Vanity Fair: The much-heralded musical Hamilton just racked up another prize. After winning several critical awards, a Grammy, and, best of all, the glowing praise of Beyoncé herself, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s play has picked up the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, beating out the likes of Gloria by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and The Humans by Stephen Karam.
5 comments:
I'm glad that Hamilton is getting even more recognition! Now it has a Pulitzer Prize, just in case there were a couple people left who had not heard of it, or just in case the cast and creative team were not entirely aware that the show is a wild success. I really liked how this article listed all of the other musicals that have won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, since it showed how Hamilton really fits within that category. Shows like RENT and Next to Normal cover very different subject matter, but both depict big parts of modern life that are not always shown in the entertainment industry. Hamilton, while not displaying subject matter that is really new, shows a historical, very American life in a very modern way. Miranda manages to capture the history of the story, and stay true to the actual facts behind the show, while still infusing aspects of modern American life, such as hip hop and a very diverse cast. As the article states, Alexander Hamilton lived the ultimate American life. As a show that is "the story of America then, told by America now," Hamilton is the perfect show for the Pulitzer Prize in drama.
I was actually pretty surprised when I found out that Hamilton won the Pulitzer Prize as it's something that I've always associated with books and plays, so it's really cool that it went to a musical. I think it really speaks to Lin-Manuel Miranda's genius that he was win this award even though he wrote a musical and not a play. Like the article said, only a handful of other musicals have won the Pulitzer Prize, and the other ones that they listed seem very different to Hamilton. Although some of the other musicals had a lot of popular appeal such as Rent and A Chorus Line, none of them share the unique musical style that Hamilton has. The lyrics and the rap within the show are so important to the storytelling and really help to draw the audience in. I think that this the main reason that the show won the prize, and it's definitely the reason that I fell in love with it.
I guess I will only comment on one of the twelve articles about Hamilton winning a Pulitzer Prize. Hamilton is literally incredible there really is not any other way to describe it. This is such a groundbreaking show that is totally changing musical theatre as we know it. It has won and will win any award it is nominated for because nothing compares to it. It definitely deserves the spot of being one of nine musicals to win a Pulitzer Prize because the writing and everything about the show is great. I am so happy for Lin Manuel Miranda and all of the success he is getting from this show. He is one of the hardest working and most humble people and he really cares about everyone involved in all aspects of a production. He has worked so hard on Hamilton and deserves all of the awards he is getting.
I’d never actually heard of the Pulitzer prize for drama. I had always assumed they only did them for books and so this was a serious surprise for me. It’s a fascinating to see Hamilton receive this distinguished literary award and I think it might help the transition between wild fanboy and fanboy appreciation to an analytical understanding of what makes this piece so revolutionary. Hamilton does an incredible job of breaking down the barriers of race and even time to bring a key part of our history back into celebration. It’s a lesson that I hope the theatre will not be quick to forget, Hamilton is not just successful because of this fact however. It is also an incredibly well written piece with the music being written almost more like a novel. The use of metaphor as well as a directness of language provides a interesting contrast and helps to advance both the characters and the play to success.
I am so proud of the Hamilton company. It IS such a force that is changing the way theatre works. I also was not aware that there was a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This discovery made me so happy because so many pieces of theatre affect people in so many ways and it is very important to give them that recognition. I just think it is insane how Hamilton has racked up so many awards from various committees and leagues. This is definitely a huge success for the creator of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Ever since his debut of In The Heights, he has been shifting the music, words, and demographic of theatre and drama. Hamilton marks a great success for him and I definitely believe Hamilton deserves this award. I look forward in seeing what other recognitions make their way toward The Hamilton Company.
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