It’s no secret that everyone loves Hamilton. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical is a clear work of genius displaying a unique and incredibly creative way of storytelling. The musical first debuted on Broadway in 2015, and I heard for years about how great it was. My friends knew all of the words to the songs, and my dad wanted and still wants me to read the book. It was recently the 10 year anniversary, and I took that opportunity to see it in theaters with the original cast. Naturally, after seeing it, I became obsessed.
I love musicals and history, so to see hip–hop used as a way to tell Hamilton’s story was amazing. The only other musical I had seen that combined music and history was Six, which I also loved, but Hamilton has beats, lyrics, and a story that can’t be matched. The music and style gives life into the characters and story. For example, Hamilton is always rapping fast, signifying how as a person, he is constantly trying to move fast up the ranks through his life. When he sings after his son dies, it shows how his life has slowed down and lost meaning. When Eliza sings, it symbolizes how she desires to move through life slowly and is satisfied with her life.Â
Something I can really appreciate about Hamilton is that it made me think deeper and reflect on my own life. I think the motifs of opportunity, satisfaction, comparison, life, and death are very powerful. Throughout the musical, Hamilton and Burr are contrasted due to their different paths. Hamilton seized every opportunity presented to him — he blazed ahead, taking risks and acting on what he believed in. He benefited by rising in power and influence, having a family, and leaving a legacy. Burr’s motto was to “talk less, smile more,” which caused him to move up slower than Hamilton and often get looked over. On the surface level, Hamilton had a much better and successful life than Burr. However, Hamilton was never satisfied, always striving for more and taking no time to appreciate what he has at the moment with his family or position in the government. In contrast, Burr was satisfied with his family after waiting, but he was also never satisfied with his position in power. Burr’s jealousy and Hamilton’s restlessness ultimately led to both of their downfalls.Â
The biggest thing I took away from the musical was the message about life and death. I love the idea that you don’t have control over “who lives, who dies, who tells your story?” It’s a beautiful message that you should live your life how you want to be remembered. It’s not about if people will tell your story, it’s how they will tell it. Looking back one day, asking yourself, “did you live for yourself, and are you satisfied?” These are questions that I can’t answer yet, but I am keeping them in mind as I go through my life. We have to live for ourselves and of course there will be mistakes, but overall I would like to look back and be proud.
Now for the fun part! My favorite two songs were “Right Hand Man” because of the beat and “Satisfied” because of the lyrics and tone. My favorite character was Lafayette because, obviously, and the runner up would have to be Aaron Burr. As a hot take, I probably wouldn’t go see it again, but only because the entire production is the music, so I don’t feel like I need to go in person a second time. It’s really fun to learn history through music, because stories on paper can be brought to life through the actors and songs. The musical succeeded in bringing people together, which is arguably the most important part. Overall, Hamilton had a noticeable impact on my life, and I understand why people love it.