Hamilton: The Musical that Blew us Away

By now, everyone and their mum knows about Hamilton and if you have somehow managed to hide under a rock for the past four years, now is your time my friend. On the 3rd July, Disney Plus released a master recording of the show starring the original Broadway cast and let me just say, it is truly magnificent. Telling the story of one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, the show blends musical theatre, opera and hip hop and creates a theatrical experience that blew us all away (see what I did there)? 

 

The music in the show truly is a triumph. Creator and star Lin Manuel Miranda’s grasp of the English language is astonishing, managing to fit and somehow rhyme deeply political jargon within his music is a skill like no other. Each song drips with power, emotion and information allowing you to gain a true insight into a character's mind in addition to informing the audience on the constantly changing political climate of the show. The music keeps the audience engaged, seamlessly blending from song to song only stopping for mere seconds of dialogue at the key emotional points in the show. It’s almost as if the show breaks a traditional convention of musical theatre, “when it all gets too much, burst into song”*  but in Hamilton when it all gets too much, the music is put on hold and both the characters and the audience are given a chance to reflect and take a moment to ponder the severity of the scene. One more aspect of the music should be noted before I move on, I’m going to be honest with you, much to my grandfather’s disappointment, I’ve never really cared for History. This film and tv student cares more about pop culture than the battle of Hastings but Hamilton has changed that. By learning the lyrics of the show through repeated listening, I can now tell anyone that the battle of Yorktown was in 1781, purely because of the beginning of the song. Whilst it must be noted that the show is far from 100% historical accuracy and that key details within Hamilton’s life such as slavery are downplayed within the narrative, the show does it’s best to subtly educate both those who love and loath history. 

 

Watching a recording of a musical like Hamilton was as fascinating as it was jarring. I no longer needed to fork out a pound for the crappy theatre binoculars, I could see each actor's performances and not miss out on a single detail. What I felt was strange, was having my experience dedicated to me. The camera almost chooses where I'm going to look in certain aspects of the show, not giving me a chance to witness some of the incredible performances of the ensemble. However, if this is the price I have to pay to have access to a high quality recording of an era defining musical, I’m sure I can get over myself. 

What makes this release so important is that it makes the arts accessible to those who otherwise could not afford to see them. Traditionally, Broadway and the West End tickets are expensive averaging at around £60-70 for a good seat but due to the success of Hamilton, I saw tickets going for £300 unless you managed to book a year in advance. Hamilton is a spectacular show that could inspire a new generation of artists, both rich and poor, to rise up and take their shot.

 

Overall, Hamilton was fantastic. It’s a long watch so make sure you have plenty of snacks, but the music, the staging and the performances are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Musical theatre fan or not give it a go, I promise you you’ll spend the next few days humming a rap and feeling inspired. 

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ikqU6G6Xgs&t=21s