Hamilton: An American Musical is a sung-and-rapped through musical about the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, with music, lyrics and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda, inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by historian Ron Chernow. Incorporating hip hop, R&B, pop, soul, traditional-style show tunes, and color-conscious casting of non-white actors as the Founding Fathers and other historical figures, the musical achieved both critical acclaim and box office success.
The musical made its Off-Broadway debut at The Public Theater in February 2015, where its engagement was sold out. The show transferred to Broadway in August 2015 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. On Broadway, it received enthusiastic critical reception and unprecedented advance box office sales. In 2016, Hamilton received a record-setting 16 Tony nominations, winning 11, including Best Musical, and was also the recipient of the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The prior 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 nominated categories.
The Chicago production of Hamilton began preview performances at the CIBC Theatre in September 2016 and officially opened the following month. The West End production of Hamilton opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London in December 2017, winning seven Olivier Awards in 2018, including Best New Musical. The first U.S. national tour of the show began performances in March 2017. A second U.S. tour opened in February 2018. Hamilton's third U.S. tour began January 11, 2019, with a 3-week engagement in Puerto Rico featuring Miranda in the lead role.
The play has two acts, telling
Hamilton's story through major events in his life and American history. It
tells Hamilton's life from beginning to end along with various other characters
such as Marquis De Lafayette, Aaron Burr, John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan,
Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, Angelica Schuyler, Peggy Schuyler, Phillip
Hamilton, and former presidents George Washington, James Madison, and Thomas
Jefferson.
Act
I
The
orphan Alexander Hamilton lives on the island of Nevis ("Alexander
Hamilton"). After arriving in New York in 1776, Hamilton meets Aaron Burr,
John Laurens, Marquis de Lafayette, and Hercules Mulligan ("Aaron Burr,
Sir"), and impresses them with his rhetorical skills ("My Shot").
They affirm their revolutionary goals to each other ("The Story of Tonight").
Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy are then introduced ("The Schuyler Sisters").
Samuel Seabury warns everyone about the Congress, but Hamilton disagrees and
tries to counter Seabury ("Farmer Refuted"). King George then insists
on his authority ("You'll Be Back"). During the New York and New
Jersey campaign, Hamilton accepts a position as George Washington's aide-de-camp
("Right Hand Man"), instead of field command.
At
Philip Schuyler’s ball ("A Winter’s Ball"), Hamilton meets, falls in
love with, and marries Elizabeth Schuyler ("Helpless"), as her sister
Angelica suppresses her feelings for the sake of their happiness ("Satisfied").
After the wedding, Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette and Mulligan drink together,
while the three poke fun at Hamilton for getting married. Burr walks in on the
group, unexpected by Hamilton to be attending. Burr congratulates Hamilton on
his position as aide to camp of Washington; Hamilton confesses that he would
much rather have Burr's position on the battlefield ("The Story of Tonight
(Reprise)"). Burr reflects on Hamilton's swift rise while considering his
own career as more cautious ("Wait For It").
Conditions
are worsening for the continental army, and Hamilton's constant pleading to
Washington for a command continues to be shot down. Washington grants a command
to General Charles Lee, who is clearly unfit to be leading one. After being
fired by Washington, Lee goes on a tirade against Washington, claiming him to
be unfit to lead. Though Hamilton wishes to challenge Lee, he is commanded not
to by Washington. Since Hamilton is unable to challenge Lee, Laurens does
("Stay Alive") and thus duels Lee, with Hamilton and Burr as their
seconds. Laurens injures Lee, who in turn yields ("Ten Duel Commandments").
Hamilton is temporarily suspended by Washington ("Meet Me Inside")
over the duel, and is sent home. There, Eliza reveals that she is pregnant with
her first child, and asks Hamilton to simply slow down to take in what has
happened in their lives ("That Would be Enough"). After Lafayette
convinces France to get involved on the colonists' side ("Guns and
Ships"), he urges Washington to call Hamilton back to help plan the final Siege
of Yorktown. Washington agrees but explains to Hamilton—who is convinced he
should die a martyr and a hero in war—that he should be careful with his
actions, because whatever he does will be known for ages to come ("History
Has its Eyes on You"). Hamilton agrees to join, and reflects that he now
has something to live for (a wife and a child on the way), and will give up on
his efforts to die in war. At the Siege of Yorktown, Hamilton meets up with
Lafayette to take down the British, revealing that Mulligan was recruited as a
spy, helping them figure out what to do to trap the British and win the war
("Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)").
Soon
after the victory at Yorktown, King George asks the rebels how they will
succeed on governing on their own (“What Comes Next?”). Hamilton's son, Philip
is born, while Burr has a daughter, Theodosia ("Dear Theodosia").
