Why Hamilton?

Why did I decide to create and write a blog about Hamilton? This is a question I have asked myself numerous times and have also been asked by others. I think the easiest answer to this question is simply, I am a fan. As I said in my first post, I was not a fan at the beginning, but over the course of listening to the album an embarrassing amount of times (I practically have the entire show memorized) and researching different things about the show, I absolutely fell in love. I felt like I needed a place to share my fandom with other fans of this incredible show, and when the opportunity presented itself in the form of a class project, I had my place to do this. However, this blog was also created to inform people about Hamilton. Presently, if you have not heard one mention of Hamilton you are most likely living under a rock. However, although this show has garnered mass popularity over the last couple of years, there are several people who do not understand why this show is such a phenomenon. I like to cater to these people by sharing interesting stories about the show, as well as discuss new developments as this show continues to grow in popularity. I am so glad I decided to write about Hamilton and I am so glad that I finally have a place to share my love for this amazing show.

Be sure to check out the hilarious video below about what being a Hamilton fan is really like!

Lin-Manuel Miranda to host SNL

That's right, Hamilton creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda is set to host Saturday Night Live later this week with musical guest 21 Pilots. The news came earlier last month, and to say that Hamilton fans are excited would be a vast understatement. Miranda's appearance on S.N.L. shows just a part of the vast amount of popularity the young composer has gained in the short amount of time since Hamilton premiered, but it's a big part. Saturday Night Live has held a rather large viewer base for several years, and hosting an episode is considered a large honor for anybody. This hosting gig shows just how popular Lin-Manuel Miranda has come since Hamilton. As excited as fans are for this event, it could be said that Miranda himself is even more excited. In recent interviews, he talks of being a fan of the show since he was a child. He recorded nearly every episode, and was determined to become a host one day. This is a dream that is finally becoming reality later this week. Be sure to catch the amazing episode this Saturday at 12:00 Eastern Time. More information can be found here. Also, be sure to check out this interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda about an impersonation of himself done on S.N.L. this last week.

Original Cast Departs

One of the biggest pieces of news I have not blogged about surrounding Hamilton regards the departure of many of the show's original cast. Over the course of this last summer, much of the cast had gone on to new projects, while the show gained some amazing new talent. In July, Hamilton's creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda departed to work on other projects. Although this was rather disappointingHamilton fans, including myself, were rather upset that they would not be able to see the show with the original cast. However, to soothe the pain, the decision was made to film the original cast on one of their final performances. While what they are planning to do with this filming has not yet been confirmed, the fact is that the filming does exist. We may have a chance to see the original cast after all!
news, Miranda's replacement Javier Muñoz has done incredibly in the lead role. Along with Miranda, Tony Award winners Leslie Odom Jr., Daveed Diggs, and Renee Elise Goldsberry departed as well as the leading lady Phillipa Soo. With much of the main cast departing, producers were tasked with finding suitable replacements
, and this was definitely accomplished. The new cast has made a huge splash and has continued the tend of performing at sold out shows each and every performance. With this news, several

Information on the final performance: http://www.playbill.com/article/inside-lin-manuel-mirandas-final-performance-at-hamilton

Information on the recording: http://www.themarysue.com/hamilton-recording-shows/

You'll Be Back

It has been quite sometime since I have added a post here on my blog! This blog was originally created as part of a class assignment. Although it was an assignment, I grew to absolutely love the experience. I had a way to connect with other Hamilton fans all over the world, and more importantly, I had a place that I could share my love of this amazing show with others who felt the same way. I am upset with myself that I didn't continue posting after the class had ended. However, a new class has come up that has gotten me right back into the game, and I'm excited to pick up from where I left off. So, "What'd I miss?"

With Hamilton being the absolute juggernaut that it is, to say that I have missed blogging about a few new developments surrounding the show would be a vast understatement. Because of this, the next few posts on this blog are going to be catching up on some of the bigger details surrounding Hamilton. Alright, let's go!

Final Post?

So for those who are unaware, this blog has been part of a class project. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing this blog and keeping up with the social media aspect of it, but now that the semester is coming to an end, I need to figure out what exactly I want to do with it. I have found this project to be a lot of work, even when writing on such an amazing topic as Hamilton. Because of this, if I were to keep updating this blog, it would not be every week as I have been doing. I would also really enjoy having guest bloggers write about anything Hamilton related that they have been dying to tell the world. If this is you, be sure to send me a message (contact info is listed) and we can work something out! I also just wanted to say how amazing the Hamilfans are. Everyone was so great to interact with, and it made this whole project even better, so thank you! "Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?"

