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 force of nature before it touches down at the Victoria Palace Theatre late next year.
Not only does the book contain every line of lyric and annotated notes from Lin-Manual Miranda, it goes behind the scenes on the production from that first presentation at the White House, through to opening night on Broadway. If you find the show itself an emotional affair like me, I daresay you’ll be in tears in some sections of this chronicle outlining how Hamilton got to Broadway. My appreciation of the creators, the cast and the producers is far greater and going back to listen to the cast CD is certainly a richer experience.
I’m not going to give away too much here. With Christmas coming up, Hamilton The Revolution is an absolute must have for anyone you know who loves musical theatre. Get a copy and spend time reading whilst you soak up the music on the cast recording. I’ve now read it twice and am looking forward to having time over Christmas to re-read select sections without interruption.
Get a copy and let us know what you think.
