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.

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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!

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