I have recently fallen in love. Sadly, though, I do not love a person, I love a show. A musical to be exact. Hamilton, currently on Broadway, is without a doubt the best show I have ever seen or heard. I may be a lifelong theater fan, but this isn’t a show just for me. All types of people are falling in love with this show. The soundtrack, available on Spotify, might actually be a life changing experience. Now, I realize that everyone does not have the same love of theater or passion for Alexander Hamilton (the main character of the show), but everyone should still listen to this soundtrack. Why, exactly?
1. The show doesn’t have musical music. Yes, it is a musical, but Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the show and also stars as Hamilton himself, often uses rap in his shows. In this one, every founding father has a bit of their own rap style and cabinet meetings take on the form of rap battles, which when mixed with the rest of the music in the show is incredible. You will barely know that you are listening to a musical. Â
2. The female characters in Hamilton are amazing. Sure, it might take place in the 1700s, but the women in this show are anything but silent. Hamilton’s wife, Eliza, continually stands up for herself and when her husband dies she manages to secure his legacy in American history. Her sister, Angelica, is as smart as any of the founding fathers, and is aware that the only thing holding her back is a woman’s status. The two, with their sister Peggy, also sing in a kick-ass Destiny’s Child style harmony that makes you feel like you can do anything.
3. Hamilton will be the best history lesson you ever get. The show is based on a biography of Hamilton and is actually historically accurate. I guarantee that you will never be so interested in the creation of the federal bank of the United States.
4. The cast of the show is multicultural. In reality, the Founding Fathers were a bunch of old white men, but in this retelling, the men are all African-American or Latino. In fact, the only white actor is the show is Jonathan Groff (better know as Glee’s Jesse St James and Kristoff in Frozen), who plays King George.
5. Hamilton contains a perfect balance between comedy and serious material. While the end of the show is a total tear-jerker, there are so many funny moments. The best involve King George and his confusion as to why the colonies want to revolt.
6. I’m not the only one who loves this show. Just ask the Obamas, Oprah, Kerry Washington, Jimmy Fallon, the Clintons and Meryl Streep, all of whom have seen the show during its run. Oh, and Beyonce and Jay-Z. If Queen Bey has seen the show you should at least give the music a listen.Â
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