What You Need To Know Before Going To Hamilton

Hamilton is a musical that is based on American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. The show is said to be about ‘American then, as told by American’. The show opened on February 17, 2015, and its engagement is still going strong wherever it tours. To date, it has won many awards including the Pulitzer Prize For Drama in 2016. The musical is set to go past a billion-dollar revenue and is not a wonder considering it has a huge fan following. 

It is inspired by an Autobiography

The musical by Lin-Manual Miranda is inspired by a biography.  It is a biography of Alexander Hamilton’s life and titled ‘Alexander Hamilton’. Miranda picked this book up as a light read when on a vacation and was impressed. He was particularly impressed by the way the author has written the future he saw for himself. Miranda found that it was similar to the narratives of hip-hop music which were not told to the world by anyone else yet. He seized that opportunity and decided to make the musical himself.

Things to know before going to Hamilton

The musical has delighted theatergoers including the likes of Hillary Clinton, Madonna, Beyonce, Michelle Obama, etc. The show is touring many cities of the US including Los Angeles, New York, etc. If you are in and around those cities, tickets are few and can be obtained from different sites. You need to plan in advance to get tickets for this show opines https://www.barrystickets.com/hamilton-los-angeles-tickets/, as the fan base is huge for such events. If you do manage to get your hands on the tickets these are the things to know especially if you are a newbie to this musical:

More about Hamilton the real character

Hamilton is an immigrant who was born on the Carribean Islands. He was born to a half-British/half-French mother and Scottish father. He became an orphan at 11 after his mother died and his father abandoned them long before that. He showed great prowess as a writer and was sent to college in New York. He soon joined the army and was an assistant to General George Washington. He worked as a lawyer and helped to write the US constitution and also found the Bank of New York in partnership with a man who killed him later.

Listen to the Soundtrack first

The show has very little spoken dialogue and is completely sung. It has rap music and the words go fast and hence to make the most of your time in the show you should listen to the soundtrack beforehand. There are about 46 songs in the Hamilton and if you do not listen to the soundtrack you will end up feeling lost by the second half. It is always better that you know what you are seeing, so understand the soundtrack first.

If you are not a history buff, it is best to brush up on the Founding Fathers so that you don’t have to wrack your brain sitting there. Look up about Schuyler sisters as they are central characters, in not just the show but also the life of Alexander Hamilton. They are role models for females in American history. Another important character to read about is Vice President Aaron Burr (who killed Alexander) and his relationship with Alexander Hamilton. Do a little research before you see the show to enjoy the experience.