Well, it's finally happened. I didn't think it ever could happen again. I'm selling another fragment of my soul to a new fandom.
Hamilton.
For those of you who don't know, there is a musical out on Broadway called "Hamilton" and as you can guess its mainly about one of America's founding fathers - the man you see on the ten dollar bill - Alexander Hamilton. This musical has been insanely popular for a while now, and for a good reason. It's absolutely amazing.
Now I do have to add a disclaimer, I, unfortunately, have not yet seen the actual musical. The tickets have been either sold out or too expensive for me, both on Broadway and in Chicago. So it's going to be a while before I do see it. But one of my close friends has been listening to Hamilton religiously since it came out and has seen it in Chicago, and trust me when I tell you I've heard a lot about it from her. After her constantly nagging me to watch it for a solid year, I finally started to listen to it.
And oh my God, it's amazing. I highly suggest that you go and listen to the soundtrack immediately. It's not what you might originally think of when you think of a Broadway musical track. Hamilton's music has elements of R&B, Traditional Broadway and Rap. But the soul of the music is predominately Hip-Hop. Now I'm not a huge fan of Hip-Hop but I am still head over heals in love with this music. Not only is it composed beautifully, but the Broadway actors are all amazing singers, as to be expected. It just brings the music alive and can bring you to tears, especially at the moments of raw emotion.
Another amazing thing about the music is that if you listen closely and pay attention, you can basically know the entire plot. Of course, you wouldn't get the full impact of what is happening, but you would know what the basic plot is: Hamilton's life and why he has gone down in history as a Founding Father. I find it amazing that so much story can be conveyed through song.
And then there are the characters. My two personal favorites are of course Alexander Hamilton and Marquis de Lafayette. Hamilton is so driven and outspoken, always saying what he thinks. He's what I personally wish to be like. Then there's Lafayette. Not only is the actor, Daveed Diggs, insanely talented, singing and rapping in a French accent while acting and dancing perfect, but I love his character. Rebellious and proud to be fighting for a revolution in a country that isn't even his. He was truly America's favorite fighting Frenchman. That's why he has towns named after him. Another reason I love him. (I grew up in the Lafayette, West Lafayette area, which was named after him.)
So, in the end, I guess I'm saying that if you've yet to see or listen to the American musical Hamilton, you need to do that immediately. Otherwise, you are truly missing out