The performing arts have always made huge cultural impacts on America dating back to the early 1900s. Today, theater is continuing to break down cultural boundaries. The past few years have given rise to new musicals and plays such as Fun Home, The Curious Incident of a Dog in the Night-time, Something Rotten, and the current hard-hitter, Hamilton.
Hamilton, written, composed, and lyricized by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is a historical musical, addressing the early life of Alexander Hamilton, his relationships with others, and his contribution to the United States Government.
Hamilton is a huge box office hit, grossing an average of $1,771,082 weekly, and this total is only increasing. With tickets averaging between $600 and $1,000, the usual $300 seems like a cheap ticket.
Hamilton is a huge hit, not only in theatre, but in the music industry as well. The album rated No. 3 on Billboard for Rap Albums, No. 5 for Digital Albums, and No. 9 on Top Album Sales.
On April 6, Hamilton’s cast recording officially became gold certified, meaning they sold 500,000 copies. This could be attributed to their 2016 Grammy win for Best Musical Theater Album, or the fact that many believe Miranda has created a piece of art never seen before.
Musical theater has seen other historical pieces such as 1776 and Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson. Both of these shows are musical busts compared to Hamilton. Why is this?
Miranda and the rest of the production team can accredit this to the unique aspects of their music, intense choreography, and diversity of the actors.
Miranda was born into a Puerto Rican family, and he plays the title character, Alexander Hamilton. Although this is not racially accurate, this theme of diversity is a through line with the rest of the characters.
Portraying Hamilton’s wife, Elizabeth Schuyler, is Phillipa Soo, a Chinese-American actress. She is accompanied by African-American actors and actresses such as Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler, Leslie Odom Jr. as the villain Aaron Burr, Christopher Jackson as the respected general and first president George Washington, Daveed Diggs as Lafayette/ Thomas Jefferson, and Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/ James Madison.
It is important to acknowledge the fact that all of these historical figures were originally white. The use of diversity is so effective because, when working with the issues of today, it shows how anyone can overcome anything. Racial discrimination is a huge factor of society. By such important figures being portrayed by actors of all races, it shows how it doesn’t matter if you are Puerto-Rican, Chinese-American, or African-American. Everyone can still accomplish the same great things and have a long lasting impact on the world.
It is not new news that Hamilton has been attracting so many people, all from different walks of life. These people are all drawn to Hamilton because it offers a chance to experience an environment with no boundaries.
Stepping foot into the Richard Rogers Theater, one immediately feels as if the rest of the world escapes them, and they’re sucked into the detailed and interesting life of Alexander Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rendition of the life of Hamilton unifies everyone under an umbrella of American history without discrimination and judgment. Issues of the present day no longer matter. The only focus in the Richard Rogers becomes Hamilton’s journey from a hard knock life to a successful government icon.
From famous musical artists such as Beyoncé, Jay Z, Jennifer Lopez, and Gloria Estefan, to actors such as Meryl Streep, Kerry Washington, Steve Martin, and Amy Schumer, to talk show hosts Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, and Oprah, to none other than our president and his first lady, Barack and Michelle Obama, Hamilton has reached out its arms and grabbed celebrities from all parts of the world. These are people whose presence is requested at so many events, yet over everything else, they are choosing to come see Hamilton, some even for multiple viewings.
To make the musical more accessible to everyone, Miranda and the creative team created the idea of Ham4Ham. 21 people every night have the opportunity to experience the magic that is Hamilton (I am fortunate enough to be one of those people) for mere Hamilton, otherwise known as a ten dollar bill.
This lottery is, excluding the bitter winter months, done live, right outside of the theater and is open to the public. At the lottery, Miranda created an event called the Ham4Ham show, in which he invites different people to perform. This fantastic event has seen people such as Saturday Night Live’s Taran Killam, and the voice of Disney’s Jasmine and Mulan, Lea Salonga.
Hamilton, though an almost unattainable ticket until 2017, is opening new doors daily, not just in theater, but in American culture. Both the show, and the experience surrounding it, is 100% worth the money. Hamilton is bigger than the two and half hours that you are sitting in the theater, rather it has become a cultural phenomenon.
Image Courtesy of usatoday.com