Hamilton
Four years ago today, I saw Hamilton on Broadway. Going in, I had no idea how much it’d change everything.
It had only been on Broadway for two months at the time, so it wasn’t yet the international phenomenon it is today. I hadn’t even heard of it before my wife asked if I wanted to go. “My business partner just gave me two tickets to a play about Alexander Hamilton, do you want to go?” “Um, I guess?”
It didn’t take long to make an impression. My Shot - the rousing third track - was a true revelation that got my blood pumping. At intermission I thought this could really be something special if they stuck the landing. And by the end, I was reflecting on the history of our country, the challenges of leadership, and the nature of progress.
Years later, I see Hamilton as transformational, and not just for hip-hop on Broadway or for minority and cross-color representation or for grounded portrayals of almost mythical historical figures. Hamilton was transformational for me, too.
I had recently taken on a leadership position in my career and was struggling with self-doubt, striving to be perfect in a world that simply isn’t. I took losses hard, stressed about over-managing, wondered if I could be taken seriously as a leader, and worried I was too slowly learning the foundation of a much larger business.
Hamilton changed my mindset. Acknowledge, accept, and then embrace my flaws. Find people who complement them. Be me.
I’d love to say “I haven’t looked back”, but that’s just not me. I reflect and repeat self-doubt cycles all the time. But Hamilton always pulls me out of them.
A few weeks after seeing it, I wrote the following post at my old website. It’s to this day my favorite piece I’ve ever written. Hamilton really did change everything.
Hamilton is the best addition to American pop culture since The Wire
Originally published 11/25/2015 at uselessanalysis.com
Yes, I said it, and I truly believe it.
About a month ago, my wife and I went to see the Broadway show Hamilton, most easily described as a hip hop musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton. It has been virtually universally showered with praise: Billboard, for example, called it “the best Broadway musical in years” and named the soundtrack as the top rap album in 2015.
There’s not a lot I can say that can top that! But I can discuss the ways that the show impacted me -- I’ve been listening to the soundtrack for a month straight (including right now as I write this), it prompted a lot of reading about the historical events that the show is based on, and I’ve been spreading the word just so I have more people I can talk to about Hamilton (please listen to it!). Consider this post to be my official love letter to the show and everyone associated with it.
Here are several pages worth of the reasons that I love Hamilton so much:
“The world turned upside down”
Hamilton is undeniably subversive, but it does so by and large without cynicism or irony. It all starts with the music, which is particularly relevant since Hamilton has basically no dialogue that isn’t on the soundtrack. As many others have written, it’s a game-changer that brings a contemporary style and swagger to the Broadway sound, ranging stylistically to cover the past thirty years of hip-hop and R&B. Given the subject matter of the founding era of America, it’s wonderfully anachronistic and extremely well-executed.
Hamilton takes it further by committing roles and talent to match this style. Black or Hispanic actors play the bulk of the lead roles, including Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. A lesser musical would have used this to poke fun at the material with sarcastic quips, but Hamilton generally avoids that territory (outside of a few on-the-nose slavery lines), preferring to commit to the roles earnestly.
Rather than shifting the focus of these characters to be “black Washington” and “Hispanic Hamilton”, we simply see Washington and Hamilton through a modern lens. And that’s how we end up with two tremendous rap battles between Jefferson and Hamilton with George Washington moderating. It’s the perfect marriage of classic Broadway and new ideas.
“History has its eyes on you” / “Who tells your story?”
Of course, subversion is nothing without a good story, and this is one of the best there is. It’s a fascinating look at the birth and toddler phase of the United States, the key players who were in “the room where it happens”, and a nuanced view of the different perspectives they had.
Many Americans fall into the trap of thinking of our Founding Fathers as these perfect, idealistic, monolithic freedom fighters. The truth is that they were flawed men who ardently disagreed on key issues, owned slaves while preaching freedom, and were able to achieve greatness through a combination of great ideas, hard work, and collaboration with each other and our allies abroad. Their impact is more transcendent if we view them realistically.
What I like most about Hamilton is that it takes this grounded perspective and then doubles down on it by telling a more personal story. Rather than an academic view of the key battles or the key meetings that took place, we see characters, personalities, families, and their respective development over time.
Sure, there are some embellishments here and there. Burr wasn’t actually the #2 in the Laurens-Lee duel, James Monroe played a much bigger role in exposing Hamilton’s affair than Jefferson or James Madison, and Philip Schuyler had many more children than the three daughters, including a son. But these are minor deviations that do nothing to detract from the greatness of this story.
