Created by writer, rapper, and starring as the titular character, Lin-Manuel Miranda took Broadway by storm when he created Hamilton, a Grammy winning musical that documents the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton through rap-infused lyrics and sound. Equipped with a diverse cast, it was inspired by the book Alexander Hamilton, written by Ron Chernow.
The musical opens up with Hamilton’s backstory, documenting the hardships he faced during his childhood, as well as his brilliance, before immigrating to New York where he would then make a name for himself. Although it may sound like a boring history lecture, the retelling of Hamilton’s life through hip-hop connects to America’s generation now, allowing for a fresh and engaging way to learn about our first Treasury secretary. The New York Times cites, “by extensively featuring hip-hop music, the production looks to cross some invisible boundary that often separates Broadway from the broader culture.”
Aside from its ingenious lyricism and overall captivating soundtrack, Hamilton boasts a racially diverse cast, such as having a biracial George Washington to a Chinese- American Eliza Schuyler, Hamilton’s wife. The conception for this, as stated by creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, was intentional. Miranda cites, “our cast looks like America looks now… it’s a way of pulling you into the story and allowing you to leave whatever cultural baggage you have about the founding fathers at the door.” The combination of all these elements Hamilton utilizes is what truly makes it something breathtakingly fantastic.
Although sold out in New York from now until January 2017, Hamilton will make its way to Chicago with a separate sit-down production and will set stage September 27, 2016 at the PrivateBank Theatre. So mark your calendars collegiettes, because Hamilton is sure to not disappoint! Listen to a snippet from the soundtrack here: