Hamilton is a musical with music, lyrics, and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The show was inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by historian Ron Chernow.
| Hamilton | |
|---|---|
| An American Musical | |
| File:Playbill from the original Broadway production of Hamilton.jpg Playbill from the Original Broadway Production | |
| Music | Lin-Manuel Miranda |
| Lyrics | Lin-Manuel Miranda |
| Book | Lin-Manuel Miranda |
| Basis | Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow |
| Productions | 2015 Off-Broadway 2015 Broadway 2016 Chicago |
| Awards | Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical |
The musical made its Off-Broadway debut at The Public Theater in February 2015, where its engagement was sold out.[1] The show transferred to Broadway that summer, opening on August 6, 2015 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. On Broadway, it has received enthusiastic critical acclaim and unprecedented advance box office sales.[2]
The off-Broadway production of Hamilton won the 2015 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical as well as seven other Drama Desk Awards out of 14 total nominations.
Background
While on a vacation from his hit Broadway show In The Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda decided to pick up a biography to read on his trip. At the airport he purchased and began reading Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, a comprehensive biography of Alexander Hamilton's life. Miranda quickly began envisioning the life of Hamilton as a musical and researched whether or not a stage musical of Hamilton's life had been created. A play of the story had been done on Broadway in 1917, starring George Arliss as Alexander Hamilton.[3] Upon Miranda's discovery that a musical had not yet been done, he began his work. It began as a project titled "The Hamilton Mixtape" that Miranda worked on during his spare time from Heights. On May 12, 2009, Miranda performed at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word where he performed the opening number from The Hamilton Mixtapes. He spent a year after that working on another early number from the show, "My Shot."[4]
Synopsis
This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (October 2015) |
Act One
The musical begins with the company giving a summary of Alexander Hamilton's early life, including events such as his birth in the Caribbean, abandonment by his father at age ten, the death of his mother at age twelve, and the destruction of his town by a hurricane at age 17. As the song ends, Hamilton is seen arriving by ship in New York Harbor ("Alexander Hamilton").
In the summer of 1776 in New York City, Hamilton seeks out Aaron Burr, anxious to discover how he finished college in two years, a feat Hamilton wishes to repeat. Burr is impressed but concerned by Hamilton's verbosity and passion, advising him to "Talk less; smile more." They go out for a drink and meet three revolutionaries: abolitionist John Laurens, the flamboyant Marquis de Lafayette, and the tailor's apprentice Hercules Mulligan. They invite Burr to join them in promoting their revolutionary ideals, but he declines, preferring to maintain some plausible deniability in case things go south ("Aaron Burr, Sir"). Hamilton joins the revolutionaries, dazzling them with his oratory skill, quickly becoming a leader in their cause ("My Shot"). The four revolutionaries bond, toasting their future and dreaming of laying down their lives for the cause ("The Story of Tonight"). Meanwhile, the wealthy Schuyler sisters – Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy – wander the streets of New York excited by the spirit of revolution in the air. The oldest, Angelica, is searching for minds that will challenge her own ("The Schuyler Sisters").
A vocal British loyalist, Samuel Seabury preaches against the revolution, and Hamilton interrupts Seabury and refutes his statements ("Farmer Refuted"). A message arrives from across the sea and King George III appears, reminding them that he is willing and able to fight for their love ("You'll Be Back").
The revolution is underway, and Hamilton, Burr, and their friends join the Continental Army. Admiral Richard Howe leads the British invasion of Manhattan at Kip's Bay, and the Battle of Harlem Heights begins. As the Continental Army retreats, General George Washington realizes he needs a close collaborator to win the war. Burr offers his services, but Washington is more interested in Hamilton, who has impressed him by stealing British cannons. Though Hamilton is worried to gain command and to fight on the front lines, he recognizes the opportunity Washington offers him, and accepts a position as his Aide-de-Camp ("Right Hand Man").
In the winter of 1780, the men attend a ball given by Philip Schuyler and Hamilton, eager to progress in society, sets his eyes on his host's daughters ("A Winter's Ball"). Eliza spots Hamilton among the men and is instantly smitten, but is too shy to go up and speak to him. Angelica goes over to Hamilton and brings him to meet Eliza. The two fall in love instantly, and begin sending letters to each other before Hamilton asks to marry Eliza ("Helpless"). At their wedding, Angelica gives a toast as the maid of honor. The action then rewinds to the night of the ball, but this time the events are shown from Angelica's perspective. She reveals how she was instantly attracted to Hamilton intellectually and physically, but as soon as she saw how her sister reacted to him, Angelica swallowed her own feelings and introduces Hamilton to her sister, and the action returns to the wedding as Angelica resumes her blessing on the new couple ("Satisfied").
