When Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote his multiethnic hip-hop story about 18th century politics, he couldn’t have known the shot he was taking would become the phenomenon it has. A rap musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton? Most were skeptical. They were wrong.
“Hamilton” is riding a wave of adulation not seen in American theatre in decades. With a record-setting sixteen Tony award nominations, it’s a smash hit that has crossed over into popular culture. A factual period drama about the founding and early years of the Republic, it also takes unique creative liberties by starring a cast of mostly black and Latino actors with a score steeped in hip-hop.
Why rap? “Musical storytelling has no limits,” says Miranda, a former teacher, in an interview with PBS on May 8, 2016. Miranda got the idea for the musical while reading Ron Chernow’s biography, “Alexander Hamilton,” and Chernow became the show’s historical consultant.
In Hamilton, Miranda saw an ambitious rhetorical firebrand full of raw talent and a lust for verbal combat. In short, Miranda saw a rapper. Just before the show moved to Broadway, Miranda told “The New York Times that “the appeal of hip-hop being the music of the revolution appealed to me immensely. It felt right.”
Fans eager for more than the CD can pick up “Hamilton: The Revolution” (which debuted at #1 on the “New York Times” bestseller list), which includes the full text of the libretto with extensive footnotes by Miranda, sumptuous pictures, and more than 30 essays about the cast members, production team, the creative process, and details about Hamilton’s life.
So stop by the Kyle Public Library and check out “Hamilton: The Musical” and Ron Chernow’s biography “Alexander Hamilton.” Don’t throw away your shot to learn more.