On the Twelfth of May 2009, Lin-Manuel Miranda appeared at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word. Before beginning his performance, he told the audience he was “working on a Hip Hop album. It’s a concept album about the life of someone I think embodies Hip Hop: Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton.” That night, he would preview what would become the musical’s opening song to a chuckling audience. Even with his energetic performance bringing the audience, including President Obama himself, to their feet, no one could have imagined then just how big “Hamilton” would become.
In the ten years since “Hamilton” finally made its stage debut, it has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, with performances all over North America, Europe, and Australia, and has stayed on Broadway and the West End since it debuted on both. With that long-term success, “Hamilton” has managed to leave a mark on an entire generation of theater lovers.
For sophomore KatyBeth Carter, who is involved in both theater and band at the high school, “Hamilton” sparked her interest in acting and performing.
“I was at a friend’s house and we were in her basement, and she was like, ‘Hey, this is my favorite musical ever and I want you to watch it,’” Carter says. “That’s when I fell in love with performing arts.”
For other theatre students, this story rings true for them as well.
“It was a pretty big introduction to performing arts for me,” sophomore Avery Cassetta says. “That really thrust me into my love for performing arts and such.”
On the other hand, lifelong theater fans like sophomore Dominic Ishuin became more engrossed than they were before. “I watched ‘Hamilton’ for the first time once I had some experience already in theater,” Ishuin says. “It kind of boosted my love for it.”
Angelina Perez, senior and one of the Davie Players’ stage managers, is a diehard fan of “Hamilton”. “I have an online friend named Robin, and one day they’re like, ‘Angie, have you ever heard of this incredible musical called “Hamilton”? You have to listen to it. I have it on repeat,’” Perez says. “I go on an illegal website…and I searched it up and I watched it, and I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is perfection!’”
For many young actors and actresses, the first domino to fall on their path towards theatre was being introduced to “Hamilton”. The intense, passionate performances of performers like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, and Daveed Diggs, and the narrative-packed, poetic lyrics of each song, captivated audiences.
I genuinely fell in love with it, and I cried watching it for the first time,” Perez says. “I remember that so vividly.”
But when Miranda began work on his “Hamilton” concept, many laughed off his idea as too niche and definitely too out there. But Miranda was not discouraged by the giggly responses and created a show with an impact that would long outlive him and every other individual who took part in making “Hamilton” come to life.
“It was something that was introduced to me in a very hard time in my life, and it’s something that has gotten me through those times”, Carter says. “
But not only students have been affected by “Hamilton”. Karla Miner was able to see “Hamilton” live on Broadway. After seeing it live, Miner became a super-fan of the show. “This was back in the day, when it was super expensive to get tickets. So we ended up kind of binge listening to the soundtrack, and I thought it was super cool,” Miner says. “I’d heard so much about it live, and so I actually had the chance to go see it before it was even out on Disney. My partner at the time got us tickets…We went to New York, saw it. It was so awesome, especially for someone who spent five years teaching civics. After I saw it live, it just got even more ingrained that it was just a sweet spot for me.”
But why does “Hamilton” continue to be such a huge success, even after all these years? There are a variety of reasons. For many, it’s a fascinating take on America’s foundational period and its earliest challenges. For others, the show’s writing is so poetic that they can’t help but fall in love with it.
“It’s educational, and it’s easy to understand and comprehend,” Cassetta says. “The writing is just incredible.”
“I think Lin-Manuel Miranda’s writing style is very captivating and cultivating,” KatyBeth Carter adds. “It’s something that can keep your attention for a long period of time, even if your attention span is really short, and I think that’s part of the reason why it’s so successful.“
“There’s so many aspects of it that just make the musical very human,” Miner says. “I haven’t talked to anyone that’s been a fan of Broadway that doesn’t at least recognize or see how it’s helped progress things, even if they might not be super into it.”
For others, the musical’s political nature makes it more impactful, more personal, and more relevant. “‘Hamilton” is so blatantly political. Art is political. That is where art came from, from a point of vocalizing political issues,” Perez says. “Some of the songs you’ll see trending on TikTok, because they’ll connect it to a political movement currently going on.”
For Perez, the diverse and multicultural cast was inspirational to her as an artist.
“When I was a kid, I didn’t see many tan characters that were actively Hispanic, other than like Dora the Explorer…To see all of these characters singing on stage, and to see that they look like me…I’m not going to be a historic figure, but to see a historical figure represented looking at all similar to me…it gives me that sense of, ‘Yeah, I could be important like that. I could be historic like that.’ Even if it probably won’t happen, it still gives me that idea. I’m still important. I still can be seen.”