Lafayette, Mulligan, and Laurens drink with the groom, and Burr arrives to offer congratulations. Hamilton welcomes him, but the other men are hostile, taunting him about a secret love affair. Burr privately reveals to a supportive Hamilton that his lover, Theodosia, is married to a British officer ("The Story of Tonight (Reprise)"). Hamilton questions Burr on why he continues to avoid taking action in life. Burr avoids the question and the two men part. When he is alone, Burr describes to the audience the lessons he has learned: since love and death claim their victims at random, he is content to wait until fate has decided how to treat him. He also comments on feeling threatened by Hamilton's quick rise to success, but resolves to wait and see what life has in store for him ("Wait For It").
As the revolution continues, Hamilton repeatedly petitions Washington to give him command, but Washington refuses, instead promoting Charles Lee. This decision proves disastrous at the Battle of Monmouth, where Lee orders a retreat against Washington's orders, which prompts the commander to remove him from command in favor of Lafayette. The battle ends in a stalemate, but the disgruntled Lee spreads slanderous and vindictive rumors about Washington. Hamilton is offended, but Washington orders Hamilton to ignore the comments. Laurens volunteers to duel Lee ("Stay Alive"). In preparation for the duel, Lee, Laurens, and their seconds Burr and Hamilton explain the "ten commandments" of dueling, and Laurens wins the duel by injuring Lee ("Ten Duel Commandments"). Washington is enraged at the duel, makes peace with Lee, and angrily reprimands Hamilton for participating in a duel and sowing dissent in the army. Hamilton is enraged at his paternal tone, and asks Washington for a command once again. Instead, Washington orders him to return home to his wife ("Meet Me Inside"). When Hamilton returns home, Eliza tells him that she is pregnant with their first son, and reveals that she sent Washington a letter begging him to send Hamilton home a month prior. Hamilton asks Eliza how she will fare as the wife of a poor man. She responds that he is enough for her as long as he allows her to be a part of his life ("That Would Be Enough").
Lafayette takes a larger leadership role in the revolution, convincing France to join the American cause. With France on their side, the balance shifts in favor of the Continental Army. Washington and Lafayette realize they can win the war by cutting off the British navy at Yorktown, but they will need Hamilton to do so, and the General reluctantly gives him his long-awaited command ("Guns and Ships"). On the eve of Battle, Washington recalls his disastrous first command, and advises Hamilton that no man can control how he is remembered ("History Has Its Eyes on You"). Hamilton and Lafayette reflect on their friendship, and then Hamilton leads his troops into the Battle of Yorktown. After several days of fighting, Washington, Hamilton and Lafayette, aided by John Laurens' bravery on the field and Hercules Mulligan's work as a spy, lead their troops to victory. The British surrender in the last major battle of the revolutionary war ("Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)"). King George appears again, sarcastically asking how they're going to govern on their own and telling them not to come crawling back to him when their people inevitably hate them ("What Comes Next?").
Hamilton writes a message to his son Phillip about all his hopes and dreams for him, as well as explaining how much he loves him. Burr does the same to his daughter Theodosia ("Dear Theodosia"). Hamilton's moment of peace is shattered when news arrives that John Laurens has been killed in a skirmish with retreating British soldiers after the war had already ended.
Hamilton and Burr both return to New York to finish their studies and pursue careers as lawyers, collaborating on the defense of Levi Weeks. Burr is in awe of Hamilton's non-stop work ethic and becomes increasingly irritated by his success. Hamilton is chosen as a New York delegate to the Constitutional Convention and makes a name for himself by proposing his own plan for the United States government in a six-hour speech. Hamilton asks Burr's help in publishing a series of anonymous articles (the Federalist Papers) in support of the new Constitution, but Burr refuses, still hesitant to take action lest he choose the losing side. Hamilton, frustrated, finally asks him what he is waiting for, and Burr can only remark that he is waiting for something certain. Hamilton, along with James Madison and John Jay, write The Federalist Papers without Burr. Angelica marries an affluent husband, but remarks that she still holds affections for Hamilton. Eliza struggles to understand why she is being slowly marginalized out of his life. Hamilton is then offered the job of Secretary of Treasury by newly elected President Washington. Over Eliza's protests, he accepts. ("Non-Stop").