We see Alexander Hamilton rise to relevance and greatness due to his ambition and attitude, and we see him destroy himself due to his ambition and attitude. We see an increasingly jealous and bitter Aaron Burr ultimately self-destruct in his bid to emulate Hamilton’s success. We see an imposing George Washington who is the only person able to hold together a diverse coalition of leaders. We see a swaggering Thomas Jefferson play the long game and ultimately build a Democratic-Republican dynasty out of the ashes of the John Adams / Alexander Hamilton flameouts. And we see a country begin to grow up. What a story.
“I put myself back in the narrative”
Hamilton tells another generally unknown story - the one about “the LADIIIIIEESS!!!” While women would not be able to vote for over a century later, they have always had their place in history, and the Schuyler Sisters do not disappoint us with their time on stage.
Eliza(beth) Schuyler Hamilton takes us through an emotional tour-de-force through her life. We see a young single girl looking for love, a mother-to-be pleading with her husband to stay safe at home, an angry wife upset with her husband’s dalliance with Maria Reynolds, and a mother and widow grieving two devastating dueling losses. Phillipa Soo nailed every moment when I saw her perform, bringing the audience to tears several times.
While you could argue that Hamilton fails the Bechdel test, it tells a centuries-old story without omitting the better halves of the men we all know and love already.
“My dearest, Angelica”
No, I didn’t forget about Angelica Schuyler; I actually have a major crush on her!
I love the combination of confidence, intelligence, and showmanship that my fellow Carnegie Mellon alum Renee Elise Goldsberry brings to the role. She shines brightest in every scene she’s in, most notably the melancholic “Satisfied” and the devastating “It’s Quiet Uptown”.
“America, you great unfinished symphony”
Beyond being a historical retelling of America’s founding, Hamilton manages to break through into modern relevance. The issues of racial equality, northern vs. southern priorities, the role of debt and Wall Street, and political factioning are just as relevant today as ever. If these issues were easy to understand and quick to solve, our founders would have figured them out. They are complex and require a constant critical eye on ourselves and our history to ensure that America progresses forward.
Perhaps this modern relevance is the greatest “theme” takeaway in Hamilton, as it’s even embodied in the dueling mantras of Hamilton’s “I am not throwing away my shot” and Burr’s “wait for it”. Hamilton and Burr ironically destroyed each other when Hamilton did throw away his shot and Burr didn’t wait for it, but the point I took away was that neither extreme is healthy.
America throughout history has vacillated between bold, decisive action and calculated inaction on different issues, and both approaches have had successes and failures over time. Finding that balance is key for each individual, group, and nation.
Some of the biggest topics that I found particularly relevant in today’s environment:
“Who provided those funds?” / “France”
This is perhaps even more poignant given the tragic attacks in Paris two weeks ago, but even when I watched Hamilton, I appreciated how it paid tribute to the French. America didn’t win freedom and security on its own, and we should always be grateful to our allies we have had throughout our history.“Immigrants, we get the job done”
Again, another topic that is at the forefront more than usual given some of the disgraceful rhetoric we’re hearing from some of our wannabe politicians. Immigrants have always been at the core of our nation’s fabric and no amount of xenophobia is going to change that. Both my wife and I come from families of immigrants, and this was our favorite line of the show. It got the most applause, too, and rightfully so.“Winning was easy, young man, governing’s harder”
This is no milquetoast “meet in the middle” argument - I have extremely strong and passionate political positions. However, a key lesson of Hamilton is that having a vision isn’t enough. Politics is about execution, about engaging your political opponents, about starting with common ground, and about selling your ideas to win people over.
Democrats learned this the hard way when they sold a vision in 2008, then had nobody show up at the polls in 2010 because governing wasn’t easy. Republicans are seeing that now as non-establishment candidates have risen to the top because of a lack of confidence in establishment leadership who over-promised results despite the fact that a Democrat sits in the White House. You need both a vision and the ability to execute on it to truly make an impact.
“We just happen to be in the greatest city in the world … in the greatest city in the world!”
I wasn’t sure whether to lead this section with that line or “in New York you can be a new man”, but either way, I appreciate how very “New York” Hamilton is. Honestly, it feels like the kind of show that will lose something when it starts touring and you can see it anywhere else.
It’s not just the potshots against New Jersey (where “everything is legal”), though. It focuses on the New York-est founding father, it tells the story of the revolution from the perspective of the city, and it sells its own version of the Sinatra “make it anywhere” story.
