For my last blog, I want to go kinda meta with my commentary. Since so much of Hamilton is about legacies, I thought it'd be interesting to talk about what the legacy of Hamilton itself will be.
Hamilton arrived at an interesting place in musical history. It follows many shows such as Avenue Q, Spring Awakening, Next to Normal, American Idiot, and Miranda's own In the Heights, which, like Hamilton, do interesting and new things with the format of the musical, which usually manifested itself in new and inspired choices in music and choreography. But none of these musicals gained much significant traction in popularity outside of the Broadway community, and were certainly not as popular as more traditional musicals. Hamilton, however, is another story; it's reached such a height of popularity and has entered the popular consciousness to a point almost unlike any other musical in the history of our culture (has the writer and star of a musical ever hosted SNL before?). Sure, it might not be as big a household name as other classics like The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, or even more modern shows like Wicked, but those shows have some years under their belt.
Hamilton's place in modern pop culture is fascinating to examine, and I really think it's going to be looked back on as a turning point for the modern musical. While I doubt there will be another Hamilton in terms of pop culture presence and significance, I'm sure that there will be plenty more that are just as daring, original, and revolutionary (no pun intended). If Lin-Manuel Miranda continues writing at the level he currently is, I bet his name will be remembered alongside names like Sondheim, Rogers & Hammerstein, or Gershwin.
This is such an interesting thought about the legacy of the play! I agree that it the popularity of the show now is amazing, and to answer your question... No Lin Manuel Miranda has never hosted SNL before Hamilton! The magnitude that Hamilton has reached is incredible and I wouldn't doubt that its legacy lives on at all!!
ReplyDeleteHamilton's popularity is unprecedented. I think a major impact in its legacy is the obvious thought and care that Miranda places into each line of the entire show. Nothing is done carelessly or on accident.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of culture, it will likely be remembered as one of the greats of the decade. Since we tend to associate very specific things with decades (60's and hippies, 70's and dancing, 80's and 90's both with weird fashion and hair, 00's as the early technology crazy) the 10's are probably going to end up having this frame a large part of them.
ReplyDeleteI think in a lot of ways, Hamilton has helped 'save' Broadway too. Not that Broadway was in immediate trouble, but in order for live theater to thrive in the digital world, the younger generations have to be enthusiastic about it. Hamilton has definitely caught the attention of the younger demographic, and this will probably be a big part of its cultural legacy.
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