Earlier this year, I had the amazing opportunity to see “Hamilton” at Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City. Inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, “Hamilton” brilliantly tells a well-known historical story by using modern influences, such as hip-hop and rap with witty lines that go so quickly it is almost difficult to catch every single clever phrase. The show first debuted off Broadway, but now, tickets are sold out for months. Starring Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, the actor does not only portray the main character in the musical: he wrote the book, music, and lyrics for the show as well. Miranda excellently performs his incredibly complex role. The entire cast’s dancing ability was off the charts, and there were often standing ovations or rounds of applause that lasted for several minutes. It is the pure genius of ‘‘Hamilton’’ to make the connections between hip-hop, rap, history, revolutions, and 18th-century politics seem like the most obvious, clear thing in the world. Aaron Burr, portrayed by Leslie Odom Jr., opens the musical with a doozy of a question:
“How does a bastard, orphan, son of a _____, 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?”
The opening song continues to explain who Alexander Hamilton was, and towards the end of the song, the spotlight begins to shine on different characters positioned around the stage who tell the audience their unique relationships with Alexander Hamilton.
[LAURENS/PHILIP] “Me? I died for him!”
[WASHINGTON]
“Me? I trusted him!”
[ELIZA & ANGELICA & PEGGY/MARIA]
“Me? I loved him!”
[BURR]
“And me? I’m the ____ fool that shot him!”
Although Miranda headlines the musical, Jonathan Groff truly steals the show portraying King George. His movements made the audience cry of laughter, and the way he performed the extremely clever lyrics was absolutely extraordinary. My personal favorite song from the musical is “You’ll Be Back,” performed by King George (Groff), who believes his once royal subjects will want to return under his control because it is very difficult for people to rule themselves. The lyrics are magnificently humorous and witty:
“You’ll be back, soon you’ll see, you’ll remember you belong to me. You’ll be back, time will tell! You’ll remember that I served you well. Oceans rise, empires fall, we have seen each other through it all. And when push comes to shove, I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love!”
The song goes on, but I had to share a few of the lyrics in my review of the musical because they are so brilliant. There are not many forms of entertainment where both younger and older generations alike feel connected through a mutual love for something so special. I would highly recommend “Hamilton” to anyone, whether they are interested in history or not — because if you aren’t interested in history before the show, you will be wanting to read Alexander Hamilton’s entire biography by the time the show concludes. By the time “Hamilton” had reached the end, I was already longing for more. I have been listening to the musical’s soundtrack on Spotify non-stop for the last few weeks! Experiencing the genius, wit, and brilliance of “Hamilton” was the best three hours I have spent in a long time.