AMAZING! Hamilton as a whole is amazing, but alone this made me cry Lin-Manuel Miranda is a god.
Hamilton This book is great. I loved seeing how Lin-Manuel Miranda showed the process of creating the masterpiece musical Hamilton.
Fantastic Reflection This was perfection. The book is one part annotated musical, one part documentary, and one part deep reflection. Hamilton itself is such a thematically driven piece of genius and getting to see the reasoning and development of those themes and motifs was fantastic. There were so many references and influences (from Shakespeare to Tupac to Les Mis to The Beatles to Gilbert and Sullivan to Voltaire) that they’re very difficult to appreciate upon first listen. Not to mention all of the great detail that was put into the composing, the set design, the costuming, and the choreography. It all fits together flawlessly, seamlessly. This book was the perfect collection of all of these influences and tidbits and it was presented in a way that helps the audience take a step back and really appreciate the effort and genius that had to go in to making this piece of art seem so effortless.
But really who even writes a reflective, nearly 200-page documentary tome for a play that has only existed on stage for two years? In any other arena, a book like this would feel gimmicky and attention sinking, but in this unique situation this book feels, instead, like sharing a story with a cast who is proud and slightly mesmerized by where things have gone. I think that’s the biggest testament to the whirlwind that is Hamilton. It doesn’t feel like a fad in any way. It’s rooted in a story that is incredibly intriguing, touching, thought provoking and inspiring, and those roots run deep and they run far to reach a very diverse audience. Nothing feels glossy or contrived. There is so much to connect with and reflect on that you’re immediately drawn in.
It has only been two years, but this story and this piece of art feel timeless and effortless already. Getting to read the behind the scenes stories of how much effort and tweaking and fate had to be put in to get it to where it is now felt like a treat.