It’s up there with "Wicked" and "Book of Mormon," and now it’s coming to ASU Gammage — the hip-hop sensation, "Hamilton."
Following one of the least-acclaimed of the founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, the musical delves into the underdog story of Hamilton through brilliantly arranged rap score and passionate characters.
Granted, the show isn’t set to hit Gammage until the 2017-18 season, but if you’ve fallen into the Hamilton hype, you’ve already started gearing up. Here’s what you should be looking forward to:
Aaron Burr and Hamilton frenemy-ship
Aaron Burr has been portrayed as a villain throughout history because of his (spoiler alert) shooting of Hamilton. However, the musical develops the relationship between Hamilton and political rival Burr and makes it one of the most intriguing parts of the production. Both ambitious orphans, the two characters are portrayed as two sides of the same coin. They hate each other, but have an enduring connection throughout the story.
The flow
Without a doubt, one of the major sources of the musical’s success is one major stylistic choice on behalf of Lin-Manuel Miranda — telling the story through rap. The American genre adds a consistency to the score, giving it a sort of flow. Not only does it set a tone, it attracts a whole new audience to the world of Broadway.
The epic cabinet battles
Let’s ignore the fact that the entire show is basically one epic rap battle after another, but the particularly awesome part of the show is watching Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson go at each other’s throats. Sitting on the light rail listening to the soundtrack, you’ll want to let out an, “OHHHHH” at each verse.
The stuff you don’t hear in the history books
The key of the musical is that Hamilton’s story is epic, but also not told to the extent is should be. Yes, he established the national bank. Yes, he wrote the Federalist Papers. And yes, he may have been a #playa. But the things you didn’t know like his early life triumphs, his affairs and his tirade against slavery, easily trump the stuff you do know.
The stuff you do hear in the history books
At the same time, the musical takes dry history subjects you probably had as vocabulary terms at some point in your high school career. They take those topics and show the story behind, connect it to internal conflicts and show the rich history behind it.
The Schuyler Sisters
The musical has something for everyone, and for modern feminists, the Schuyler sisters are it. Developing dynamic female characters striving for equality in a sexist and male dominated political scene, Eliza and Angelica (and Peggy, I guess) tell a heart-wrenching tale of their own.
The relatable nature of a stiff historical figure
When you think "Founding Father,” you think of a sophisticated old guy sporting a cartoonish judge wig, breeches and a waistcoat. Hamilton, at his core, is a young man driven by passion and vulnerability. There’s a connection with the character from the get-go.
The book
Deep in the Hamilton obsession? The musical itself is inspired by Ron Chernow’s best-selling biography, “Alexander Hamilton.” So it will play a crucial key in tiding you over until the musical hits Gammage. Then again, the musical is always better.
The jamming
It’s emotional, it’s dynamic and, as the kids say, it’s “fire.” The soundtrack is one that you’ll find yourself lip syncing to in public and nodding you’re head to like you’re listening to Kanye’s recent tracks.
The feeling of deep insignificance
Alas, not all things associated with Hamilton are happy. After watching the play take America by storm via rap battle, you’ll never be able to perform ritual tasks like binge watching Netflix or taking a nap without feeling like you’re wasting your life away.
So basically, Hamilton is coming, but we're going to have to wait 1,776 years until it hits the Gammage stage.
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