"Hamilton" isn’t only the most sought after ticket in a long time, but it’s also starting up its own revolution in the minds of the millions of people it has touched.
"Hamilton" is following in "Rent’s" footsteps in changing Broadway’s diversity in music. "Rent" brought rock to the stage, and since then, more and more musicals with rock music have graced the theater district of NYC and beyond. Lin-Manuel Miranda is bringing hip hop and rap into the mix and is opening the eyes of the world to the possibilities that Broadway has. I’m sure in the years to come there will be more and more hip hop musicals making it to Broadway, just you wait. Through its structure and music, it is reaching people outside of the theater community and bringing Broadway to people who may have had negative connotations about Broadway in the past.
It is also affecting the education system. Before "Hamilton" ever reached Broadway, student performances of "Hamilton" were viewed. Now there are entire Broadway shows that are specifically for students. This is because of the EduHam program that "Hamilton" has created. There are matinee performances for students. This program is funded by the Rockefeller Foundation and Gilder Lehrman, and will bring 20,000 students from across New York City to see "Hamilton" and have it be a part of their curriculum. The curriculum views historical documents and can even expand outside of the history department. It allows the students to get involved with history and see how it connects to other topics and challenges them to creatively look at the past through the present.
The play itself doesn’t only challenge the world with its color blind casting for the founding fathers, it is also portraying the woman of the revolution in a strong way. The Schuyler sisters are the main women in the show. They are strong and empowered in a world in which women aren’t supposed to be seen as strong. This show challenges the world to rethink how women effected the revolution and the creation of the United States.
"Hamilton" is more than the story of Alexander Hamilton. It proves to people that Broadway and musicals aren’t a lame thing as many people have thought. It gives minorities the feeling that the revolution is their history. It gives teachers a way that connects their interests to the arts, history, and literature all in one. It is turning the world upside down, and that is why "Hamilton" is defining a new generation of musicals that will follow it.
