Hamilton: How The Musical of An Orphan Made It’s Shot Around The World

God help and forgive me, I wanna build something that’s gonna outlive me.

– “ The Room Where It Happens”

The central goal and worry of Alexander Hamilton was his legacy. Knowing that we all live a life that will eventually end, we can either let it pass us by, or make the best with the time we have left. In a world where many have already fought for social, economic, and political change, we are still fighting to finish the work of the historical figures before us. When we leave, we want to leave behind a place better than what we left it. So, how did a remarkable individual, Alexander Hamilton, leave his legacy among many others in a time where change was just the beginning?

You may have heard about Hamilton’s worldwide phenomenon, whether in its debut release in 2015 or this summer on Disney+. From there, the musical has incredibly impacted the hearts of millions around the world, those who might be initial broadway fans or not. One might wonder how and why has this musical gotten so much hype?

The first part of answering is to look at the various themes that Hamilton truthfully tells in Alexander’s life. A few elements are the persistent rise and tragic fall of Hamilton through his upbringing as an orphan, his controversial role as a politician, his cheating scandal, and the legacy he left behind through his wife and the people he knew. With strong themes of legacy, culture, politics, success, and failure, the show’s creators and producers, such as Lin-Manuel Miranda and Alex Lacamoire, translated Hamilton’s story into an incredible musical.

One of my favorite parts were through very thoughtful and meaningful lyrics and motifs. Motifs like lyrics, harmonies, props, or characters are recurring elements of a symbolic story of an overarching theme. The first two following lines from “The World Was Wide Enough” are motifs that occur in different ways throughout the musical.

“Death doesn't discriminate

Between the sinners and the saints, it takes, and it takes, and it takes

History obliterates, in every picture it paints

It paints me and all my mistakes.”

- “The World Was Wide Enough”

Let’s open up about the meaning and then the importance of its motifs. I love these lyrics because they don’t just ring true in Hamilton’s story but also our lives. Death is inevitable and doesn’t care about the things we have done and whether we were good or bad. It just takes. It eventually will take you and everyone you love. Also, death doesn’t completely erase the things you have done. Our history and legacy we leave behind will paint you and all your mistakes, no matter how much we try to control it or who we are. Hamilton also emphasizes these lyrics in Aaron Burr’s “Wait For It,” where the word “death” is replaced with “love” as he talks about his lover Theodosia. The theme of how death doesn’t discriminate as it takes life and love beautifully grounds the musical in humility.

Don’t just take my word for it. Many other students express their reasons for loving Hamilton, like cast diversity. Monse Lopez, a Junior from a Spanish background, appreciated the variety in the main characters. In an interview with the Guardian, The Director of Hamilton, Thomas Kail, defended the choice in their diverse casting, “We never imagined casting the show in any other way – never for one second,” he said. “We are very conscious of what we are doing here. This is not color-blind casting. It felt essential.”

Another Junior, Noelle Lo, appreciates, “The little details in choreography and the songs were wonderful. I loved the simple costumes!” Noelle is a dancer and performing artist from MAPA, who has participated in theatre. Her love for Broadway and her own experiences in musicals are closely intertwined in Hamilton.

Lastly, Senior, Marigold Baldonado’s experience of Hamilton since 2015, has definitely given her many new things to learn about since she watched it on Disney+ this year. “One of the most impressive things about Hamilton that I’ve only gotten to appreciate now . . . is the way lighting was used, the colors, the spotting, and the little messages that I never knew only being able to listen to the album! For example, one of the background performers represented a bullet and the ending with Eliza and her audible gasp.” Marigold powerfully demonstrates how the Disney+ version impressively gives the musical a more incredible dynamic and perspective from the album.

Hamilton’s memorable elements of Alexander’s life in both its soundtrack and musical, definitely make up just a fraction of the many factors of its success. We especially learn a lot about legacy and the world we want to leave behind. Hamilton intentionally addressed how our past has defined our future and how the legacy we leave behind today should build something that will outlive us. What will be yours?