Act Two
In 1789, Thomas Jefferson returns to Virginia from France, where he spent most of the revolution as an ambassador. Washington asks him to be Secretary of State. Jefferson accepts and heads to New York, where he is met by James Madison who asks him to help stop Hamilton's financial plan, which Madison believes gives the government too much control ("What'd I Miss?"). Jefferson and Hamilton then engage in debate over the merits of Hamilton's financial plan during a cabinet meeting. Washington orders a break as the debate gets heated, pulls Hamilton aside, and tells him to figure out a compromise to win over Congress or else he'll lose his position as the Secretary of Treasury ("Cabinet Battle #1").
Hamilton begins working at home, and Eliza reminds him that it's Phillip's ninth birthday. She tells him that Phillip has something to show him. Eliza beatboxes as he performs a short rap, which amazes Hamilton. Eliza then asks Hamilton if he will accompany her on vacation upstate at her father's home. Hamilton refuses, saying that he has to work on his plan for Congress. In England, Angelica obsesses over the last letter Hamilton sent her, in which he wrote "My Dearest, Angelica..."; she is confused by the fact that, by placing the comma where he did, Hamilton has referred to her as his "dearest." She also advises him to convince Jefferson of his plan in order for Congress to accept it. When she arrives, though she is excited to see Eliza, she is saddened that Hamilton won't be joining them and tries to convince him otherwise. In the end, the Schuyler sisters end up leaving without him ("Take a Break").
While Eliza is on vacation, Hamilton is visited by Maria Reynolds, who claims her husband is mistreating her. Hamilton offers her some money and walks her home. When they arrive at her house, she invites him inside and seduces him. They begin to have an affair. Maria's husband James Reynolds blackmails Hamilton into paying him money. Hamilton is furious with Maria. However, he pays Reynolds the money he requested ("Say No To This").
Hamilton talks with Burr, tells him that he'll be yielding Burr's old advice to "talk less, smile more" to get his plan approved. Hamilton then has to leave to discuss his plan with Jefferson and Madison over a private dinner, and resulting in the Compromise of 1790 giving support to Hamilton's financial plan in exchange for moving the United States capital from New York to Virginia (eventually becoming Washington, DC). Burr comments on how no one besides the men who were in the meeting know how decisions were made. Burr is envious of Hamilton's sway in the government and wishes he had similar power ("The Room Where It Happens").
At the Hamilton home, Phillip shows his mother a paper that says that her father, Phillip Schuyler, has lost his seat in the Senate to Burr. Eliza and Phillip express concern over how Hamilton will react to the news. Elsewhere, Hamilton accuses Burr of switching parties solely to run against his father-in-law. Burr says he was simply seizing the opportunity, but Hamilton doesn't believe him, driving a wedge between the two friends ("Schuyler Defeated").
In another cabinet meeting, Jefferson and Hamilton argue over whether or not the United States should assist France in their revolution. Jefferson urges people to remember what France has done for the American Revolution, but Hamilton argues that Jefferson doesn't understand what a revolution is really like, since he spent the American Revolution in France, and that they should remain neutral. Washington agrees with Hamilton, and the Congress decides to remain neutral on the situation ("Cabinet Battle #2"). After the meeting, Burr, Jefferson, and Madison bemoan how nice it must be for Hamilton to always have Washington's support, and they seek a way to damage Hamilton's image ("Washington on Your Side"). Soon after, Washington tells Hamilton that Jefferson has resigned from his position in government. Hamilton promises to ruin Jefferson, but then Washington clarifies that Jefferson is running for President, and that Washington himself is stepping down. Hamilton is shocked, but Washington convinces him that it is the right thing to do, and they write a farewell address ("One Last Time").
In England, King George III receives news about George Washington's step down from leadership, and was unaware that someone could resign from power. He is then told about the new president, John Adams, and refers to him as "that little guy that spoke to me." George then exits merrily, ready for the United States to fall under Adams' leadership ("I Know Him").
