Hamilton The Musical

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton the musical tells the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton using traditional musical theatre infused with hop-hop and rap.

Hamilton the musical. Photo: Joan Marcus

Hamilton the musical has a book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton whose face features on the American ten-dollar bill.

Hamilton fast became a cultural phenomenon, in part due to casting of a mix of actors of colour in the roles that might have traditionally been played by caucasian actors. It has been described by Lin-Manuel as “American then, as told by America now!”

Rachel Ann Go (Eliza), Rachel John (Angelica) and Christine Allado (Peggy) as The Schuyler Sisters in Hamilton West End

Hamilton the musical started life as the Hamilton Mix Tape which was supposed to be a concept album of a life told in hip hop but this quickly developed into a stage musical after the video of Miranda performing the title track at the White House for the Obamas went viral.

Hamilton premiered off-Broadway at New York’s Public Theatre. After a sold-out critically acclaimed season, the show transferred to Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre where it is still playing to sell-out houses.

Michael Jibson as King George in Hamilton West End

Hamilton won eight Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical, Eleven 2016 Tony Awards and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize For Drama.

On its opening in London at the Victoria Palace Theatre, Hamilton the musical won the Olivier Award for Best Musical and the Best Actor Olivier for Giles Terrera who plays the show’s protagonist Aaron Burr. As this is written, Hamilton has become one of the only musical running during the pandemic with the opening of a production in Australia.

Hamilton was filmed on stage with the original Broadway cast and was streamed on Disney+

Further Casting Announced for Hamilton at London’s Victoria Palace Theatre

Douglas Mayo12th April 202116th June 2017 Hamilton The Musical, News, West End

Jamel Westman and Michael Jibson join the cast of Hamilton in London

Producers have today announced that Jamael Westman will play the role of Alexander Hamilton whilst Michael Jibson will take on the role of King George in the upcoming West End production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s acclaimed musical Hamilton. Jamael Westman graduated from RADA in 2016 and Hamilton will mark his West End debut. He recently completed a run in The White Devil at Shakespeare’s Globe and appeared in Richard Twyman’s production of Torn at the Royal Court Theatre. Michael Jibson’s previous theatre credits include Roots at the Donmar, RoadShow and Take Flight for the Menier Chocolate Factory and Canterbury Tales for the RSC. Film credits include Beauty And The Beast, The Bank Job, and Les Miserables. Westman and Jibson join the previously announced Christine Allado (Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds), Rachelle Ann Go (Eliza Hamilton), Tarinn Callender (Hercules Mulligan/James Madison), Rachel John (Angelica Schuyler), Jason Pennycooke (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), Cleve September (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton), … Read more

Top 100 Greatest Musicals Poll – Number 5 – Hamilton

Douglas Mayo12th April 202112th June 2017 Features, Hamilton The Musical

There can be very few people in the world who have not heard of Hamilton: An American Musical. With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton is a musical based on the life of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, best known to many as the face on the US $10 bill. Whilst Miranda’s original intention was to release the score as a concept album which he was planning to call The Hamilton Mixtapes, Hamilton made its stage debut Off-Broadway at the Public Theatre in February 2015 before transferring to Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre later that year. Critically acclaimed Hamilton received a record-breaking 16 Tony Award nominations winning 11 including Best Musical. It won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and seven Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical. With the Broadway production still playing to sold out houses, several US national tours crossing … Read more

Watch The Live Hamilton Mixtape Ham4Ham Performance Today

Douglas Mayo12th April 20211st December 2016 Broadway, Events, Features, Hamilton The Musical, News, Video

Watch the live Ham4Ham Mixtape Performance today

The Hamilton Mixtape, a new album featuring artists from the worlds of rap, pop and R & B, putting their own unique stamp on the songs from Hamilton, is being presented today in a live-streamed concert at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. The Hamilton Mixtape features artists including The Roots, Usher, Kelly Clarkson, Ashanti, John Legend, Andra Day, Dessa and Watsky amongst others is being released tomorrow. Copies can be purchased from Amazon.co.uk. Hamilton broke box-office records this week when it made the most money ever in a single week by a Broadway show, a whopping $3.3 million. Hamilton beat Wicked which held the record at $3.2 million made during a week where it held 9 performances, one more than in a normal performance week. Click on the You Tube link below to Watch the Ham4Ham live stream at approx 6pm GMT. FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HAMILTON IN LONDON

