Musicals are taking on a new edge with the musical “Hamilton,” following the adult life of Alexander Hamilton, a prominent founding father of the United States. This scholarly musical incorporates rap music into the typical musical sound, an upbeat over the top music, people know and love. This musical is fairly new to the Broadway stage. It released in 2015 and will only show in New York until early fall of 2016.

This story is an educational piece. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote this rap-style musical to show that the United States was originally a land full of immigrants.  This is seen through the various characters and the fact that the king of England is the only white man in the show while the rest of the cast is a variety of ethnicities. Some of the songs including this rap-style are “Alexander Hamilton” and “Right-Hand Man.” Other songs stay with the traditional ballad style song most musicals have, such as “Burn” and “Take a Break.”

Also in one of the songs, “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down).”  Hamilton and the Frenchman Lafayette say “Immigrants, we get the job done.” This quote is one of the most important messages of the entire musical. Miranda wanted to make a musical where all types of people were included to make sure it was not an all-white cast.

Even though this musical has a modern style of music, the costumes are consistent with the time period Alexander Hamilton lived in. The women wear gorgeous long dresses and the men wear tight pants and ruffled shirts. The costumes look just like the characters came out of the 18th century.  

According to The New Yorker, Miranda was asked by the president to write something special for an event at the White House. He felt many people did not want just another history lesson so he wrote a hip-hop musical everyone can get into.

“The most memorable moment for me was when Lin-Manuel Miranda walked out onstage for the first time. He’s an absolute genius and it was surreal when I realized I was actually in the same room as him,” senior Rachel Martin said after coming back from seeing the show in New York City.
This is a musical the entire family can enjoy. It brings the old style and intertwines it with the new. Directors should take note of this musical. It is changing how people view musicals. This piece shows history can be fun and educational. More people can identify with this type of musical. It takes an important piece of history and makes it fun to experience. This musical is highly recommended for all ages.