"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 impoverished, in squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar?"
Thus begins one of Broadway's newest and most popular shows, "Hamilton." Written by Tony, Emmy, Grammy and MacArthur Fellowship winner, Lin-Manuel Miranda, "Hamilton" follows the life of the "ten-dollar founding father without a father," Alexander Hamilton. Most likely the least famous of America's founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton was (spoiler alert! Although, not really, because it's history and it's told to you in the first song) the man who built America's financial system, and who notably died in a duel against then Vice President, Aaron Burr.
Sounds boring, doesn't it? That's where you are wrong. While at one time it might have been hard to ever imagine Alexander Hamilton as anything other than a bureaucrat and the answer to a pesky trivia question, Alexander Hamilton's life is filled with more action, intrigue, scandal, sorrow and hope than any story someone could make up.
"Hamilton," which has "near universal critical acclaim," has certainly done a lot for the way Americans and others view Alexander Hamilton. In fact, "Hamilton" might single-handedly be the thing to keep the man himself on the ten dollar bill. Any person who has seen the live performance or listened to the cast recording has most likely had their perception of Alexander Hamilton fundamentally changed. For many, he was a footnote in history, just another old, white man who helped create our nation. Before "Hamilton," very few people probably had even an idea of this man's life, and how integral his contributions were to the stability of our nation today.
But "Hamilton" is so much more than an entertaining history lesson or a character study. It is having a much greater impact on our society than most casual fans think.
Never before has the story of an immigrant who grew up in poverty but ended up changing history been more relevant than in today's society. Hamilton's story parallels not only Miranda's life (his parents were immigrants) but millions of other Americans who came here to find a better life for themselves and their family.
Something many people point to when talking about the show is Hamilton's cast. It is made up of almost exclusively POC performers. Hamilton stars Puerto Rican-born and Manhattan-raised Lin-Manuel Miranda, who, while also getting credit for writing the music and lyrics for the show, plays the titular character himself. Other notable characters include Hamilton's longtime frenemy, Aaron Burr, played by the talented Leslie Odom Jr. Renee Elise Goldsberry and Phillipa Soo, who play Angelica and Eliza Schuyler, respectively, add even more diversity to the cast. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison are all played by mixed or African-American performers.
This is more than just a great win for diversity and equality in the arts, it has also allowed countless amounts of people who have felt separated from their country's history an opportunity to connect and feel part of it. As Miranda puts it, "This is a story about American then, told by America now." It matters that it's a diverse cast telling this story, because, for the first time, people of color are seeing people that look like them in their history.
These black, Latino and Asian actors are not resigned to playing slaves or uneducated throw-away characters. There is now the image of a strong, smart, educated Black man being the face of this nation's first president. That kind of impact can not be measured, but it can be felt. People of all ethnicities are connecting to these characters, they feel real and human like never before in our society.
Another reason why this show is so popular is because of its unique sound. No, it is not the first Broadway Musical to be inspired by R&B. Miranda's other major work, "In the Heights," also had hip-hop infused music and lyrics. But you might expect a story set in the urban environment of Washington Heights to reflect and respect the music relevant to its culture.
However, not many would expect that the story of America's Revolution and subsequent politics, chronicled through Alexander Hamilton's life, would have a rap-heavy, hip-hop and R&B soundtrack. But Miranda has said that, for him, it was a foregone conclusion that the music and voice of the revolution would be rap. And even after the opening number, the audience wholeheartedly believes this as well. Alexander Hamilton, who was known for the strength of his writing, made his fame through using powerful rhetoric throughout the revolution and his subsequent years helping to build America's government. His witty, thoughtful and provoking comments are best expressed with the genius rhymes, puns and rhythms Miranda wrote.
"Hamilton" is introducing so many new people to Broadway. From the theater nerds, to the hard-to-impress critics, to the casual fans of show tunes and Wicked, to the completely unaware general public, there is something in Hamilton that everyone loves. The cast, the music, the incredibly enthralling and surprising story, has re-written not only Broadway, but history itself.
As Lafayette and Hamilton proclaim near the end of Act I, "Immigrants, we get the job done."
