I really miss going to the theatre. The last show I went to see was The Book of Mormon in August 2019. I used to try and see one big West End show per year and then multiple smaller productions, usually dance, throughout the year. One show that I have heard about for years but never been able to get a ticket for was Hamilton. But thankfully last year Disney got the streaming rights to a Broadway recording of Hamilton, and I have finally seen the show that literally nobody will stop talking about. Was it worth the hype?
Our story starts in 1776 where Alexander Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda), an orphan who with his great intelligence and insatiable desire for something greater than what he has journey’s to New York where he meets Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.) and various other key figures in the war for independence. Hamilton is a supporter of revolution and independence for the newly formed America from their English rule, Burr however is apprehensive of this.
Over the next several years we see Hamilton work his way into favour with powerful people such as George Washington (Christopher Jackson) and after winning the war of independence Hamilton is considered one of the founding fathers of the United States. However, this position also places his friendship with Burr in jeopardy, and he becomes a strong opposer to Thomas Jefferson (Daveed Diggs).
As someone who knows almost nothing about American history, Hamilton does a very good job at communicating who these people are and why they are important in building the foundations of the most powerful country in the world. The show was created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and one of the key things about the show that he fought tooth and nail for was to have a cast that is predominantly not white, and that the lyrics and choreography all be rooted in hip-hop. For Miranda, this story about old dead white men was important to tell with black, Asian, and Latino actors because that is how America looks now. For Miranda, the story of Hamilton needed to be told in a modern context, with all the cultural diversity the country has accrued since its inception, in order for the story to truly have an impact with audiences.
It’s something that, even though I knew the cast were predominantly not white, took me a little while to adjust to. Needing to change how I saw George Washington in my head from this old white man with a poofy wig to a younger black man with a shaved head made me engage with the story more because it felt more relevant to today’s society. Another story about an old white guy would have had me checked out before the show had even got going, but now that things were being flipped on their head and the story was being told in a way that felt fresh and new it captured my attention throughout.
Our story starts in 1776 where Alexander Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda), an orphan who with his great intelligence and insatiable desire for something greater than what he has journey’s to New York where he meets Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.) and various other key figures in the war for independence. Hamilton is a supporter of revolution and independence for the newly formed America from their English rule, Burr however is apprehensive of this.
Over the next several years we see Hamilton work his way into favour with powerful people such as George Washington (Christopher Jackson) and after winning the war of independence Hamilton is considered one of the founding fathers of the United States. However, this position also places his friendship with Burr in jeopardy, and he becomes a strong opposer to Thomas Jefferson (Daveed Diggs).
As someone who knows almost nothing about American history, Hamilton does a very good job at communicating who these people are and why they are important in building the foundations of the most powerful country in the world. The show was created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and one of the key things about the show that he fought tooth and nail for was to have a cast that is predominantly not white, and that the lyrics and choreography all be rooted in hip-hop. For Miranda, this story about old dead white men was important to tell with black, Asian, and Latino actors because that is how America looks now. For Miranda, the story of Hamilton needed to be told in a modern context, with all the cultural diversity the country has accrued since its inception, in order for the story to truly have an impact with audiences.
It’s something that, even though I knew the cast were predominantly not white, took me a little while to adjust to. Needing to change how I saw George Washington in my head from this old white man with a poofy wig to a younger black man with a shaved head made me engage with the story more because it felt more relevant to today’s society. Another story about an old white guy would have had me checked out before the show had even got going, but now that things were being flipped on their head and the story was being told in a way that felt fresh and new it captured my attention throughout.
The entire musical is performed by way of rap, which is a genre I don’t really enjoy that much. However, Hamilton’s clever use of language and wordplay using this genre of music again made me pay attention so much more. The whole show had a pulse that ran all the way through it because it had this constant tempo that was being remixed on the fly as characters entered and exited scenes. It didn’t have this clunky stop/start feel that some musicals do where people suddenly burst out into song. Whilst not every musical could pull of having singing the entire way through, with the energy that Hamilton has, and the complexity of the narrative, having a steady beat to keep you engaged throughout really helped communicate the story to me. Some may not like this, as it can feel a tad Les Misérables at times, but for me it was really awesome. One thing I did notice though was that several of the musical numbers sounded like other songs. Most distinctly was “You’ll Be Back” performed by King George III (Jonathan Groff) which sounded almost identical to “Daydream Believer” by The Monkees. There were others which my girlfriend and I pointed out that it sounded like a Beyonce song but couldn’t put our finger on which one, and a couple of others that we recognised from elsewhere but weren’t able to pin down a song or artist. It got me wondering whether these numbers are intentionally riffs on other songs?
The choreography was on point though and my favourite aspect of the whole show. The power behind all of it was so impactful that it gave the whole show so much energy. Nothing ever stood still, the set was always changing, actors and props came in and out quickly and smoothly. Everything was so precise, and nothing ever looked simple. Each routine was visually complex and exhausting to watch which is what I love the most about good choreography. I want to come away feeling as drained as if I had performed it myself and Hamilton regularly left me feeling short of breath.
So, I love the show, right? Well, I feel like I need to actually watch it live. Whilst I’m certainly glad I’ve finally seen it, I feel like it was overhyped to quite a significant degree. I’m sure that’ll change when I’m in the room with the performers with the heat of the lights, the moisture of sweat in the air, and the vibration of the music taking me onto the stage with them. But as a musical I watched from the comfort of my sofa I did often find myself becoming disengaged particularly in the second act where things start to slow down. The film itself is well shot and edited, giving you a great view of everything and a much better look at some of the costumes, sets, and choreography. But if you’re really wanting to watch Hamilton, I would say it’s probably worth waiting to see it on stage. The film is a perfectly good substitute for those who have already seen it and wish to relive the magic, and for those who simply cannot feasibly travel to where it is being performed; but for newcomers like myself I think It’s wiser that you wait until you can take a trip to see it for real if you’re able to.
The choreography was on point though and my favourite aspect of the whole show. The power behind all of it was so impactful that it gave the whole show so much energy. Nothing ever stood still, the set was always changing, actors and props came in and out quickly and smoothly. Everything was so precise, and nothing ever looked simple. Each routine was visually complex and exhausting to watch which is what I love the most about good choreography. I want to come away feeling as drained as if I had performed it myself and Hamilton regularly left me feeling short of breath.
So, I love the show, right? Well, I feel like I need to actually watch it live. Whilst I’m certainly glad I’ve finally seen it, I feel like it was overhyped to quite a significant degree. I’m sure that’ll change when I’m in the room with the performers with the heat of the lights, the moisture of sweat in the air, and the vibration of the music taking me onto the stage with them. But as a musical I watched from the comfort of my sofa I did often find myself becoming disengaged particularly in the second act where things start to slow down. The film itself is well shot and edited, giving you a great view of everything and a much better look at some of the costumes, sets, and choreography. But if you’re really wanting to watch Hamilton, I would say it’s probably worth waiting to see it on stage. The film is a perfectly good substitute for those who have already seen it and wish to relive the magic, and for those who simply cannot feasibly travel to where it is being performed; but for newcomers like myself I think It’s wiser that you wait until you can take a trip to see it for real if you’re able to.