Adams and Hamilton (no longer Secretary of the Treasury) have a huge altercation and effectively destroy each other's reputation and the Federalist Party. Madison points out to Jefferson, who is now Vice President, and Burr that without Washington and without his position, Hamilton now has no authority to oppose them. Jefferson says that this isn't enough, because Hamilton with a pen is still a threat. He suggests they tell Hamilton about the scandal they think they've found out about ("The Adams Administration"). The three approach Hamilton, and accuse him of embezzling government money and committing treason. In reality, however, they found the transactions from his affair with Maria Reynolds. Hamilton, knowing that the truth is the only way out, tells them about his affair and begs them not to tell anyone ("We Know"). Hamilton, still worried that they will tell, thinks about how writing openly and honestly has saved him in the past ("Hurricane").
Hamilton publishes the letters that James and Maria Reynolds wrote him, and writes about them. Jefferson, Madison, and Burr rejoice. Angelica, upon hearing the news, travels from England to comfort Eliza ("The Reynolds Pamphlets"). At night when she is alone, Eliza rereads all of the letters Hamilton had written her, trying to find any sort of signs to why he would ever do this. Eliza then takes herself out of the narrative by burning all of the letters, destroying Hamilton's chance at redemption and keeping the world from knowing how she reacted ("Burn").
Years pass, and Phillip has just graduated from King's College at the age of nineteen. He is praised for having the same intelligence, charm, and good looks as his father. Phillip is upset to find out that a man named George Eacker has been saying bad things about his father and challenges him to a duel. Hamilton orders Phillip to aim his gun to the sky instead of at Eacker, and if Eacker is a man of honor he will follow suit. Phillip promises to do so. The duel countdown begins, and Phillip is aiming for the sky from the beginning ("Blow Us All Away"). However, by the time they reach the count of seven, Eacker shoots Phillip. He is taken to a doctor, and Hamilton rushes to his side, but it is too late. Hamilton comforts Phillip, who promises his father that he did everything he told him to. A horrified Eliza arrives, and stays with him until he dies ("Stay Alive (Reprise)").
In the aftermath of Phillip's death, the Hamilton family moves uptown. Hamilton and Eliza have become recluse, and Angelica, serving as a narrator, tells everyone to have pity for him, as they are coping with the "unimaginable." During this time, Hamilton asks for Eliza's forgiveness and gains it ("It's Quiet Uptown").
The Presidential Election of 1800 ends up in a tie between Jefferson and Burr. Burr comes across Hamilton and tells him that he's doing everything he can to be President, and that he learned that from him. Hamilton is upset that Burr has once again changed his own ideals to try to win, instead of sticking to his own convictions. When Hamilton is bombarded by people asking for his opinion on who to vote for, he shocks everyone by choosing Jefferson. He says that even though he has never agreed with him, "Jefferson has beliefs, Burr has none". Jefferson ends up winning by a landslide ("The Election of 1800").
Over the next few months, Burr and Hamilton exchange a series of passive-aggressive letters to each other. Burr implies that Hamilton backed Jefferson solely to spite him, and Hamilton says he was just telling the truth. Burr, enraged, challenges Hamilton to a duel, which Hamilton accepts ("Your Obedient Servant"). Hamilton awakes early on the morning of the duel. Eliza asks him to come back to bed, but Hamilton says he has to leave, not telling her why ("Best of Wives and Best of Women").
The next morning, Burr and Hamilton travel to New Jersey with their seconds and a doctor. Burr points out that Hamilton is wearing his glasses. He says there's no reason for that unless Hamilton means to take deadly aim. The men raise their guns to shoot, and just before a shot sounds, everything freezes – people and music alike. Only Hamilton remains, and he comments on how much he has thought about death, his relationships, and wonders about his legacy. He then aims his pistol at the sky, just like Phillip did. Then time resumes, Burr shoots Hamilton, and he falls. Hamilton dies soon later, with both Eliza and Angelica by his side. Burr laments on how even though he survived, he's cursed to be the villain in history, remembered only as the man who killed Alexander Hamilton. He realizes that no one needed to die that day because the world was wide enough for both Hamilton and him in it ("The World Was Wide Enough").
