Musical review: “Hamilton”

Danny Ingber, Reporter

New York City is magnificent during the holidays, but the day I saw “Hamilton”, I was immune to its seasonal charms. From the moment I got off the train all I was thinking about was how I was going to see the hottest show on Broadway.

My high expectations were fulfilled and then some. From start to finish, Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton” entrances the audience with its hip hop songs and thrilling story about one of the most fascinating figures in American History, Alexander Hamilton.

Hamilton premiered in July, 2015 and has been the hottest play on Broadway since opening night. It has become popular not just as a musical — its soundtrack is very popular amongst millions of people, most of whom have not seen the show.

Since seeing the show, I still cannot get the catchy songs out of my head. Miranda uses only a finite number of melodies in the play to create musical motifs which span through the duration of the play. In the songs, Miranda also makes sure to repeat key phrases, such as the first words Aaron Burr say to Hamilton: “Talk less, smile more.”

In “Hamilton” there are only musical conversations. This musicality transforms the story of Alexander Hamilton from a normal lesson that is taught in eleventh-grade history to an unforgettable experience.

Even though most of the original cast of the show is not in the show anymore, the music is just as good as the music on the soundtrack. Alexander Hamilton is no longer played by Miranda, but the current actor, Javier Munoz, sounds just like Miranda. This similarity makes the audience feel like they are watching the original production. There are still original members of the cast acting too, like Jonathan Groff as King George III.

In my opinion, King George’s songs were probably the best part of the musical. They were all love songs to the United States about how he would miss them and how they would be in trouble without him. They were morbid words on top of very cheerful song and dance, making the scenes quite funny.

Overall, this was the best show I have ever seen. As a fan of modern music, the rap songs in the musical enhanced my experience and the choreography was engaging and impressive. Also, as a history lover, I think the story of Alexander Hamilton is one of the most fascinating stories that can be told, so seeing that in musical form was a privilege. It created some of the most memorable three hours of my life.