Hamilton and the Revitilization of Broadway
When you think of Broadway, you might think about the classic show tune. Expressive, belting vocals on top of a live orchestra. It’s grand. It’s energetic. It’s American. But it’s from a younger America. The Golden Age of Broadway, from 1943 to 1959, features the debuts of musicals like “Oklahoma!,” “West Side Story,” and “Guys and Dolls.” When you hear a song from these shows, you immediately know that it’s Broadway. The style works so well that the playwrights of today still employ it in their own musicals.
One might think that there’s no room for contemporary music on Broadway. If you reference the lukewarm reception of the Tupac-inspired show “Holler If Ya Hear Me,” those suspicions have ground to stand on. But Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” annihilates that ground, and then some. Infused with hip-hop, pop, jazz, Sondheim-esque show tunes, and more, Miranda put his stamp on popular culture with his musical about the lost Founding Father of the United States. It has revitalized Broadway, proving that hip-hop has a place in the spotlight with its record-breaking 16 Tony nominations. The multicultural cast defies the conventions of the mostly-white or one-race musicals of the past. In a time when America is closing itself off from newcomers, “Hamilton” paints immigrants in a good light, celebrating the likes of France-native Marquis de Lafayette and its Caribbean-born star, Alexander Hamilton.
People are paying top dollar to see this revolutionary show set during America’s own Revolution. With the sheer impact that it’s making on the world, they have every reason to do so. Miranda’s genius has managed to entertain showgoers of all generations, diversify the Broadway stage, criticize the current atmosphere of the United States, break records, and effectively use a contemporary genre of music in a Broadway musical. I mean, really. In 2008, if Miranda came up to you and said, “I’m working on this project right now. It’s going to be a rap musical about the one Founding Father of the United States that nobody knows about,” you might have just laughed in his face. It’s a ridiculous idea! But not only did it work, it sparked a cultural phenomenon. How is it possible for something so enjoyable to double as a vehicle for change? Miranda has created something truly special with this musical. Something that will last for a very, very long time. If history has its eyes on anyone, it’s Lin-Manuel Miranda.