Everyone congregates for the epilogue. Washington enters and poses the same advice about history he once gave to Hamilton, "you have no control: who lives, who dies, who tells your story." Jefferson and Madison laud Hamilton's genius despite their disagreements, while Angelica and Burr wonder how Hamilton will be remembered. Eliza then enters. She explains how she tells her husband's story over the next fifty years she lives. She tries to organize and make sense of Hamilton's thousands of writings, interviews every soldier who fought with him, raises funds for the Washington monument, speaks out against slavery, and founds the first private orphanage in New York City. She still frets that she has not done enough, and then says she can't wait to see Hamilton again. Hamilton then joins her and beckons her forward. She gazes with awe out into some blissful beyond as everyone asks who will tell her story, and the show ends as they ask the audience the same question ("Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story").[5]
Principal roles and major casts
| Character | Vassar Workshop (2013)[6] | Off-Broadway (2015)[7] | Original Broadway Cast (2015)[8] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander Hamilton | Lin-Manuel Miranda | Lin-Manuel Miranda / Javier Muñoz* | |||
| Aaron Burr | Utkarsh Ambudkar | Leslie Odom Jr. | |||
| Angelica Schuyler Church | Anika Noni Rose | Renée Elise Goldsberry | |||
| Eliza Schuyler Hamilton | Ana Nogueira | Phillipa Soo | |||
| George Washington | Christopher Jackson | ||||
| King George | Joshua Henry | Brian d'Arcy James / Jonathan Groff* | Jonathan Groff | ||
| Maria Reynolds / Peggy Schuyler | Presilah Nunez | Jasmine Cephas Jones | |||
| Thomas Jefferson / Marquis de Lafayette | Daveed Diggs | ||||
| James Madison / Hercules Mulligan | Joshua Henry | Okieriete Onaodowan | |||
| John Laurens / Philip Hamilton | Javier Muñoz | Anthony Ramos | |||
| Samuel Seabury / Ensemble | - | Thayne Jasperson | |||
- Ensemble members appear as additional historical characters in cameo roles. These characters include Charles Lee, James Reynolds, Doctor David Hosack, George Eacker, and Philip Schuyler. Sally Hemings appears in the song What'd I Miss. Dolley Madison and Martha Jefferson make cameos during the song Blow Us All Away.[9]
Notable cast replacements
- Jonathan Groff replaced Brian d'Arcy James as King George III in the off-Broadway run on March 3, 2015.[10]
- Javier Muñoz is the alternate for Alexander Hamilton, playing the role on Sunday matinees on Broadway as well as understudying Miranda.[11]
- Andrew Rannells temporarily replaced Groff in the role of King George III from October 27 to November 29, 2015, as Groff worked on filming the Looking movie.[12]
Musical numbers
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† Previously titled "One Last Ride" in the Off-Broadway production.[13]
‡ Not included on the Original Broadway Cast Recording.[14]
Productions
Vassar College Reading (2013)
Miranda performed in a workshop production of the show, then titled The Hamilton Mixtape, at the Vassar Reading Festival on July 27, 2013.[15] The workshop production was directed by Thomas Kail and musically directed by Alex Lacamoire. The workshop consisted of the entirety of the first act of the show and 3 songs from the second act. The workshop was accompanied by Lacamoire on the piano.[4] The only cast members to continue with the show throughout the rest of its course to Broadway would be Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson/Marquis de Lafayette, and Chris Jackson as George Washington.