Hamilton Wins!

Earlier this week, Hamilton was awarded a very prestigious award in the literary world, The 2016 Pulitzer Prize for drama. This of course is just amazing, especially considering the fact that there are only 8 other musicals to have won this award in the century that The Pulitzer Prize has been around. However, there are many people (including myself) who believe that Hamilton winning The Pulitzer Prize was pretty much inevitable. This is not to say that Hamilton did not have good competition for the award, this is not the case at all. Hamilton is just revolutionary, and it's changing Broadway in a way that can not yet be determined. In this sense, Hamilton is the only show that can win The Pulitzer Prize for this year. The following linked article gives a great insight into this thought:

http://www.playbill.com/article/hamilton-seems-to-have-pulitzer-prize-for-drama-all-sewn-up

Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda definitely deserve this amazing award, and it will be exciting to see what other feats this amazing show can achieve in the future!

http://www.playbill.com/article/hamilton-wins-2016-pulitzer-prize-com-347196

#Hamiltome

It's finally here! After months and months of waiting, Hamilton fans were treated to "Hamilton the Revolution", the story of Hamilton with interesting inside comments. This book gives an inside view into the world of Hamilton from the creation to its' current run on Broadway. It offers several comments and anecdotes about the show from creator/star Lin-Manuel Miranda and cultural critic Jeremy McCarter. To say that fans are excited would be an understatement. Preorders for the book began a few months ago, and ever since then, the hype has been continually growing. If you want to know anything about Hamilton this book is definitely the place to start, so be sure to pick your copy up before they sell out! Also, be sure to check out the below link about the book; it offers some good insight!

http://www.playbill.com/article/hamilton-libretto-published-today

What is it like to see Hamilton?

There is no doubt that simply listening to the Hamilton cast album can create an avid fan of the show. This is the case with many super fans, including myself, who haven't even seen the show. Most people cannot see the show simply because it's in such high demand. Currently tickets are sold out until 2017, so either you wait months to see it or you get super lucky in the Ham4Ham lottery. The lottery is amazing, but it does not really work for people who live thousands of miles away, such as myself. So, many super fans are stuck with the cast album, (which is absolutely amazing, don't get me wrong) and dreams of what the live show must be like. The great news is that Hamilton producers have announced touring productions which will begin in California next year. This allows millions of other people to have the chance to see the show much closer to home. Also, I personally have noticed recordings of the live show in YouTube. Now many people may be excited to know this, but it actually really upsets me. As a theater student, I get upset when people illegally record live performances for their own gain. People have worked A LOT on that show, and to have a nonpaying audience really puts to shame all that hard work. This is why I personally will not watch these recorded performances. For those of us that want to know what a live performance is like without these recordings, "USA Today" recently published an article that gives a great insight; I have linked the article own below. I cannot wait until I have the opportunity to see this incredible show live, and hopefully I will not have to wait very long!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2016/03/29/hamilton-musical-broadway-lin-manuel-miranda-jonathan-groff-what-its-really-like/82354008/

Who is Phillipa Soo?

The post is dedicated to the female star of Hamilton, Phillipa Soo. Soo grew up in Chicago with her parents being a doctor and an artist. She was supported in her artistic endeavors, but education was also very important to her family. After high school, she attended The Julliard School where she studied acting. After college, Soo landed a few theatrical roles, including a role in the off-Broadway production of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, and a small recurring role in NBC's show Smash. After seeing her in The Great Comet, Director Thomas Kail and Lin-Manuel Miranda approached Soo about the role that would rocket her success, Elizabeth Schuyler. Soo is currently smashing the role on Broadway, and has been with the show for quite some time now. Recently, she just became engaged to actor Steven Pasquale earlier this year. For even more about the incredible Phillipa Soo be sure to watch her interview on The Today Show. Keep rocking it Phillipa!