Hamilton receives word that his friend Laurens has been killed in a seemingly
pointless battle, and throws himself into his work ("Tomorrow There'll Be
More of Us"). He co-authors The Federalist Papers and is selected
as Secretary of the Treasury by newly elected President Washington. Angelica
moves to London with her new husband ("Non-Stop").
Act II
Thomas
Jefferson returns to America from being the U.S. ambassador to France
("What'd I Miss"). In 1789, Jefferson and Hamilton debate the
latter's financial proposals at a Cabinet meeting. Washington pulls Hamilton
aside, and tells him to figure out a compromise to win over Congress ("Cabinet
Battle #1").
Eliza
and her family—along with Angelica, back from London—travel upstate during the
summer, while Hamilton stays home to work on the compromise ("Take a
Break"). Hamilton begins an affair with Maria Reynolds, making him
vulnerable to her husband's blackmail ("Say No To This").
Hamilton,
Jefferson and James Madison create the Compromise of 1790 over a private
dinner, exchanging Hamilton's financial plan for placing the country's
permanent capital on the Potomac River. Burr is envious of Hamilton's sway in
the government and wishes he had similar power ("The Room Where It Happens").
Burr switches political parties and defeats Philip Schuyler, making Hamilton
now a rival (“Schuyler Defeated”).
In
another Cabinet meeting, Jefferson and Hamilton argue over whether the United
States should assist France in its conflict with Britain. This decision is not
subject to congressional approval, and Washington ultimately agrees with
Hamilton's argument for remaining neutral ("Cabinet Battle #2"). In
the wake of this, Jefferson, Madison, and Burr decide to join forces to find a
way to discredit Hamilton in Washington's eyes ("Washington on your
Side"). Washington decides to retire from the presidency, and Hamilton
assists in writing a farewell address ("One Last Time").
King
George receives word that George Washington will be replaced by John Adams in
the spot of president (“I Know Him”). John Adams becomes the second President
and fires Hamilton, who publishes an inflammatory critique of the new president
as a response ("The Adams Administration"). In the face of
accusations of speculation of government funds by Jefferson, Madison, and
Burr—and out of fear that his affair with Maria Reynolds will be used against
him in his political career ("We Know")—Hamilton chooses to publicize
his affair ("Hurricane") in the Reynolds Pamphlet ("The Reynolds
Pamphlet"), damaging his relationship with Eliza ("Burn"). George
Eacker gives a critical speech about Alexander Hamilton. Philip confronts
Eacker and challenges him to a duel. Philip, instructed by Hamilton, raises his
pistol in the air, hoping Eacker to stand down, but at the count of seven, he
gets shot ("Blow Us All Away") and dies in the hospital ("Stay
Alive (Reprise)"), causing a reconciliation between Alexander and Eliza
("It's Quiet Uptown").
Hamilton's
endorsement of Jefferson in the presidential election of 1800 ("The
Election of 1800") results in further animosity between Hamilton and Burr,
who challenges Hamilton to a duel via an exchange of letters ("Your
Obedient Servant"). Hamilton writes his last letter in a rush while Eliza
tells him to go back to bed (“Best of Wives and Best of Women”). Burr and
Hamilton travel to New Jersey for the duel. During the duel, both Burr and
Hamilton fire at each other after ten paces, with Hamilton intentionally
missing his shot. Hamilton dies as a result, with Eliza and Angelica at his
side. Burr laments that even though he survived, he is cursed to be remembered
as the villain who killed Hamilton ("The World Was Wide Enough"). The
musical closes with a reflection on historical memory, showing how Eliza kept
Hamilton’s legacy alive ("Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story").
Richard Rodgers Theatre
The Richard Rodgers Theatre was built by Irwin Chanin in 1925 and originally called Chanin's 46th Street Theatre. Chanin almost immediately leased it to the Shuberts, who bought the building outright in 1931 and renamed it the 46th Street Theatre. In 1945, the theatre was taken over by Robert W. Dowling. In 1960, it was purchased by the producer Lester Osterman, who sold it to producers Stephen R. Friedman and Irwin Meyer in 1978. In 1981, it was purchased and renovated by the Nederlander Organization, who in 1990 renamed the house to honor the composer Richard Rodgers. The Richard Rodgers Theatre was the first to feature Chanin's 'democratic' seating plan. In most earlier Broadway theatres, patrons seated in the cheaper balcony and mezzanine sections used separate entrances from patrons who had purchased the more expensive orchestra-section seats. Instead, all patrons entered the new theatre through the same doors, and a series of steps inside the house led to the upper seating areas. The theatre has housed 11 Tony Award-winning Best Plays and Best Musicals, more than any other theatre on Broadway.
