It is no secret that I am a little bit obsessed with the new Broadway musical, "Hamilton." Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and inspired by the biography by Ron Chernow, the show is based on the life and works of founding father Alexander Hamilton. It has been coined as the first hip-hop musical, heavily influenced by musicians such as Notorious B.I.G., Eminem, Busta Rhymes, and Destiny's Child. The cast album, which has 46 songs and is nearly three hours long, is incredibly dense with quickly-rapped and shockingly cerebral verses. It has been praised not only for its technical brilliance, but its accessibility to mainstream audiences.
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| Alex Lacamoire, who orchestrated "Hamilton," often answers fan questions |
"Hamilton's" mainstream success comes largely in part from the cast and crew's interaction with fans. Miranda especially is quite the Twitter fiend, coining hashtags like #Hamiltunes, #YayHamlet, and #Ham4Ham, as well as revealing fun facts about the show and constantly interacting with fans. His #Ham4Ham campaign has been especially influential; each show has a ticket lottery in which fans can enter a drawing for front row seats that would only cost them $10 (i.e., to see "Hamilton" for a Hamilton). Miranda began providing free entertainment on two-show days, utilizing guest stars from the Broadway community and other performers, which he called Ham4Ham Shows. Each show is filmed and posted on YouTube for fans all over the world to see, gaining hundreds of thousands of views.
"Hamilton's" social media presence has been met with unprecedented mainstream support. The show practically markets itself, with tickets being booked out months in advance to audiences that include celebrities such as Beyoncé, Jimmy Fallon, and President Obama. However, the demand for tickets from the general public makes it hard for even the biggest names to find seats. Theatre is notorious for being a pastime for the old and rich; "Hamilton" breaks down all barriers by being modern and responsive. In essence, it is real-time theatre, where fans know that they will be given quality content and thoughtful responses without having to wait. It is my hope as a theatre lover that future shows will learn from this and allow for a more inclusive Broadway community. As my generation begins to take the reigns, I dream that we will create new, exciting, and experimental content like "Hamilton." Theatre is an interactive art, and frankly, it is foolish to ignore the possibilities that lie within the social media backchannel and expect continued success. "Hamilton" is, pun intended, absolutely revolutionary.
Until next time!
Kathryn
I have seen a lot about Hamilton all over social media for the last few months, and I have to say it looks great. From clips I was able to find online it seems fast paced and fun. Coming from Parma, which is just outside of Cleveland, I was lucky enough to have access to Playhouse Square, which is the country's largest theatre district outside of New York! Unfortunately, I haven't had much time to go and see shows lately. I hope to see some more shows soon, and it would be amazing to be able to see Hamilton
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