December 17th of 2015, I saw Hamilton: An American Musical. I was familiar with the entirety of the score prior to the show, and I had been praying by some stroke of luck for weeks I would be able to see it. My parents had actually planned a trip to New York with some family friends in order to see Deaf West’s Spring Awakening, which is equally revolutionary and groundbreaking in its own right. Our cards aligned, and we were able to come across six tickets the day of for a Saturday night show. My mother surprised me with the news, prompting a few delicate but enthusiastic tears and a brief but impassioned bout of screams. Then, a mere thirty minutes later, I found myself seated in the Richard Rogers, the room where it happens, privy to what's sure to be the pinnacle of innovative theater for the 21st century.
Needless to say, it was incredible. I’m not here to gush about Hamilton as a production today, I do enough of that already. What I’m here to celebrate today is Hamilton’s relevancy. Hamilton has incredible music, beautiful staging, and arguably the most powerful and captivating cast on the stage today. Still, at its core, Hamilton is words. It only makes sense that words should be what make Hamilton so great, as Alexander Hamilton himself was a prolific and gifted writer. Starring as Hamilton is Lin Manuel Miranda, a fellow wordsmith and linguist extraordinaire, who in addition to the title role, wrote the music, book, and lyrics. Through his efforts the Richard Roger’s stage is transformed into a platform not only tell the story of Alexander Hamilton the individual, but Alexander Hamilton as The Archetype. There’s no lack of tales featuring the orphan, the immigrant, the young overzealous idealist, or the revolutionary. We see ourselves in these characters, their struggles and tribulations, and in return authors continue to write them. So what makes Hamilton so spectacular?
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I propose it’s the fact that it’s so real and true to our lives today.
Humans are innately egocentric beings, and thus we revel in the idea that we ourselves our the heroes of our own lives. Hamilton spurs that in us, as we face both his opposers and his friends. For example, Aaron Burr is portrayed throughout the show as the antithesis of Hamilton. Reserved and calculated, Burr clashes with the ostentatious and garrulous Hamilton. Similarly, Thomas Jefferson as plays an opposing role in Hamilton’s life, disputing his political ideals and morals. Regardless, there is one undeniable fact that spans the entirety of Hamilton’s saga: this country was built by, and on, giants.
The men who founded this country, while not being perfect, were no joke. Many of them held problematic policies, faced scandals while in office, and openly fought with their opposers. Still, they were the men who fought for this nation's freedom. They had an unwavering respect for it. This nation was their legacy, and they took that seriously.
Now with this in mind, lets take a step back and reflect upon this year's presidential election, a spectacle I can only seriously describe as an epic farce. This election cycle serves as the perfect fuel for 24-hour news and the fuse to be lit that will set our nation ablaze. There is no true good candidate. There may be one you support, but there is no incredible, qualified, serious, impassioned candidate free of corruption and scandal. There is no candidate in this race with pure intentions or a true and genuine care for America’s people. At least, not one thats going to win.
The men who built this nation were powerhouses. Take for example, George Washington, this nation's first president and commander-in-chief, another figure reverently portrayed in Hamilton. Washington wanted this country to become a mecca of freedom. He rejected partisan politics, relinquished much of the power offered to him in his time in office, and held a cabinet of diverse beliefs. There was no ulterior motive, no agenda in his presidency. He wanted to start creating a strong nation for all. He created that path for us.
I don’t think he thought it would lead to Trump.
So here we are, in an era filled with shouts of “Make America Great Again.” Hamilton is here to remind us of who made America so great in the first place, and in all honesty, why it’s pretty great now. We see his struggles, his perseverance, and his hard work, and his upward mobility, and his scandals, and his downfalls, and his rocky relationships, and we see America. Alexander Hamilton was the American dream.
