Going Ham For Hamilton
[vc_row][vc_column][title type="subtitle-h6"]Laura Schmitt[/title][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="11/12"][vc_column_text]Hundreds of thousands of people across America are traveling to the Richard Rogers Theatre in New York City eagerly prepared to pay hundreds of dollars for a ticket to a show about the man on the $10 bill.The new musical Hamilton, which tells the story about the scandalous life and legacy of the Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, is the talk of Broadway. Getting a ticket to this constantly sold out show is like trying to find a table with an outlet at College Lib during finals week. Despite all this hype, is Hamilton really that good?
The answer is yes. It is damn good.Hamilton is the brainchild of the young Broadway genius Lin-Manuel Miranda, who won a Tony Award in 2008 for his first musical In the Heights. Miranda is a master of music and language, and he brings his knowledge of both Sondheim and The Notorious B.I.G. to the Hamilton score, creating a soundtrack that blends hip-hop, rap and musical theatre into a captivating narrative about the formation of our country.The best thing about the Hamilton soundtrack (besides it being a revolutionary score with intricate motifs, a stupidly talented cast and some of the best lyrics you’ll ever hear) is that it allows you to feel like you’ve seen the show. The musical in sung through, meaning there are no scenes of dialogue between the musical numbers. The plot of the show is told exclusively through song, so for those of us who can’t fly to New York and splurge on tickets, sitting on your bed with a good set of headphones and an imagination can be just as satisfying as being in the front row.According to Spotify, I have listened to the entire Hamilton soundtrack over 60 times since November, so I like to consider myself an expert on the subject. Here are a few of my favorite songs from Hamilton that should be your favorites, too.
Cabinet Battle #1 and Cabinet Battle #2
What I love most about these two songs is that they are both basically three minutes of the Founding Fathers throwing shade at each other like a bunch of ballers on MTV’s Rap Battles. Somehow Miranda manages to make the debate over political agendas sound more hardcore than an N.W.A song. The best line comes from Hamilton when he tells Jefferson, “You think I’m frightened of you, man? We almost died in the trench while you were off getting high with the French.” All the stuff that you probably thought was boring in sophomore American History like assuming state debt and establishing a national bank is somehow super badass and engaging in this musical.
You’ll Be Back
Sung by Broadway-veteran Jonathan Groff who plays the flamboyant King George, this song describes the British Crown’s perspective on the Revolutionary War. King George thinks of himself as a loving leader who sometimes gets a little violent, but always with good intentions. He sings, “When push comes to show, I will kill your friends and family to remind you of my love.” King George is so awfully fabulous throughout Hamilton that you can’t help but secretly love him.[video_embed url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap9JWCFeNUI" embed_style="default"][spacer height="20"]
Wait For It
Throughout the plot of Hamilton, several characters struggle between deciding whether to take action or wait until the right moment to secure their legacy. This struggle is best represented between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, two men who want nothing more than to be remembered after they are gone. In Wait For It, Aaron Burr reflects on how Hamilton is a go-getter, making history happen right before him, whereas Burr tends to watch decisions being made from the sidelines. This song captures Burr’s desire to create a name for himself as well as his frustration with having to watch his friend Hamilton take the lead. If you are familiar with history, you know that Burr and Hamilton have a bit of a falling out that (spoiler alert) ends with a fatal duel. Wait For It begins the ascent to Hamilton’s climax.
If you haven’t heard the Hamilton soundtrack, go listen to it right now. I promise you will not regret it. At the very least, it might make you better at the history questions next time you play trivia.https://open.spotify.com/album/1kCHru7uhxBUdzkm4gzRQc[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]