AMERICAN THEATRE: What accounts for the phenomenal success of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical Hamilton? Four new books offer some clues. Only one of them focuses on the show exclusively: Hamilton: The Revolution includes the complete libretto, annotated by Miranda, alternating with chapters by former critic and Public Theater staff member Jeremy McCarter chronicling the six years it took to make the musical about the “10-dollar Founding Father without a father.”
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I really found it neat how a lot of these books seem to break down the core of the musical--where each number fits into the show as a whole and how each style of number affects the audience. I find it really interesting that there is in some ways a formula to whether or not this style of a musical or this orientation of songs will work or not--how performance art can be turned into almost a science. I have read parts of 2 of these books, "Hamilton the Revolution" and "On Broadway," and I found both of them very interesting. Even for those who are not megafans of Hamilton, "Hamilton the Revolution" is really interesting to see the creative process behind each and every part of the show--from the writing to the direction to the stage design, and it's a really interesting behind-the-scenes look that I wish more shows had available. "On Broadway" is also an interesting look at the marketing side of things--how the marketing of each show evolved and what made it successful.
I found this article very contradictory but in a very good way. The first part of the article takes much time explaining the math behind a good theatre show, explaining that even the most inventive shows have a traditional structure. I really enjoyed learning that there is a math behind a good show. This is partially because I love the "traditional Broadway"; I love a tap number, the big act 1 closer, and lots of character songs. I find it fascinating that even the hottest show on Broadway, considered to be an original Broadway-defining masterpiece, can be broken down to the structure of Oklahoma. Now where I believe this article contradicts itself is that the first portion takes very emotional shows and makes them an equation, and the latter half of the article describes the transformative power of theatre. It discusses the choreography in Hamilton in the scene after the son of a character dies, and how that song is used as a healing method for parents who've experienced that. I think it proves that although there may be an equation, the end product still is just as meaningful. We are telling stories in theatre, important stories that heal, excite and motivate.
It's a really interesting idea to consider that Hamilton really just fits that perfect American Musical model that many others have before it. It's a little bit like seeing behind the emerald curtain in that it does make Hamilton feel slightly less...revolutionary. While the article points out that Hamilton's style certainly accounts for a great amount of it's success, I feel as though it does discredit this idea that Hamilton is unlike any musical that has come before it and that's just the reason why it has become such a phenomenon. Perhaps a part of that success is that the currently growing generation isn't as familiar with the hits of prior, because I know that I personally have never seen a show blow up to the scale that Hamilton has in my own lifetime. It was time for a hit to land, and Hamilton did. Compared to other art forms, the history of the American Musical is far too short in length to make any real long-term calls, however, by bringing this idea forward we can definitely attempt to analyze future works according to this "magic model" moving forward.
Time to talk about Hamilton again. I really enjoyed this article because it gave a different person’s perspective on Hamilton. It was interesting to hear from a successful producer about how Hamilton is different from most shows, but also very similar to every other musical. There is a science to writing a good musical or play, which includes specific feelings in songs at specific times. Lin-Manuel Miranda included the typical hero song where they share what they want, it had a good opening, and there were a few songs in the first act that kept people interested and excited throughout intermission. I really want to read Hamilton the Revolution because it will be very interesting to hear the meaning and feeling behind many of the songs. There is so much of Alexander Hamilton’s life that Lin did not include and it will be interesting to hear why Lin put these specific moments into the show to tell the best story in his opinion.
While this article has some good points, I wouldn't say that I agree with it necessarily. To me, the purpose of this article was to break down successful musicals into patterns and make it seem like creating a hit musical is a science of sorts. There's no denying that a variety of successful musicals do follow the patterns that Viertel illustrates -- the "opening number" song followed by the "I want" and then the love type song -- but putting songs in order like this doesn't make a musical a success. What makes a musical a success is talented contributors, powerful and relatable messages, and more than anything, passion. The pattern science that Viertel described could be argued about any kind of media today. Some good songs have two verses before a chorus and then another verse, bridge, and chorus -- this won't make it a hit song if it's a bad song. When trying to find the key to success, it can't be based off of how well it follows the rules.
I really enjoyed reading about different authors take on the American Musical, specifically on Hamilton. I think that it is really interesting how much Hamilton, a musical that is considered to be groundbreaking really does follow the same kind of format as of the American Musicals. I think that the different kind of books that the article picks out provides a wide spectrum of good theatre books that I will put on my list to read. From going behind the scenes to how shows are made, producing and more the office side of theatre, to a history of the past 20 years on broadway, this article packs in a lot of information. I have already read Hamilton:The Revolution, and I think that it is an amazing book for any Hamilton fan. It offers so many insights into the lyrics and creation of the unstoppable musical. I am sure that as time moves on, Hamilton will be a major feature in the books on theatre till yet to come.
The writer of this article seems slightly incredulous of the degree to which 'Hamilton' has been praised, and a sarcasm creeps into the article, belittling the assessments the author makes. Tone aside, this article does highlight the changing times of the Broadway musical. Though primarily an analysis of what certain books have to offer the 'Hamilton'-minded reader, the article repeatedly looks at factors that caused this musical to resonate with its modern audience more so than other contemporary musicals.
The writer's examination of the books aside from 'Hamilton: The Revolution' is almost distracting, as the touch only briefly on Hamilton, a fact that the article writer is aware of. Perhaps if the article had been framed in a different way, these paragraphs would have fit, but - as it stands - I cannot tell whether the article is supposed to be an analysis of Hamilton's success in its own right, or whether it is merely a book review.
I think part of the reason this show was as successful as it was, was the fact that no one expected for a show about Alexander Hamilton to be written in this way. It was a pleasant surprise for all audiences coming to see it. From the videos I have seen and the critiques I have read, it sounds like the perfect show all around. And rarely do those happen. The cast seemed to be perfectly cast for the first time, and nobody received poor reviews. It was also interesting that Lin played the lead role once again. I think this has always added to his shows because he knows the words and story better than anyone else. I also think that the design overall was perfectly executed. The costumes and set and lights along with many other things all fit together perfectly and made the show what it was. For me, I will never be able to understand why people say this show is overrated because it is one of the best shows that has come along in a while.
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