"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?" These are the lyrics that open the groundbreaking, hip-hop musical based around the life of Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the US Treasury. Now I am sure you are wondering "how do you combine the founding fathers and rap to make a musical?" Well it isn't easy. Lin-Manuel Miranda (writer, composer and star of "Hamilton") spent over six years writing and developing this work of art. Miranda said in an interview with CBS's Sunday Morning that in 2009 he picked up Ron Chernow's 832-page book "Alexander Hamilton" at the airport before going on vacation and by the end of chapter two was researching and envisioning Hamilton's story played out on stage. Now in 2015, "Hamilton" is the biggest phenomenon to hit Broadway with the cast recording reaching #8 of 2015's 50 Best Albums, Billboard's pick as Best Rap Album of the Year and a presale closing at $57 million.
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So what is it about this musical that is so successful? After all, this isn't the first time that we have seen a musical based around a figures in American history ("1776," "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson," "Ragtime," "Assassins" and the list goes on). But where "Hamilton" succeeds and the others fail is that this story is so relatable. Especially during a period of time in our society where immigration is such a hot button issue. Alexander Hamilton was the true image of the American Dream that people hoped to accomplish when coming to our country. He came from nothing and through his hard work and determination, became one of the most important figures in the formation of the United States.
Another important factor in "Hamilton" is the casting choice of the main characters. As history shows, the founding fathers were white. But in this production the casting is truly blind to that. In an interview, creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda said that "this is America then, portrayed by America now." Shows like "Hamilton" give opportunities in theatre that aren't usually there and it is a reflection of our current times. Miranda expresses this perfectly in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, "In Hamilton, we're telling the stories of old, dead white men but we're using actors of color and that makes the story more immediate and more accessible to a contemporary audience. You don't distance the audience by putting an actor of color in a role that you would think of as default Caucasian. No, you excite people and you draw them in."
Whether you want to admit it or not, "Hamilton" is a work of genius. The powerful hip-hop score is enough to get your blood pumping that you'll believe you're front row at a Kanye West concert. This isn't just a history lesson, it's a love story, a tale of betrayal, an epic of the rise and fall of a man America forgot. My advice is to see this show as soon as possible. If a friend offers you a ticket, you better take it. You won't regret it and you'll never forget it.