I’ve personally lived in the Bronx for the past nine years and, over the years, I have come to love the passion and energy you only find in this city. Hamilton made me feel that love even more intensely. It’s that powerful.
“You built me palaces out of paragraphs”
We have come this far without once mentioning the writer and brainchild of the show, Lin-Manuel Miranda. What else is there to say? Hamilton the album sat atop the Billboard rap chart, and the musical will win virtually every accolade there is when the Tonys roll around. It’s an end-to-end brilliant piece of writing (unlike, say, this post!).
A few lines really stick out to me just on the cadence and rhyme alone. In particular:
Hamilton: “How many men died because Lee was inexperienced and ruinous?” / Burr: “Okay, so we’re doin’ this.”
Burr: “He’s constantly confusing, confounding the British henchmen, everyone give it up for America’s favorite fighting Frenchman!”
Jefferson: “The people are leading!” / Washington: “The people are rioting, there’s a difference! Frankly it’s a little disquieting.”
Ultimately, everything I’ve written up to this point is a tribute to the original spark, vision, talent, and execution of Lin-Manuel Miranda. I can’t wait to see what he does next, and I really hope that “the man is non stop”!
“Don’t modulate the key, then not debate with me!”
I think that was the most music-oriented line in the script, but who really knows.
I remember and cherish a lot from Hamilton, but the music will be what stays with me. As such, here are a few quick hit thoughts on notable music numbers:
"My Shot" - This is the third track in the musical, and it’s the official moment when I realized I was hearing something special.
"The Schuyler Sisters" - I love the energy of this track and the tribute to NYC. I particularly love Angelica’s line about what she’ll tell Thomas Jefferson if they meet.
"Helpless" - This is my wife’s favorite track, and the one that’s most likely to get stuck in my head.
"Satisfied" - This is an amazing song, one of my favorites in the musical, but it was truly breathtaking seeing it live. It’s a very ambitious scene and it’s pulled off extremely well.
"Wait for It" - This is Leslie Odom Jr.’s big moment, and it comes together nicely in what is my #1 favorite track. Big props to another Carnegie Mellon alum!
"Guns and Ships" - Daveed Diggs shows off his absurd speed as Lafayette gets his badass moment of the musical.
"Yorktown" - This one got me so amped up with energy that I was happy it wasn’t the close to act 1!
"Non-Stop" - I loved how this one pulled together all of the motifs we heard in act 1. Perhaps it got a bit overindulgent towards the end, but I’m okay with it.
"What’d I Miss" - Thomas Jefferson had the most bad-ass entrance I’ve ever seen in a musical. Daveed Diggs must have had so much fun with both of his characters.
"Cabinet Battle #1" - My jaw was on the floor for this one. The idea was a stroke of genius. The mic drop from Jefferson was well-deserved on behalf of the entire production.
"The Room Where it Happens" - I always laugh at the aggressive line, “whaddaya want, Burr, whaddaya want, Burr, if you stand for nothing, what’ll you fall for?”
"Cabinet Battle #2" - I love several things about this track. I love how the music transitions from the previous song - the Schuyler sister theme - into an upbeat battle track. I love how Jefferson and Hamilton adjusted to their first battle - Jefferson brought the heat this time with the personal attacks that were lacking the first time, while Hamilton knew he had Washington on his side and could be completely unhinged. And I love that Washington steps in the battle himself.
"The Reynolds Pamphlet" - oh, Jefferson, you heel, you!
"Burn" - Damn. Tears.
"Blow Us All Away" / "Stay Alive (Reprise)" - Damn. More tears.
"It’s Quiet Uptown" - Are you kidding me? Enough already. What a devastating combo.
"Your Obedient Servant" - I love the musical framing here, separating the blistering content of the messages with the polite formalities that conclude them.
"The World Was Wide Enough" - It really was. It’s hard to believe that any political dispute actually came down to this. It’s crazy what you find when you keep researching this topic. Future President James Monroe almost got in a duel with Hamilton, too? Aaron Burr talked him out of it? What? Hamilton beefed with everyone - Ted Cruz has nothing on this guy!
“I have the honor to be your obedient servant”
I think I’ve said every coherent-ish word that I can about Hamilton. I love it. I’ll never forget it. I’ll always be thankful for getting the opportunity to see it and for everyone who was involved in putting the production together. (Special thanks to Javier Muñoz, who played Alexander Hamilton the afternoon that I saw it. He was amazing, too.)
Go see it. While you wait for tickets to become available, listen to it.