Hamilton, the musical adaptation of the life of Alexander Hamilton and the founding fathers, was first released in August 2015. Originally composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the production runs for around 2 hours and 45 minutes. The musical became an international sensation and created a fandom that still holds the hearts of many around the world today.
The musical explores the United States’ early political figures creatively. Miranda portrays the true story of Hamilton’s full life, entirely communicated through song and dance. Each part of his existence and others, like President George Washington, the Schuyler sisters, and the infamous Aaron Burr, all play major roles in his life. The show introduces all of them and tells their stories through 47 musical numbers.
The musical immediately took off, and for years after its original release, it was sold out almost every night, earning around one billion dollars in total ticket sales. However, this was just the beginning of the global fandom. The Hamilton album created for the musical amassed over 6.4 billion streams on Spotify. When the recording of the original Broadway cast performance premiered on Disney+ in 2020, it kept the community alive.
The production features diverse casting, which is another way that Hamilton stands apart from other Broadway productions. The casting featured performers of any race, regardless of the part the cast member was assigned to. These features created a more inclusive and diverse experience for both cast members and viewers alike. This is another demonstration of how Miranda was able to create a memorable experience for audience members when it came to Hamilton.
Miranda won three awards: one Grammy for best musical album, one Pulitzer Prize for best drama, and a Tony for best book of a musical, all for Hamilton. The actual production got more than 10 awards. Miranda has won over 40 awards for other productions, including Moana and Encanto, showing his true raw talent for composing and producing songs and acts. The film and theater industry heavily adore him for his craft.
Miranda demonstrated creativity and numerous eye-opening ideas through his performance. In an interview with The Atlantic, he explained, “This is a story told about America then, by America now,” illustrating Miranda’s dedication to his performance.
As Hamilton rose to fame and got more recognition on social media, it became a phenomenon. The musical is thought of as something everyone could appreciate and enjoy, not just people who like theater. With merch, fan art, memes, TikTok dances, and trends, Hamilton took over mainstream entertainment. And one of these forms of entertainment has recently risen to popularity: Hamilton TikTok trends.
In “Best of Wives and Women,” track 21 in act two, TikTokers are singing along to the part of the song where Hamilton is leaving his wife, Eliza. Fans recreating the trend can be seen theatrically climbing out of their windows, trying to recreate Hamilton’s leaving with their own creativity. Fans recreating key scenes show the impression that Hamilton has left on millions and how people celebrate the production today.
The musical also taught younger generations about history in a creative and fun way. For example, in the play “Cabinet Battle #1” and “Cabinet Battle #2” display Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson talking about policy issues like finance and state debt. While one might assume such a concept would result in a lackluster or monotonous sound, Hamilton’s approach is surprisingly dynamic. The “Cabinet Battles” present themselves in rap battle form with comedic comebacks and funny character interactions, while still keeping the message educational, teaching the audience factual information about what these leaders discussed.
Hamilton became more than an impressive Broadway performance or a hit musical; it created a culture and shift in the industry for the better because of the inclusivity and progress it showcased. The modern ideas and diverse inclusivity grabbed the attention of an audience, with social media helping it spread to more communities than just Broadway. Overall, Hamilton deserves to be an achievement to remember forever.