Hamilton Cast is Modern Day America

How do you cast a show about a bunch of old, dead, white guys? You completely get rid of that idea, and tell America's history through America's present. It's clear that the cast of Hamilton is probably not at all what revolutionary-era America looked like, but this was very much intentional. Today's United States is a melting pot of different races, and minorities are a big/important part of the country. In this sense, it makes sense to have a cast of minorities for Hamilton. Personally however, I feel that it's not just that the cast is interesting this way, but it's also needed. This cast allows the show to span across cultures in a way that many Broadway shows can't. This musical has created fans out of people who had previously hardly ever listened to musical theater albums. Also, Hamilton connects cultures and brings people together through the arts. This is so important in a time where people and cultures are feeling more disconnected. I hope that Hamilton is a sign of what is to come for theater in the future, because it is definitely what is needed. Be sure to check out the linked article for even more information about the casting of Hamilton!

http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/HAMILTONs-Lin-Manuel-Miranda-Speaks-On-Race-and-Casting-20151203#

Hamilton hits D.C.!

This past Monday, a few cast members of Hamilton had the opportunity to visit the White House in D.C. The cast worked with local students on different workshops to promote history and the arts. What an incredible opportunity for those students! Later in the day, the cast treated an audience at the White House to a small performance of some of Hamilton's most popular songs. To wrap things up, Lin-Manuel Miranda showed of his absolutely insane freestyle skills as the president held up random words to be included in the wrap. Check out the video! It's definitely clear that the President and his family are quite the fans of Hamilton.

Who is Daveed Diggs?

This post is dedicated to one of the most talented members of the Hamilton cast, Daveed Diggs. Diggs' journey to starring in one of the hottest Broadway musicals of all time is definitely an interesting one. He was born in Oakland, California where he would attend Berkeley High School. After graduation, Diggs went on to be recruited by Brown University for his track skills. However, he would end up graduating with a degree in theater. Diggs began showing his passion for hip-hop and rap with various performances and groups. A current improv rap group he is a part of is "Clipping" for which he is MC. It was in one of these groups (Freestyle Love Supreme) where Diggs would meet Lin-Manuel Miranda. Hamilton would become Diggs' Broadway debut, where he currently blows audiences away. If you would like to know more about about Daveed Diggs, check out the video of an interview he recently had. "Everyone give it up for America's favorite fighting Frenchman!"

Hamilton in Schools

For this week's blog post, I wanted to talk about the interesting effect that Hamilton has had on education throughout the country. When Lin-Manuel Miranda set out to write Hamilton, he must have known it would have some presence in an academic setting, but I doubt he knew it would be this profound. What makes Hamilton good for teaching is that it tells a (mostly) accurate story of something that really did happen. What makes it great however, is that it is history told through modern means.





Putting history to song is one thing, but making that song hip-hop is totally different. Many younger people today enjoy the hip-hop genre, as can be seen in its' past few decades of success. Suddenly, it becomes cool to learn about how our nation's financial system was created! There are countless stories of students living Hamilton, and teachers who love the fact that it teaches a part of American history that was previously not as popular. Could this be a trend for education in the future? I sure hope so!

http://www.newsweek.com/hamilton-biggest-thing-broadway-being-taught-classrooms-all-over-424212

Who is Lin-Manuel Miranda?

This post is dedicated to Hamilton's creator and star, Lin Manuel Miranda. Born in New York City, Miranda began showing a passion for music and theater at a very young age. Recently on Twitter, he shared his first rap ever written, which he wrote at only three years of age! There are also several interviews in which Miranda shares his first experience with a Broadway show, Les Miserables (I have linked one such interview, check it out). The ironic, and amazing thing is that Les Miserables is currently playing right next door to Hamilton in New York!

Miranda attended high school at Hunter College High School where he would eventually end up teaching English for a few years. He then went on to enroll at Wesleyan University. While in college, Miranda began writing early drafts of his first Broadway musical In the Heights. After several trial runs for the show, In the Heights opened on Broadway in 2008 where it ran for 1,185 performances. With his first Broadway hit, Miranda took home four Tony awards including best musical and the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album. With the completion of In the Heights, Miranda began working on his next project Hamilton (If you want to read more about this project be sure to check out my second post!) Current projects Miranda has been working on include, a special composition for the new Star Wars film along with composing music for the new Disney film Moana. Lin Manuel Miranda certainly has an exciting life ahead of him!

Grammys!

This last Friday was a momentous day for Lin Manuel Miranda and the entire cast/crew of Hamilton. First off, they had the incredible opportunity to perform the opening number in front of the entire nation. To say this performance was successful would be an understatement. Filmed live via satellite from the Richard Rodger's Theater on Broadway, a massive audience tuned in to see this fantastic performance. The performance provoked a lot of interest on Google with a massive spike in people googling about the show to learn more. The most common phrase googled was simply "Who is Alexander Hamilton?"

