Hamilton, an American Musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Hamilton, An American Musical
I watched the play Hamilton on 08-25-18 at the State Theater in Cleveland, Ohio. After enjoying the play, I wanted to experience all things, Hamilton. This review includes five different media I experienced in 2018. I watched the play; I read the biography; I read the book featuring all the lyrics and stories about the production; I ripped the soundtrack from the library, and I ripped the Hamilton Mixtape from the library. All the media was great, and I am glad I pursued all things, Hamilton. If the play comes back to Cleveland, I would like to see it again.
Hamilton play Introduction
I made a monthly plan for 2018 to go out with my wife for date nights. The plan was Hamilton on 8-25, the Ohio State Buckeyes versus Oregon State on 9-1, the play of Pride and Prejudice on 10-27, the big ten championship game on 12-1, and the Cleveland orchestra Christmas concert at severance hall on 12-22. They were all great events. I wasn’t sure I would like Hamilton because I had heard about the amount of the rap used by the actors. I’m not a rap fan, I am a rock fan. But when the play started on 8-25, I was hooked. The play tells the gripping story of Alexander Hamilton’s life with no dialog. All the words are sung using different styles of music including rap, rock, R & B, soul, Broadway tunes and Motown.
Hamilton play Summary
Alexander Hamilton immigrated to New York City as a young man, became a successful lawyer, fought in the American Revolution, was George Washington’s closest confidant, and created the Federal banking system. But the people of our culture remember him as the face on the ten-dollar bill and the guy who lost a duel to Aaron Burr. This play makes the story real and applicable to today. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the play’s author, the songwriter and the lead actor, author, the songwriter and the lead actor is a genius. He based this play on the Hamilton biography of Ron Chernow. It’s so much more than a play. His lyrics are rich and on point. He tells us a compelling story. The final song’s title says it all. Who lives, who dies, who tells your story. Lin-Manuel told Alexander Hamilton’s story, he told it well, and it will be told for generations to come. That is the definition of a legacy, a wonderful achievement.
Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Alexander Hamilton Introduction
Ron Chernow researched every part of Alexander Hamilton’s life to write his biography called Alexander Hamilton. He tracked down all the available sources and wrote this biography, warts and all. Hamilton was brilliant and driven to succeed, but his passions lead him to poor choices in business, love, and pursuing a vendetta that leads to his fatal duel.
Alexander Hamilton Summary
The biography starts with his parents. They were a black sheep fourth child of a Scottish nobleman and a plantation girl from the island of Nevis. Hamilton’s drive to better his position in life was from seeking to avoid being poor like them. He inspired the people of St. Croix with a published letter about a hurricane that hit the island and they gathered the money to send him away to school. Hamilton went to King’s College (now called Columbia) in New York City. He became a lawyer and fought in the Revolutionary War as George Washington’s most trusted aide. He longed for the glory of battle but was too valuable for his administrative skills for Washington to risk him in combat so he saw limited action. After the war, he was the first treasury secretary for Washington’s cabinet and he set up the Federal banking system from scratch. Washington and Hamilton were the leaders of the Federalist Party and were opposed by the Democrat-Republicans led by Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and Aaron Burr.
Aaron Burr started as a friend and colleague to Hamilton, but the slights between the two men graduated up into a vendetta. Hamilton’s aspirations of becoming the next president were ended with a sex scandal started by the Reynolds Pamphlet which was written by Hamilton himself. After Washington retired, Hamilton became the highest ranking general in the army, but they did not go to war with England again at that time. Hamilton blocked Aaron Burr’s bid to become the third president and this lead to the fatal duel.
Alexander Hamilton Recommendation
Chernow makes all the aspects of Alexander Hamilton’s life come alive and it is easy to see how Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspired to write songs and eventually a play about it.
Link to Goodreads page of Hamilton Biography
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16130.Alexander_Hamilton
Hamilton The Revolution
There’s a book on the Hamilton play called Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter. The book has the full lyrics of the songs from the Broadway Musical with annotations by Lin-Manuel. It also includes pictures from the performances. The 46 songs are arranged into 32 chapters and each chapter starts with a short article about different aspects of the production. The articles cover the original solo performance of the song Alexander Hamilton by Lin-Manuel, background information about the main players of the original production, backstage stories on the set, choreography, instrumentation, costumes, cut and unused alternate songs, and other insights. My highlights were pictures of the original notebook notes from Lin-Manuel on pages 36 & 202, the full lyrics of the cut song Cabinet Battle #3 on the debate on slavery on page 212, and photographs of original letters and pamphlets written by Hamilton. This book brings back memories of the play, the annotated lyrics gives insight into the writing process, and studying the printed lyrics help in understanding all the words to the cast recording.
Link to Goodreads page of Hamilton the Revolution
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26200563-hamilton
Hamilton The Cast Recording
I borrowed the double CD from the library of Hamilton, American Musical, the Original Broadway recording. All 46 songs, 23 per disk, of the play are on the disks. I like all the songs but my favorite five tunes are in order from the best; Alexander Hamilton, My Shot, You’ll Be Back, The Room Where It Happens, and Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story.
Hamilton The Mixtape
Lin-Manuel Miranda also commissioned various artists to cover the songs from the cast recording. The songs are on the CD, The Hamilton Mixtape. My favorite five tunes in order from best are; Say Yes To This, Helpless, Dear Theodosia (Reprise), Wait for it, and It’s Quiet Uptown. There were two songs that were not part of the play that were demoed for this CD. They were Valley Forge and Cabinet Battle #3. Both songs were interesting, and it’s too bad they couldn’t be included in the play because of time and material.
My Hamilton Mixtape
I made a 21 song under 80 minutes Mix tape featuring the best songs from both albums as follows:
Alexander Hamilton from the Cast Recording
My Shot from the Cast Recording
The Story of Tonight from the Cast Recording
The Schuyler Sisters from the Cast Recording
You’ll Be Back from the Cast Recording
Helpless recorded by Ashanti
Satisfied recorded by Queen Latifah
Wait For It recorded by Usher
That Would Be Enough recorded by Alicia Keys
What Comes Next? From the Cast Recording
Dear Theodosia (Reprise) recorded by Chance the Rapper
Say No To This from the Cast Recording
Say Yes To This recorded by Jill Scott
The Room Where It Happens from the Cast Recording
Washington On Your Side from the Cast Recording
One Last Time from the Cast Recording
I Know Him from the Cast Recording
Burn recorded by Andra Day
It’s Quiet Uptown recorded by Kelly Clarkson
The World Was Wide Enough from the Cast Recording
Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story from the Cast Recording
Links
I mentioned watching the play and reading the biography in my Writing Progress Report for October 2018. This is the link.
Original Performance of Alexander Hamilton
Bonus: There is a YouTube video of an original solo performance of the song Alexander Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda at an evening of poetry, music and the spoken word at the White House on May 12, 2009. It’s an amazing performance with over 6 million views.