Off-Broadway (2015)
Directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler, the musical debuted Off-Broadway at The Public Theater, under the supervision of the Public's Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, with previews starting on January 20, 2015 and officially opening on February 17.[16][17] The production was extended twice, first to April 5 and then to May 3.[18] Chernow served as historical consultant to the production.[19][20] The show opened to universal acclaim according to review aggregator Did He Like It.[21]
Broadway (2015)
Hamilton premiered on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (home to Miranda's 2008 Broadway debut In the Heights) on July 13, 2015 in previews, and opened on August 6, 2015.[22] The production is produced by Jeffrey Seller and features scenic design by David Korins, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley and sound by Nevin Steinberg.[23]
The production was highly praised by theater critics.[22][24][25]
Chicago (2016)
Hamilton will have a separate sit-down production at the PrivateBank Theatre in Chicago starting on September 27, 2016.[26]
Concept
According to an article in The New Yorker, the show is "Rooted in hip-hop, but also encompassing R. & B., jazz, pop, Tin Pan Alley, and the choral strains of contemporary Broadway, the show is an achievement of historical and cultural reimagining." The costumes and set reflect the period, with "velvet frock coats and knee britches. The set ...is a wooden scaffold against exposed brick; the warm lighting suggests candlelight.[19] The musical is mostly sung-through, with little dialogue.[6][27]
Miranda said that the portrayal of Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and other caucasian historical figures by black and Hispanic actors should not require any substantial suspension of disbelief by audience members. “Our cast looks like America looks now, and that’s certainly intentional,” he said. “It’s a way of pulling you into the story and allowing you to leave whatever cultural baggage you have about the founding fathers at the door.”[28] He noted "We're telling the story of old, dead white men but we're using actors of color, and that makes the story more immediate and more accessible to a contemporary audience."[29]
Critical response
Marilyn Stasio, in her review of the Off-Broadway production for Variety, wrote: "The music is exhilarating, but the lyrics are the big surprise. The sense as well as the sound of the sung dialogue has been purposely suited to each character. George Washington, a stately figure in Jackson’s dignified performance, sings in polished prose... But in the end, Miranda’s impassioned narrative of one man’s story becomes the collective narrative of a nation, a nation built by immigrants who occasionally need to be reminded where they came from."[30]
In his review of the Off-Broadway production, Jesse Green in New York wrote: "The conflict between independence and interdependence is not just the show’s subject but also its method: It brings the complexity of forming a union from disparate constituencies right to your ears.... Few are the theatergoers who will be familiar with all of Miranda’s touchstones. I caught the verbal references to Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gilbert and Sullivan, Sondheim, West Side Story, and 1776, but other people had to point out to me the frequent hat-tips to hip-hop... Whether it’s a watershed, a breakthrough, and a game changer, as some have been saying, is another matter. Miranda is too savvy (and loves his antecedents too much) to try to reinvent all the rules at once.... Those duels, by the way — there are three of them — are superbly handled, the highlights of a riveting if at times overbusy staging by the director Thomas Kail and the choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler."[31]
Ben Brantley in reviewing the Broadway production in The New York Times, wrote: "I am loath to tell people to mortgage their houses and lease their children to acquire tickets to a hit Broadway show. But Hamilton, directed by Thomas Kail and starring Mr. Miranda, might just about be worth it.... Washington, Jefferson, Madison – they’re all here, making war and writing constitutions and debating points of economic structure. So are Aaron Burr and the Marquis de Lafayette. They wear the clothes (by Paul Tazewell) you might expect them to wear in a traditional costume drama, and the big stage they inhabit has been done up (by David Korins) to suggest a period-appropriate tavern, where incendiary youth might gather to drink, brawl and plot revolution."[22]
David Cote in his review of the Broadway production for Time Out New York wrote "I love Hamilton. I love it like I love New York, or Broadway when it gets it right. And this is so right... A sublime conjunction of radio-ready hip-hop (as well as R&B, Britpop and trad showstoppers), under-dramatized American history and Miranda’s uniquely personal focus as a first-generation Puerto Rican and inexhaustible wordsmith, Hamilton hits multilevel culture buttons, hard... The work’s human drama and novelistic density remain astonishing." He chose Hamilton as a Critics' Pick, and gave the production five out of five stars.[32]
Box office and business
The musical's engagement at the Off-Broadway Public Theater was sold-out.[1]
When the musical opened on Broadway, it had a multimillion-dollar advance in ticket sales, reportedly taking in $30 million before its official Broadway opening.[33] Hamilton was the second-highest-grossing show on Broadway for the Labor Day week ending September 6, 2015 (behind only the The Lion King).[34] As of September 2015, the show has been sold out for most of its Broadway engagement.[2]