Besides this surge of even more popularity for the show, Miranda and crew took home an award that night. They won the Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, a award few were surprised to see won. There is no doubt that Hamilton cast and crew had a fantastic night.

Ham4Ham

With the booming success of Hamilton, it becomes increasingly more difficult to score tickets each and every day. However, for a few shows each week, a number of lucky people get the opportunity to purchase extremely discounted, front-row tickets to a performance of Hamilton. This amazing promotion is known as Ham4Ham and it has been quickly gaining in popularity as word of the fantastic deal spreads. The premise of Ham4Ham is very simple; it is essentially a lottery in which names are entered into a drawing, and the names drawn have the opportunity to buy these discounted tickets for that day’s show. Now this isn’t an entirely new idea in the Broadway scene, but Hamilton takes it a step further by offering a free small performance for participants of the lottery. These performances, hosted by Lin Manuel himself, are the major cause for the success of Ham4Ham. Audience members are treated to small performances such as a Capella

tunes, lip syncing performances, surprise guest performances, and several other offerings. The success of Ham4Ham cannot be doubted, however, this also poses a problem. As word of this lottery spreads, the chances of actually obtaining a tickets drastically decrease. Recently, producers have started a digital Ham4Ham lottery, which has made it even easier to enter the lottery but has also increased the number of participants but an immense amount. Although presently it is very difficult to obtain one of these tickets, it should not stop anyone from entering the drawing every time they get. With persistence and a little luck, you may win the opportunity so many seek.

The Beginning

There is no doubt that over the last year Hamilton has become THE show to see on Broadway, but just how did this massive musical come into existence? As with several other popular shows, it all began with a book; an Alexander Hamilton biography written by Ron Chernow. While on break from his other hit musical In the Heights, Lin Manuel Miranda began reading the book, and almost immediately envisioned a hip-hop musical about the founding father's interesting life.
Miranda went to work on different concepts for the show, and after several months, he wrote what would become the show's opening number. He later performed the song at a political function back in 2009, and entertained several politicians with his hip-hop, including President Obama.

From here, he took the next year to write one of the most popular songs in the show "My Shot", and then wrapped up writing the rest of the show over the next few years.
In July 2013, Miranda held a college reading of a majority of the show, then titled "The Hamilton Mix tape". During this reading, Hamilton's potential began to be realized. Miranda began polishing the show and preparing for its' upcoming Off-Broadway run. Hamilton opened Off-Broadway, for the first time in its' entirety, in February 2015. Almost immediately, the show began to gain massive popularity, and a few months later it began preview performances in the Richard Rodgers Theatre in July 2015. On August 6, 2015, the show officially opened on Broadway, and it has been constantly gaining an insane amount of popularity ever since. Presently, there are plans in place for a national tour in the next couple of years, as well as a Hamilton documentary produced by P.B.S., which will outline the show's journey to Broadway stardom. Although it is a fairly new musical, there is no doubt that Hamilton will be around for years to come.

Please leave a comment, and don't forget to follow my blog for even more about this amazing show!

Hamilton Hype!

As a theater student, I very much enjoy listening to the latest Broadway musicals so as to stay 

 up-to-date on the latest and greatest shows. So, when Lin Manuel Miranda’s latest musical Hamilton  was finally made available to the public, I wondered how a musical about the first Secretary of Treasury could be interesting. To be completely honest however, I definitely was not impressed with my first listen. I remember thinking that this show resembles a hip-hop album more than a musical.

A few months down the road, it seemed that I could not go anywhere without hearing about how great Hamilton is! Eventually, I decided to give it another chance, and I listened to the entire show on one road trip. Immediately Hamilton became one of my favorite musicals period. The irony is that the thing I enjoy most about the musical is the same thing that made me not enjoy it with my first listen. Hamilton is completely different than what you would expect from a typical musical, and this is what makes it stand out.

I wanted to write this blog to share my fanatical views about this incredible show, but more importantly, to share interesting details about the show that people may not know. I would like this blog to be a great resource for people who intend to see the show, as well as for people who simply don’t know what all the hype is about.

Please feel free to comment about any future Hamilton topics you would like me to discuss, or any other comments you would like to share!

Image URLs:  

http://www.publictheater.org/PageFiles/2747/Hamilton%20new%20production%20photos/Hamilton0044r.jpg

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