Alexander Hamilton: The Evolution Of Musical Theatre

By now, you’ve probably heard of—or at least seen commercials for—Lin-Manuel’s 2015 musical Hamilton, and depending on how long you’ve been alive, this may have been the most excitement towards a new musical that you have ever witnessed. Since Hamilton’s premiere this year, the “American musical” won the hearts of critics, Broadway aficionados, and even people who are not typically fans of musicals. Fans of all ages are coming from all over the world to see the timeless, inspiring story of Alexander Hamilton brought to life with R&B style music and a whole lot of hip-hop choreography. Even for a Broadway show, Hamilton’s level of instant success is rare, and it can be compared to some of the successes of the classic, timeless musicals that have earned household names.

From the operettas of the 19th century to modern favorites like Hairspray and RENT, musical theatre has long been a popular art form our society. As society has evolved, so has art, and musical theatre is no exception. Brilliant writers like Oscar Hammerstein II, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Stephen Sondheim, to name a few, have been trailblazers in the ongoing evolution of musical theatre. Since the response to Hamilton is similar to

Like every genius, Miranda has a few tricks under his belt. For instance, what sets apart Hamilton from many other musicals is that it reaches out to many audiences with its racial diversity, hip hop choreography, and modern-style music composed with a theatrical set-up. Not surprisingly, Hamilton has gained wide recognition within pop culture for these very reasons. Only a select handful of shows, one of which is RENT, resonated with enough audiences to have a similar reaction from pop culture outside of the musical theatre