Hamilton is, as anyone who's listened to the soundtrack or knows anything about it is well aware of, a lot closer to something like a hip hop mixtape than a traditional Broadway musical soundtrack. Its score is full of beat drops, rap verses, and a load of homages to classic hip-hop culture. Lin-Manuel Miranda's lyrics reference Notorious BIG, DMX, LL Cool J, A Tribe Called Quest, and many more, as well as plenty of general homages to the culture in general.
Looking at his motivations for writing the score in this way, there could be many reasons for why he did this. A very simple one could be to stand out; for one thing, there have not been very many musicals with a hip-hop or rap influenced soundtrack, so Hamilton would be instantly unique in that regard. For another, more and more musicals these days are taking unique approaches with their music, from rock soundtracks like Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and The School of Rock, to more retro electronic vibes like the ones found in the recent American Psycho. More traditional musicals still have their place, but the scene is moving forward and many shows don't want to fade into obscurity.
Another reason, and one Miranda has gone on record expressing as one of his motives for giving the show its now-iconic modern hip hop vibe, is to reflect modern American culture. The subtitle of the show is "An American Musical," and that isn't simply because it's a story about our founding fathers. With its racially diverse cast, modern dance influences in the choreography, and hip hop music, Hamilton more than any other show on Broadway takes a clear expressed effort to showcase itself as a view of America today.
I love the idea that "An American Musical" can mean both history and modern, melting-pot culture. The modern potency and duality of this reminds me of the line in "The Schuyler Sisters": "how lucky we are to be alive right now." At the Emmy awards, the cast members noted the diversity of the award-winners and used this line to reflect on today. I think the idea that this line could be applicable to every time in history when approached from the right perspective is beautiful, and I think the idea of Hamilton being "An American Musical" is along the same type of optimism.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Ian that this musical does stand out. Every musical I have ever known involved singing with high pitched voices at the top of their lungs, which is why I hated musicals. But I also agree with Ian that the Hamilton musical has caught up with today's society and today's youth. It presents rap battles, hip hop, and some pop throughout the musical. Also, to be able to rap about a time period where people spoke formal english is a very hard thing to do but Miranda does an excellent job. This musical does stand out among traditional musicals in a great way.
ReplyDeleteI think a lot of musicals are trying to appeal to larger audiences now. This can lead to a few things. One it can lead to musicals bringing in new ideas like in Hamilton to separate itself from the crowd. Second it can lead to possibly musicals getting bland as they try to appeal to the least common denominator. Hamilton never even comes close to this, but there is still a chance for another musical to try this method
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