Best Featured Actor
Like “The Producers,” “Hamilton” has three actors, who are nominated for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Christopher Jackson plays the country’s first president, George Washington. Broadway newcomer Daveed Diggs plays two roles: The third president, Thomas Jefferson and French solider, Marquis de Lafayette. Finally, Jonathan Groff plays King George, who is the only character that’s played by a white performer to represent the history of white people and minors.
I don’t remember Jackson’s performances in the album, but I clearly remember Diggs and Groff. Groff, who was the first main actor to depart the show in April, has three songs, “You’ll Be Back,” “What Comes Next,” and “I Know Him.” Groff stands out because he performs his songs in glee and happiness. The lyrics to “You’ll Be Back” is supposed to make King George sound like both a spoiled brat throwing a tantrum and a boyfriend going through a bad breakup. The happy tone that comes out of Groff’s voice makes George sound like he’s psychopathic, but also very positive and optisimitic. He also has sarcasm in his voice in very comedic moments in his songs (“Awesome! Wow!”, which was seen on a cap at my graduation). His British accent makes the most of his performance, making him sound royal, but petty.
When you break up with America
The real standout is Diggs. He is indeed a rising superstar. He has an energetic and fast presence that shines through. His French accent is weak, but that’s what makes his Lafayette charming. His accent also gives away that Lafayette is supposed to be a pure rapper. It matches with the lyrics well. He stops the show in the Act 2 opener, “What Did I Miss?” as Jefferson who returns to America from France. The song is perfect to show off Diggs’ delightful vocals. He has a positive energy through the song that makes him irresistible.
You missed Act One, Jefferson
4. Best Choreography
That table jump though
The choreography really impressed me when I watched the show’s opening number on the Grammys. The choreography weren’t just dance moves. They were specific movements that tell the stories of certain characters. For example, it is mentioned that Hamilton’s cousin kills himself, so an ensemble member pretends to wrap his neck in a noose and hang himself with it. There is also a moment when the ensemble members are pretending to give Lin Manuel-Miranda (the actor who plays Hamilton) books, so they run off, hold their arms like they’re carrying a stack of books, and giving them to him. There are also ballet movements such as holding each other in the air and rotating each other. Everyone is on point and they match together, especially at the hip-hop moves. This gives me an impression that the choreography is a brilliant blend of hip-hop, ballet, and movement.
3. Best Book
Oh, and the book makes the characters humanely adorable too.
Yes, it is true that the musical is sung-through. However, the book is also the structure and the language that Lin-Manuel Miranda chooses for the show. Miranda did his homework here and it shows. The life events Miranda chooses to be in the show are important enough to tell a story while also educating the audience. Moreover, no one is shown as a saint. They are shown as humans. It would be easy to portray Alexander Hamilton as a saint and remove his breaking points and the affair with Maria Reynolds. But, it would not be fair to the other characters. He also gives Aaron Burr (sir!) a conscience. He desires to be in "the room where it happens," but when he shoots Hamilton, he is guilt-ridden, realizing that he is a "villain in history." Miranda did what a book should do: Making the characters complex and realistic.
2. Best Score
I was going to make a joke with the lyric, but that sassy coat grab distracted me!
Miranda is compared to some of the greatest musical theatre composers, such as Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim. The comparison is deserved for Miranda in general with his catchy beats and witty lyrics, and this shows in “Hamilton.” Some of the clever songwriting includes, “I am the A-L-E-X-A-N-D-E-R,we are meant to be,” “Burr, you disgust me/Ahh, so you’ve discussed me,” and “Virginia, my home sweet home, I wanna give you a kiss/I’ve been in Paris meeting lots of different ladies/I guess I basic’lly missed the late eighties/I traveled the wide, wide world and came back to this.” He also uses the music styles to contribute to the scene. The cabinet meetings are brilliantly now rap battles with smartass, modern day remarks like, “Thomas. That was a real nice declaration/Welcome to the present, we’re running a real nation/Would you like to join us, or stay mellow/Doin’ whatever the hell it is you do in Monticello?” and “Damn, you’re in worse shape than the national debt is in/ Sittin’ there useless as two s***s/Hey, turn around, bend over, I’ll show you/Where my shoe fits.” There are also different music genres that fit each character. The Schuyler Sisters have a Beyoncé-styled number when they make their entrance. King George’s solos are appropriately Beatles-esque. Burr’s showstopper, “The Room Where It Happens” is jazzy. Some songs even fit the show’s time period, such as “Your Obedient Servant” and “Farmer Refuted.” The soundtrack’s musical changes and clever writing is going to give Miranda’s rightfully deserved second Tony for the category.
1. Best Musical
Groff: "Hamilton" at Tony Night. Manuel: Everyone else
This is a clear winner for Best Musical. What else do I need to say? From what I’m hearing from the soundtrack, it will be a classic for the ages. It has wonderful actors, clearly great direction, a strong book that shows off history while humanizing the historical characters, and a memorable soundtrack that has something for everybody. I’m proud of the other shows for being nominated (“Waitress” and “School of Rock” are on my list), but Hamilton has that special something that really stands out. So, I’ll raise a glass to you, “Hamilton!” May you reign on Sunday and beyond!
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