REVIEW: Hamilton The Revolution (Book) ✭✭✭✭✭

Douglas Mayo12th April 202125th November 2016 Book, Hamilton The Musical, Reviews

Hamilton The Revolution Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter Grand Central Publishing and Melcher Media288 Pages Hardcover Order a copy of Hamilton The Revolution from Amazon As a musical theatre fan, my collection has always included a number of wonderful books about musicals, containing production photographs and all sorts of behind the scenes information on the production in question. Les Miserables, Phantom, Tommy, Aspects, Sunset Boulevard, Mamma Mia! amongst others, each beautifully put together and treasured. None though compares to the magnificent companion book for Hamilton which has become my new favourite. In terms of sheer presentation, Hamilton The Revolution takes the crown for presentation, quality, content and value for money (UK£20.40 on Amazon). Gorgeously bound as befits any book from the period in which the show is set, with rough-hewn pages, it is an absolute must for any Hamilton fan or anyone looking to get the low-down on this musical … Read more

London Production Of Hamilton To Hold Open Auditions

Editorial Staff12th April 202113th October 2016 Hamilton The Musical, News, West End

Producers of the London production of Hamilton have put out a casting call notice announcing that open auditions for the show will be held in November 2016. The show which swept this year’s Tony Awards winning 11 awards including Best Musical, will open at the restored Victoria Palace Theatre in late 2017. The casting call is seeking versatile singer/actors who rap (and can move well) or hip-hop dancers (who are versatile in all forms of contemporary dance and can sing well). Men and women in their 20s and 30s of all ethnic backgrounds are being invited to apply, but they may only register for either a vocal or dance audition, not both. Performers will be contracted for one year with rehearsals beginning in August 2017. Auditionees must have a UK/EU passport and where applicable hold a full working visa for the duration of the contract. The call is for all … Read more

Hamilton To Open In West End In October 2017

Douglas Mayo12th April 202114th June 2016 Hamilton The Musical, News, West End

Hamilton to open in London in October 2017

Producers have announced that the Tony award-winning musical, will have its London premiere at the Victoria Palace Theatre in October 2017. Join our mailing list to be kept updated with Hamilton news. The show dominated the 70th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday where it won 11 awards including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Book Of A Musical. “The support Hamilton has received from our British fans has been incredible – I have been reminded of their love, which is just as our King George would want it to be! I’m thrilled the show will be shared with UK audiences starting in the fall of 2017 at the beautiful Victoria Palace Theatre,” said Lin-Manuel Miranda. Hamilton is the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary. … Read more

REVIEW: Hamilton Broadway Cast Recording ✭✭✭✭✭

Douglas Mayo12th April 202130th September 2015 Broadway, Hamilton The Musical, Music, News, Reviews

I’ve spent the last week listening to the new Broadway cast recording of Hamilton. For those of you who are unaware, Hamilton is Lin-Manuel Miranda’s (In The Heights) latest musical. It played to a critically acclaimed sell-out audience at the Public Theatre in New York (read our review), and has now transferred to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, where it has fast become the hottest ticket on Broadway. Hamilton, is the musicalisation of the life of Alexander Hamilton, a founding father of the United States who is responsible for much of the nation’s financial system and the establishment of the United States Coast Guard, amongst other things. It is therefore apt that he is represented on the American $10 note. From the first bars of the opening number, you get a distinct impression that this man was something extraordinary:- “How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and … Read more

Curious Incident and Hamilton Major Drama Desk Winners

Douglas Mayo26th June 20212nd June 2015 Broadway, Hamilton The Musical, News, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time On Broadway

The National Theatre’s production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time picked up six Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Play, Oustanding Actor In A Play and Outstanding Director Of A Play, beaten only by Hamilton, the new musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda that won seven awards, the first time since 1983 that an Off-Broadway show (Little Shop Of Horrors) has beaten its Broadway counterparts. Helen Mirren won Oustanding Actress In A Play for her performance in The Audience. Jim Dale’s one man show Just Jim Dale currently on stage in London won Best Revue. The Drama Desk Awards, given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York City theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway and Off-Off Broadway compete against each other in the same category. Formed in 1949 by a group of New York City theater critics, editors, reporters, and publishers, … Read more