Why You Need To Watch Hamilton on Broadway- In Your Own Home
Hamilton is a hip hop musical based on the biography of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Premiering on Broadway before arriving at the West End in 2017, getting tickets became a competitive sport until the close of the West End in April of this year. Now, filming of the original Broadway production has become available online.
An orphaned Caribbean immigrant comes to America in New York City in 1776 where he later becomes George Washington’s right-hand man during the American Revolution and marries the wealthy Eliza Schuyler. He goes on to become the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States before dying at the hands of his rival, Aaron Burr, in 1804.
Running just under two hours and forty minutes (more if you give yourself a fifteen-minute tea-and-wee-break at the interval), the show seems to (mostly) fly by. The first and second acts are roughly the same length which becomes slightly fatiguing towards the end of the show, in spite of its fast-paced tone.
It is what would be referred to as a “sung-through musical”, meaning that there is no room for spoken scenes in between songs. However, its unique hip-hop style means that we are mostly listening to carefully thought out rap lyrics which sandwich the fewer epic “sung” songs.
The lyrics are dense and informative, meaning that if your mind slips for a second you might miss a genius rhyme. “Can I be real a second? For just a millisecond.” raps Christopher Jackson as George Washington. The lyrics are quick and relentless, which can be overwhelming to those who are new to the hip hop genre.
Miranda says that Hamilton “leaves behind more writing than any of the other founding fathers. If [Hamilton] was an opera, it would be a day long. You need hip hop because hip hop has more words per measure than any other genre of music”. The lyrics are the true star, more so than your average stand-in-a-line-high-kick-high-kick Broadway show.
There is a slight problem with the representation of the women in the Hamilton story however. Maria is presented as a sinful temptress, luring Hamilton into bed one night while Eliza is away. This is when Hamilton prays “Lord, show me how to say no to this”.
After being blackmailed by Maria’s husband who threatens to tell Eliza unless he is paid a large sum of money, Hamilton rages at Maria: “Half dressed, apologetic, a mess, she looked pathetic, she cried”, because obviously, Maria must have been in on the whole thing. It was all a trap! An easy stab for Miranda, but I longed for something less cliché.
When the affair is exposed, Angelica’s reprisal of her earlier song seems to almost be justification of Hamilton’s actions, an I-told-you-so to Eliza: “He will never be satisfied”.
What annoyed me most about all of this is that Hamilton and Maria’s sexy song is really – damn – good.
The Schuyler sisters (Renée Elise Goldsberry, Phillipa Soo and Jasmine Cephas Jones) were particularly impressive, acing strenuous songs and marathon riffs with effortlessness and attitude. Miranda as the lead was arguably the weakest performer, however the emotive delivery of his own words masked the occasional pitchy note.
The choreography is also truly mesmerising, covering an incredible period-style yet contemporary set. The medium of film allows you to appreciate every inch of the performance. An abundance of angles, panned wide shots and close-ups guarantees you the best view. Try not to pause until the interval to simulate the live experience.
Hamilton is unforgettable in countless ways and has revolutionised musical theatre. Although the Disney Plus free trial is no longer available, a mere £5.99 for access to the show is undeniably money smart (just remember to unsubscribe if you do not want never-ending months of Disney).
Written by Annabel Chadwick
