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 musical
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!”

Hamilton London
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.

Hamilton London
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+

 

 

Hamilton To Open In West End In October 2017

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 ✭✭✭✭✭

Broadway, Hamilton The Musical, Music, News, Reviews
Hamilton Broadway Cast Recording

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

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

REVIEW: Hamilton, The Public Theatre ✭✭✭✭✭

Broadway, Hamilton The Musical, Reviews
Hamilton The Musical Wins Eelevn 2016 Tony Awards

Directed by Thomas Kail, with astonishing choreography from Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton is a remarkable piece of theatrical alchemy; inspiring, packed with historical interest, revelatory about the problems that beset the founding fathers and, yet, intensely human. Lin-Manuel Miranda is electrifying as Hamilton. It’s a real tour de force, full of passion and absolute commitment. Jonathan Groff is blisteringly good as the odious King George.