Pittsburgh
is going Hamilton crazy with the Broadway musical playing for
almost the entire month of January at the Benedum Center. I don’t have a
golden ticket to Hamilton and frankly
the mania surrounding it has peaked my curiosity
about this hip-hop musical. My hope was that the Heinz History Center lecture, by historian
Dr. Richard Bell, Hamilton-Remix:History
Meets Show Biz, might not only refresh my knowledge
of American history but also explain the buzz about
this show.
I was curious to understand what draws the masses to a show with dancing and singing American Founding Fathers. Pittsburgh definitely has the fever with an awe striking sold out crowd of 500 eager participants. I felt the excitement in
the room. There was a buzz that many had seen the musical multiple times. As I looked around at the audience, I
wondered, “Am I the only one that does not have a ticket to the show or that had not seen it?”
Even being a fan of history and the theater, I
was a bit pensive about my first history lecture being 90 minutes long. Dr. Richard Bell, in his ironically British
accent, gave his thoughts on the many clever details in the show, historical
significance of the show, and where Broadway hit the historical target and where
it fell short. His extensive knowledge mirrored his quick wit as he entertained
using back up visuals and clips. We all enjoyed the adorable video of his 4
year old daughter rapping to one of her favorite Hamilton songs. When I looked down at my watch, I could not believe
that 60 minutes had passed.
It matters if this show is good history because
it is seen by 7000 viewers a night or 2.5 million in a year. As Bell put it, this
gives this musical a much “greater
penetration than any history book.” It
would be a shame if that many people were getting “fake history.” I was relieved to hear that, for the most part, the creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda “got a lot right”.
What I
found most intriguing was the cleverness (and many would say genius) of the
show illustrated in Bell’s presentation. The casting of the main characters was done
with hip hop artists in mind. Many characters replace dialogue with energetic rhythmic rap and hip-hop that
“snaps you to attention”. In a play about a revolution it is a fitting use of this genre of music which is associated with struggle and strength.
I was amazed how many riffs and references to other Broadway shows (Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, Rent and more) are intermingled in this show. The creator paid a lot of attention to details. The chorus costumes are period above the waist and modern below. Alexander Hamilton moves the way the character thinks. Angelica Schuyer (sister-in-law of Hamilton) is played as a strong feminist whose rapping speed mirrors her speed of thinking (listen to"Satisfied").
I was amazed how many riffs and references to other Broadway shows (Les Miserables, Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, Rent and more) are intermingled in this show. The creator paid a lot of attention to details. The chorus costumes are period above the waist and modern below. Alexander Hamilton moves the way the character thinks. Angelica Schuyer (sister-in-law of Hamilton) is played as a strong feminist whose rapping speed mirrors her speed of thinking (listen to"Satisfied").
Hamilton's Thomas Jefferson quotes a familiar phrase by rapper Biggie Smalls, “And if ya don’t
know...now ya know”. Thanks to Dr.
Bell, I now know a little bit more about why there is so much mania surrounding
this show. Now I am ready for the sound track just in case I land a
ticket
(listen here).
(listen here).
(For more Heinz History Center Events or to tour the center go to heinzehistorycenter.org )
Spiritual Reflection
Proclaim this among the nations;Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack (Joel 3:9)
Other Sources
https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/events
Proclaim this among the nations;Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack (Joel 3:9)
Other Sources
https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/events
