The Hamilton Musical

The Hamilton Musical

McKenzie Reimer, Academics & Arts Editor

If you are the type of person that loves both history and musicals, but can’t possibly think they could be combined, then you are sadly mistaken. Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda, does just that.

Lin-Manuel Miranda came up with the extraordinary idea of turning one of our beloved founding fathers into a musical god while reading a copy of of Hamilton by Ron Chernow. He began imagining Hamilton’s life as if it had been a musical and this inspired him to work from 2009 to February of 2015, when Hamilton made its off Broadway debut. The quirky storyline made it an easy success and soon after its debut, Hamilton moved to where it belongs, on Broadway.

While it is not possible to watch the Hamilton musical, due to it not being filmed yet, you can still listen to their soundtrack, which is simply extraordinary. With each musical you see, the music is the what makes it stand out, Hamilton is no exception. Each song not only tells the story, but makes you feel the story, often in a hilarious way.
In all honesty, I was surprised in so many different ways with the music. The lyrics and characters are very clever and entertaining, while still maintaining the story of Alexander Hamilton. Listening to this soundtrack, brought something to history that I didn’t see before. It made me want to not only learn more about Hamilton, but also more about America in general.

This musical not only has impacted me, but others around us, as well as the world around us. “I was drawn to Hamilton as soon as I found out how diverse the cast was, it was Lin-Manuel Miranda’s way of showing misfits.” said junior Noelle Flugrad. She also went on to add that, “I identify on the LGBTQ spectrum, and this is a musical about outsiders, Alexander was the son of a poor prostitute and a scotsman, the odds were against him the whole time, and he was able to turn out fine.”

Hamilton has opened up a door to history that simply wasn’t there before. So, whether you’re a fan of history, fan of musicals, or even a fan of nothing, I definitely recommend listening to all 46 songs on the Hamilton soundtrack. It’s definitely worth the time.