I gave a cursory mention to the broadway show Hamilton in yesterday’s post, but I thought it is worthy of a post on its own.

I’m not a fan of musicals. Just act out the story or tell me what’s going on. I don’t need you to sing it to me. That is my attitude before watching my first-ever Broadway show courtesy of Disney+.

For those who are unfamiliar, Hamilton is a musical that illustrates the life of one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton was never President, but he does appear on the US $10 bill. The musical ran on Broadway in 2015 and garnered record ticket sales and 11 Tony awards and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for drama. 

The music and lyrics were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also starred as Alexander Hamilton during the Broadway run. The modern, hip-hop music is an interesting contrast to the historical context. The music, choreography, acting, and stagecraft are all top-notch. It is impressive to see how all the artistry comes together. 

Watching a musical is a lot like listening to an album for the first time. You need repeated listenings in order to fully understand it. I may listen to the soundtrack a few times and perhaps watch it again at some point.

While I am impressed by the artistry of a show like this, my opinion of musicals remains the same. They are not my preferred form of content.