If you\u2019ve been living under a rock for a decade, allow me to briefly fill you in on the critically-acclaimed Broadway darling, Hamilton<\/em>. Conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda back in 2009, the show began as a simple poem delivered at Obama\u2019s Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word. Fresh off his great success with In the Heights<\/em>, Miranda proposed a musical concept album revolving around founding father Alexander Hamilton. This – justifiably – received some laughs from the White House audience, as we aren\u2019t taught much about Hamilton in school, and his offerings to the country seemed minimal at best. Thankfully, as he received inspiration from Ron Chernow\u2019s epic biography on the titular figure, Lin-Manuel Miranda was able to gather enough juicy details to form a nearly-three-hour musical production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Opening in 2015 at The Public Theater, Hamilton<\/em>\u2019s popularity rose with a fierce exuberance, turning Miranda and the show\u2019s cast into household names, platforming their rise to Broadway legacies of their own, and telling an unforgettable tale that was more poignant for America than ever before. 2015 would see a country at (arguably) its most divided thus far, hot on the heels of the 2016 election of Donald J. Trump. Following America\u2019s first black president and the hope-filled progress he delivered, Trump\u2019s rise would plunge the country into darkness, with unrest in the streets, dangerous conservative talking points, and a cabinet of buffoons becoming the new norm. The Broadway community clung together in this dismal time, using its voice to platform those in downtrodden communities, notably the LGBTQ+ folk and racial minorities. It was around this time that musical theater really grabbed hold of me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Credit: Disney Plus Press<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Growing up, I was surrounded by musical influences in my family. My dad was in bands and theater growing up, my grandfather was always part of his church choirs, and my aunt and uncle both majored in music theory. Personally, I went through grade school trying out the violin and trumpet, and if my school had a chorus, I could be found in it, albeit somewhere in the back row. I even joined three school plays when I had the chance, and I was a part of my town\u2019s community theater for a couple shows. I loved it, but I never quite embraced the lifestyle as much as I could have. The people weren\u2019t always the friendliest, and it did feel quite\u2026 cliquey? So I always felt a bit outcast from theater. That being said, a few cast albums solidified themselves as core memories of my youth, most notably Jesus Christ Superstar<\/em>, The Rocky Horror Picture Show<\/em>, and Moulin Rouge<\/em> (you know, the film soundtrack). Growing up with these, I sort of had my foot in the door for musical theater and the vast landscape that existed down south in NYC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My first memory of seeing<\/em> a true musical was The Lion King<\/em> at the Boston Opera House back in 2004. Little did I know that the show marked the grand reopening of this iconic Boston theatre, and that 20 years later I\u2019d be working there as an usher, watching the show revisit the city. I had so much more appreciation for it in 2024, not only because I was now 27 years old, but because my love of musicals had been reignited nine years earlier by a little show called Hamilton<\/em>. I recall a friend of mine in high school falling down the Hamilton<\/em> well first, and he would constantly rap his favorite parts while we all looked on in clueless, ignorant frustration. How was I supposed to know what he was singing? How was I supposed to know it was so. Damn. GOOD?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I just have such vivid memories of this time, discovering the beauty of what stage shows can be. I remember standing in my bedroom holding the double- no, triple<\/em>-sized jewel case, wondering what song I was on as it played in my headphones. I would walk all around my house listening to these raps – and I am not<\/em> a big hip hop guy, believe me – forever shifting my musical psyche, all the while teaching me just how much of a brilliant, crazy, wonderful dirtbag Alexander Hamilton really was. I know now<\/em> that a lot of the show\u2019s history is fictionalized for entertainment purposes, but on that first listen? That shit blew my mind! I immediately<\/em> burned copies for my family and got them hooked. That year, there wasn\u2019t a single Webb car or computer without a Hamilton<\/em> disc in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Credit: NCPH<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So what was it that got me so enthralled by musical theater? Was it simply the way Lin-Manuel Miranda constructed these tracks into a single masterpiece? Well, I can\u2019t deny his talent blew me away and made me a fan from day one. I would eventually go on to write him a letter about how Hamilton<\/em> changed me, and his words of encouragement to pursue writing and musical theater genuinely got me out of that floaty post-high-school mental slump. In 2016, Miranda would be hired to write the songs for Disney\u2019s Moana<\/em>, yet another project that would become like a horcrux to me, my soul bound to its world, its characters, and its brilliant music. I felt going forward like Lin-Manuel Miranda could do no wrong, not only becoming a giant in the film music industry, but also supplying the world with messages of hope through his words of wisdom on social media, and his live appearances from every late night show to Sesame Street<\/em>. Nowadays, he\u2019s certainly had some misses, but his passion for the art – and societal progress – holds true. There\u2019s no doubt Mr. Miranda is a hero of mine, and his face is up there on my