Awards and nominations
Off-Broadway production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Lucille Lortel Awards[35] | Outstanding Musical | Won | |
| Outstanding Director | Thomas Kail | Won | ||
| Outstanding Choreographer | Andy Blankenbuehler | Won | ||
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical | Lin-Manuel Miranda | Won | ||
| Leslie Odom, Jr. | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical | Phillipa Soo | Won | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Daveed Diggs | Won | ||
| Brian d'Arcy James | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Renée Elise Goldsberry | Won | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design | Paul Tazewell | Won | ||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Howell Binkley | Won | ||
| Outstanding Sound Design | Nevin Steinberg | Won | ||
| Outer Critics Circle Awards[36] | Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical | Won | ||
| Outstanding Book of a Musical | Lin-Manuel Miranda | Won | ||
| Outstanding New Score | Won | |||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Thomas Kail | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Choreographer | Andy Blankenbuehler | Nominated | ||
| Drama League Awards[37] | Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical | Nominated | ||
| Distinguished Performance | Daveed Diggs | Nominated | ||
| Lin-Manuel Miranda | Nominated | |||
| Drama Desk Awards[38] | Outstanding Musical | Won | ||
| Outstanding Actor in a Musical | Lin-Manuel Miranda | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical | Leslie Odom, Jr. | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Renée Elise Goldsberry | Won | ||
| Outstanding Director of a Musical | Thomas Kail | Won | ||
| Outstanding Music | Lin-Manuel Miranda | Won | ||
| Outstanding Lyrics | Won | |||
| Outstanding Book of a Musical | Won | |||
| Outstanding Orchestrations | Alex Lacamoire | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Set Design | David Korins | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Costume Design | Paul Tazewell | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Lighting Design | Howell Binkley | Nominated | ||
| Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical | Nevin Steinberg | Won | ||
| Special Award ‡ | Andy Blankenbuehler | Won | ||
| New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards[39] | Best Musical | Won | ||
| Off Broadway Alliance Awards[40] | Best New Musical | Won | ||
| Theatre World Awards[41] | Outstanding Debut Performance | Daveed Diggs | Won | |
| Clarence Derwent Awards[42] | Most Promising Female Performer | Phillipa Soo | Won | |
| Obie Awards[43] | Best New American Theatre Work | Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, Alex Lacamoire | Won | |
| Edgerton Foundation New American Play Awards[44] | Won | |||
‡ Blankenbuehler received a Special Drama Desk Award for "his inspired and heart-stopping choreography in Hamilton, which is indispensible to the musical's storytelling. His body of work is versatile, yet a dynamic and fluid style is consistently evident. When it's time to 'take his shot,' Blankenbuehler hits the bull's-eye."[38]
Broadway production
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Grammy Award[45] | Best Musical Theater Album | Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos & Phillipa Soo (principal soloists); Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bill Sherman, Ahmir Thompson & Tarik Trotter (producers); Lin-Manuel Miranda (composer & lyricist) | Pending |
Recordings
The original Broadway cast recording for Hamilton was made available to listeners by NPR on September 21, 2015.[46] It was released by Atlantic Records digitally on September 25, 2015, and physical copies were released on October 16, 2015.[47] The cast album will also be released on vinyl.[48]
The album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the highest entrance for a cast recording since 1963.[49]
Rolling Stone ranked the original Broadway cast recording number 8 on their "50 Best Albums of 2015" year end list.[50]
The original cast recording was nominated for a Grammy Award.
See also
- 1776 (musical), a 1969 musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
References
- ^ a b Gioia, Michael. "History in the Making — Revolutionary Musical 'Hamilton' Opens on Broadway Tonight" Playbill, August 6, 2015
- ^ a b Simonson, Robert. "Broadway Box-Office Analysis, Aug. 24-30: A New Miss Turnstiles Brings a Boost to On the Town", Playbill, August 31, 2015; Simonson, Robert. "Broadway Box-Office Analysis, Sept. 7-13: 'Mamma Mia!' Fans Thank Them For the Music", Playbill, September 14, 2015; Simonson, Robert. "Broadway Box-Office Analysis: Two New Shows Make a Splash and Audiences Flock to Revisit 'Old Times'", Playbill, September 28, 2015; and "Historical Grosses for 'Hamilton'", BroadwayWorld (source: The Broadway League), accessed October 10, 2015
- ^ "Hamilton (play) 1917" IBDB, accessed August 12, 2015
- ^ a b Viagas, Robert. "Beach Read to Broadway! How Lin-Manuel Miranda Turned a History Book into 'Hamilton'" Playbill, August 5, 2015
- ^ "The Official Page For The Music of Hamilton: The Musical". atlanticrecords.com. Retrieved 2015-10-02.
- ^ a b Boroff, Philip. "Hip-Hop Hero Alexander Hamilton, Supertutors Eye Broadway" bloomberg.com, August 1, 2013
- ^ Hetrick, Adam. " 'Hamilton" Ends Sold-Out Off-Broadway Run Tonight – Broadway Revolution Is Next" playbill.com, May 3, 2015
- ^ Hetrick, Adam (June 18, 2015). "The Revolution Is Coming! Meet the Full Cast of Broadway's Hamilton!". Playbill.com. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
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