Hamilton is an extraordinary musical that has had an incredible cultural impact since its debut on Broadway in 2015. Its racial casting, rap music, and advocacy for diversity all played a role in reinterpreting the story of our American Founding Fathers. There had never been a show before in the history of Broadway that defied expectations to such a level, incorporating hip-hop, R&B, and classic show tunes that raised the bar to a new high. The Battle of Yorktown depicts the crucial battle during the American Revolution. In the song “The World Turned Upside Down,” Hamilton focuses on combining rap and other classic styles to convey the intensity of battle…

Although Hamilton arrived on Broadway almost a decade ago, it continues to be one of the most memorable shows, or in this case musicals, that have been presented on Broadway. Its relevance goes beyond the fact that it is about a founding father, but also because of its innovative ways of narrating a story. Introducing the musical genre of rap and diversifying the cast. One of the controversies Hamilton brough was the diversification of the cast and which overshadowed the narrative. Stuart Hall wrote, “Language is therefore the second system of representation involved in the overall process of constructing a meaning.” (Hall, p. 18). Even if the musical was composed…

Hamilton defies societal norms by reimagining American history with the use of minority characters as well as broadway’s norms by adding in music that is more listened to by minorities. One character that truly embraces the change is Thomas Jefferson. Throughout the play, Thomas Jefferson uses a partial Jamaican accent as well as Jamaican words. One example of this is in the song “We Know” where Aaron Burr, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson all sing “Ya best g’wan run back where you came from”. The sentence itself can be interpreted as using a Jamaican accent however the specific use of the word “g’wan” helps tie the meaning together more as…

As someone who has always been fond of the acting industry, I’ve had to read and perform in various musicals. However, despite doing this for many years, I had never watched Hamilton. Being able to watch this musical in class I was able to finally see the hype. Lin Manuel, the creator of Hamilton, took many risks in the production of this musical and was able to open doors for what a musical could look like. Hamilton reimagines the representation of American history by elevating discriminated voices throughout history. Through casting many white historians as people of color, it symbolizes how the backbone of this country are the people of…

“In New York you can be a new man!” To me, this was the most awe inspiring lyric in the hit Broadway musical Hamilton. It’s a recurring motif, appearing throughout the tracks “Alexander Hamilton” and “Helpless.” And to be honest, I understand where they were coming from. New York turned me into a completely new man. The way Hamilton depicts its namesake, Alexander Hamilton, an orphaned, impoverished immigrant from the Caribbean who worked his way up the ladder makes him seem like a figure of empowerment for immigrants. This is the classic tale of someone who successfully achieved the American Dream and contributed to the founding of this nation, which…

When I was in the fifth grade, I heard about the Hamilton musical for the first time when my teacher played the song “Alexander Hamilton.” Immediately, the song caught my attention much quicker than any of the explanations my teacher gave. I was in awe of how clearly Hamilton’s background story was given in the song and how captivating this was for the audience. Hamilton’s ability to persevere and change the country for the better despite being referred to as a, “bastard,” and being degraded for years of his life is inspiring and even enlightening. Specifically, the lyrics, “There would have been nothin’ left to do for someone less astute,”…

I have always heard of the musical Hamilton and the impact it had and now being that I watched it I can see why it is so popular. I think this musical was the perfect example of how a Broadway show can be unique and choose to convey whatever message it is trying to convey in its own specific way. In the case here with Hamilton the musical reimagines History as it is commonly taught in a fun to watch manner. Firstly just to state the obvious diversity of the cast which brings a new meaning to the common thought of American History as being only based around White people…