Written By: Eason Yu
Introduction
From the catchy Disney’s hit songs including: Your Welcome (Moana, 2016) and the infamous “We don't talk about Bruno” (Encanto, 2021), to starring alongside Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins Returns, it is no surprise that you have definitely encountered one of the works of Lin Manuel Miranda at some point. However, before the Hollywood fame, Miranda established his brand in the broadway and musical industry.
You might’ve heard or seen Tick, Tick…Boom! starring Andrew Garfield on Netflix, which was directed by Miranda himself, and also starred Miranda in its 2014 theater revival. Or you might’ve watched the musical film In the Heights in 2021 which was based off of the original 2005 musical production of the same name written by and starring Miranda himself. However, none of these works could match the cultural influence and phenomenon caused by one of Miranda’s finest works to date, a musical about the life of one of the founding fathers of America : Hamilton.
Who is Alexander Hamilton?
‘Hamilton’ is a musical inspired by the life of Alexander Hamilton, a founding father of the United States of America. Born in the Nevis around the 1750’s, Hamilton’s journey began after a news report published his letter to his father on the chaos inflicted by a hurricane that struck Saint Croix, where the locals helped sponsor Hamilton to enable him to receive education in the British North American Colonies. He fought in the ‘Revolutionary Wars’ and helped the United States gain independence from British control. He was appointed as the first Secretary of Treasury and unfortunately passed away on July 12th, 1804, a day after a duel between Hamilton and Burr.
Fun Fact : A Duel is a showdown between two men where they would fire gun shots at each other to show one’s bravery and honor if a conflict broke out amongst the two.
What is the “Hamilton” musical about?
When speaking of musicals, the general stereotype would be something like an opera or classical where performers perform music towards high-class audiences. However, modern day musicals such as Hamilton completely differ from this stereotype. Hamilton like modern day musicals contain songs of jazz, rock and even hip-hop, which is extremely prominent in Hamilton. In 2009, Miranda performed the opening of Hamilton Hip-Hop Album to the white house, where he quoted how he believes that Alexander Hamilton was someone who “embodies hip-hop”.
Fun fact : “Hamilton” was initially an album, but soon after transitioned into a full production musical
Hamilton tells the life of Alexander Hamilton through rap, jazz music, and even incorporates traditional musical songs. With musical and thematic motifs scattered throughout the musical signifying different events and reflecting its characters. Along with fun, interacting ‘rap battles’ to represent debates amongst the characters. Hamilton really is an emotional rollercoaster as it takes you through the highs and lows of each character, and the impact they had in Hamilton’s life. As Miranda purposely portrayed all the characters as “flawed”, because “There are no saints in this show, not a one.”
Hamilton took the world by storm in 2015, and became a ‘must-see’ for everyone. And when I mean everyone, I mean, EVERYONE. From the music industry giants of : Beyonce, Katy Perry, Kanye West, Jay Z to Top Tier celebrities: Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Aaron Paul and even the 44th US president, Barack Obama. As of 2020, Hamilton on Broadway alone has generated over $500 million dollars in revenue, with tours happening across the US and even performing permanently at West End in London.
Conclusion
If it was not for “Hamilton - The Musical”, nobody in the world would know about Hamilton’s story and the complicated history behind this influential figure in American history. Yet Miranda has transformed what we know would’ve been another ‘boring history class’ into this pop culture phenomenon. So the next time you hold out your $10 dollar bill, remember that the man on that piece of paper was a father, a founding father, a cultural icon and his name is Alexander Hamilton.
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