personal Mount Rushmore. Probably on the far left side, next to Robert Kirkman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Lin-Manuel Miranda aside, I would say the most alluring facet of Hamilton<\/em>\u2019s design comes from not only the crew, but the cast as well. It\u2019s that first time you ever see the stage design, the choreography, and the way every part comes to life. Hamilton<\/em>\u2019s brilliance is cemented in its talent, and fortunately for the show\u2019s legacy, every cast emanates just that. Not to toot my own horn, but as an usher at the Opera House, I have seen quite a few casts perform Hamilton<\/em> on these national tours. Mind you, there are constantly two national tours of the show going up and down each American coastline, not to mention a permanent residence on Broadway in New York and<\/em> on the West End in England, as well as multiple international tours across the world. If you thought Hamilton<\/em> was a big deal, you truly<\/em> have no idea. This fandom is loud, proud, and immense<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Credit: ELLE<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As previously stated, the cast is the lifeblood of this show, and everyone who has ever stepped into these roles has made it their own, and simply crushed it. So many times, when I\u2019ve told someone \u201cHamilton<\/em> is back in town!\u201d the response seems to be \u201cBut it\u2019s not the real<\/em> cast, right?\u201d Which, granted, I understand because a lot of people don\u2019t know the difference between a show being on Broadway<\/em> and on tour<\/em>. However, my rebuttal always mentions how \u201cno, it may not be the cast you know<\/em>, but I guarantee it\u2019ll be an incredible show.\u201d Now, like I\u2019d said, a lot of this credit goes to people like Thomas Kail and Andy Blankenbuehler for directing and choreographing Hamilton<\/em> in such a way that its beauty can be consistently replicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But genuinely, the best moments I have seen out of this show were the cast members adding their own<\/em> personal touches. It\u2019s little things like the way Mulligan beatboxes during \u201cAaron Burr, Sir\u201d and King George\u2019s glares at the audience. Sometimes, it\u2019s the way Angelica does a run in \u201cSatisfied\u201d or Burr doing something insane<\/em> with\u2026\u00a0 anything<\/em> (we\u2019ll get back to Burr shortly). My point is, Hamilton<\/em> may look like this untouchable masterpiece thanks to its cast album and the way its original cast took the world by storm. But much like Alexander hoped to leave a lasting impression in his wake, Miranda and his team have done the very same thing. Hamilton<\/em> is an ever-changing<\/em> masterpiece that stays high atop its pedestal because<\/em> of its malleability. The show is an artistic canvas with diversity and creativity as its paintbrushes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, I\u2019ve talked a long while and I feel like I\u2019ve said a whole hell of a nothing. Like I said, I didn\u2019t need this to be some beautifully written critique of Hamilton<\/em> 10 years later, I just wanted a genuine-sounding love letter. I\u2019m sure there will be so<\/em> much more I want to say when I\u2019m done. But hey, how poetic is that? Alexander Hamilton had the same idea. I could have gone into all the ways the show\u2019s music changes the game. I could have said things that have been said for a decade now, like analyzing the difference in genres between the characters, with King George being a bubblegum pop relic of old and Hamilton rapping with the freshness of new talent. I could have focused on the leitmotifs for each character, or the references to shows like South Pacific<\/em>, The<\/em> Last<\/em> Five Years<\/em>, and Macbeth<\/em> hidden within. I\u2019ve even thought in the past of doing articles on the show\u2019s most iconic or poignant lines, and ranking the entire soundtrack. All this to say, Hamilton<\/em> has been in my life for a long<\/em> time now, and it\u2019s truly<\/em> a part of me. I have wanted to speak on the show and its importance for a long time, and now that I\u2019m in the thick of it, I\u2019m at a loss for words. But before I go\u2026 can I take you back to one really special time for me?<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Grammy Awards, 2016. Hamilton<\/em> may have performed at the Tony Awards – Broadway\u2019s annual celebration – but I don\u2019t recall watching that live because I just wasn\u2019t huge into the whole scene yet. But the Grammys? Everyone watches those! So we had it on, and I remember walking into the living room and seeing something\u2026 different. The lighting was minimal, a tan glow over performers as they wandered about an empty-looking stage. Props and set pieces were also scarce, but the dances and the use of every ensemble member as scenery itself\u2026 that had me glued to the screen. But all the while, who was this one guy, walking through it all, explaining the scene at hand, telling a story I\u2019d never heard before. A black man, donned in a purple suitcoat, accompanied by a chorus of performers dressed in beige. The song came nearer to its close and I was just standing in place, staring at the television. Who was this man? Well, he described himself as \u201cthe damn fool that shot him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n I audibly gasped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Credit: CNN<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The character of Aaron Burr is not entirely original to musical theater. I often compare him to Judas Iscariot in Jesus Christ Superstar<\/em>, or in some ways Javert from Les Miserables<\/em>. He is a narrative figure that is frequently seen onstage, watching important events unfold, criticizing our protagonist for their boldness and inability to play by the rules. Yes, all of these musical icons are the \u201cvillains\u201d of their stories, and they serve as a way to provide a sense of omniscience, while also questioning the validity of the \u201cgood guy\u2019s\u201d cause. I find it funny to look at this trio here, as I\u2019m realizing something I never have before, and perhaps that adds to the appeal of Hamilton<\/em>\u2019s Burr: all but one of these musical antagonists takes their own lives due to their own downfall. Burr, however, takes the life of the one he envies, thus setting his downfall in motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aaron Burr was not a figure I knew of before Hamilton<\/em>. We didn\u2019t learn a thing about him in school, unlike Hamilton, who I at least knew <\/em>of. I knew Jefferson, Madison, Washington, of course, but not Burr. This kept my mind an impressionable blank slate for Hamilton\u2019s story to take hold of. Seeing Burr on stage for that first time, watching Leslie Odom Jr.\u2019s performance and the way he spun such a tale\u2026 I instantly knew it was a part I would want to play for the rest of time. Not only this, but it got me so <\/em>inspired to listen to more musicals. I thought if characters existed like him out there, or if stories this powerful and character-driven were just waiting to be told, I had to find them. I needed to know them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ten years later, Aaron Burr continues to be one of my favorite characters in musical theater. He is so<\/em> complex, grappling with an ever-changing country that he\u2019s committed to building, but fighting alongside someone with an entirely different strategy. His love for his wife and daughter not only see him through some of the bloodiest battles of the revolution, but they also bring about his ultimate demise when he commits a regrettable murder under the auspices of protecting them. Burr does not wish death upon Hamilton the entire time, he\u2019s just certain there is a better way of getting what you want. All the buildup in his mind of standing by and keeping his thoughts inside until \u201cthe right time\u201d eventually boils over and culminates in the first risk he\u2019s ever taken: taking someone\u2019s life into his own hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2018, when Hamilton<\/em> came to Boston, I was fortunate enough to meet the actor playing Aaron Burr. I never thought someone\u2019s performance of the character could be as compelling as Leslie Odom Jr.\u2019s, but this man, Nicholas Christopher, got it right. He had a flair, he had an art<\/em>, and not only was he an excellent singer, he was an excellent performer<\/em>. He gave me a tour of the stage, and I got a picture with him, and at the end of Hamilton<\/em>\u2019s Boston leg, Mr. Christopher left the role, retiring it in his hometown of Boston. He would go on to play Pirelli in Sweeney Todd<\/em>\u2019s Broadway revival in 2023, which I was also lucky to see. Next week, he\u2019ll be back in the “complicated antagonist\u201d role as Anatoly in the long-awaited revival of Chess<\/em> on Broadway. I was in New York recently and to see this guy up on a marquis? It was something special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Credit: Broadway Direct<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the showing of Hamilton<\/em>\u2019s anniversary movie theater experience, there is a 10-minute mini-documentary starring the show\u2019s original cast. A line that brought a tear to my eye was Leslie saying \u201cI remember thinking whoever got to sing \u2018Wait For It\u2019 every night would be a very lucky person.\u201d He got to be that person, and Nicholas Christopher got to be that person, and someday somehow, I\u2019d love to get to be that person. Yes, I know the show is historically full of a diverse, non-white cast and I\u2019m as white as they come, but a man can dream, right? Lin-Manuel Miranda did! Hamilton did!<\/p>\n\n\n\n All jokes aside, I just want to end this by saying a massive thank you to everyone- EVERYONE<\/em> who has ever been involved in a Hamilton<\/em> production. I could have gone into a big thing about how the show is more important now than ever, with the country even <\/em>more divided than in 2015, but do we really need that right now? I wanted this to be light-hearted, nostalgic, hopefully a little funny. It is true, though, that Hamilton<\/em> is the<\/em> most important Broadway production out there right now. As someone who always says Come From Away<\/em> (yes, the 9\/11 musical) is his favorite musical and it\u2019s the most beautiful representation of the human experience, I cannot deny what Hamilton<\/em> has done for myself as well as this country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a messed-up world where we don\u2019t even feel the same about our own grandparents anymore, it\u2019s nice to have a refreshing escape to a world full of unforgettable music, breathtaking performances, and talent bursting at the seams. That<\/em> is what Hamilton<\/em> is all about, and if you have the chance to see it in a movie theater, or on tour (maybe right now in Boston?), or even on Disney+… ew, don\u2019t do that one. Cancel your Disney+. But I digress! Experience Hamilton<\/em> however you can, even if you\u2019re just a kid fresh out of high school with access to nothing but the original cast album. It just might change your life, for good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Experience Hamilton however you can. It just might change your life, for good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":104224742,"featured_media":40585,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[682626855,352],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40458","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music-3","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/vgu.tv\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/ham-1.jpeg?resize=1080%2C608&ssl=1\")
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