Hamilton Pop Culture Analysis

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Pages: 3

2015 was an interesting year in pop culture. Katy Perry’s halftime Super Bowl performance became an incredibly shared meme, both the Star Wars and Jurassic Park franchises made their reappearances to the big screen, and the dreaded man-bun trend became a thing. But the most revolutionary thing to come from 2015, was a Broadway hip-hop musical based on the life of a founding father of America. That’s right. The musical “Hamilton” made its first presence on the stage 2 years ago. Actually, it wasn’t its first true appearance. The concept of Hamilton was first introduced to the public in 2009 when its creator, Lin Manuel Miranda, sang a small preview at an event. At the White House. Miranda was invited to the White House Evening of Poetry …show more content…
Miranda was on his way to a sunny Mexico beach. He was looking for a book to read under the blue sky, when he spots Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton, an 832 page extensive biography of the ten dollar founding father himself. Before the 50th page of the book, Miranda felt Hamilton’s story seem familiar. Hamilton’s story reminded him of successful rappers’ beginnings. From that point, he knew he wanted to produce something, at the time the idea was leaning towards the idea of a mixtape, with Hamilton’s view told in the style of rap. Six years later, Miranda’s done that. With drafts being fact-checked and approved by the man behind his inspiration, Ron Chernow, Miranda’s play was finally completed. In January of 2015, the first glimmer of his production was seen at its first performance in the Public Theatre. Although the general public seems to wholeheartedly agree that Hamilton is undoubtedly a masterpiece, many still wonder what about it is so appealing. And the answer is simple: It’s …show more content…
The innovative nature of the play keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, young and old. Not to mention how the show brings one of the most boring periods of American history, the formation of America, to life in the style of a musical. And it has the power to reach everyone. For the theater geeks, there’s the appeal of intricate costumes, crazy choreography, and a center character with a traceable emotional rollercoaster of a story. For the history buff, the play is accurate. From Hamilton’s origin to his overall demeanor, Miranda’s incredible detail to the smallest parts of Alexander’s life give the audience an amazingly accurate picture of Mr. Hamilton. Also in the shows favor is its incredible choice in casting. A majority of the shows’ cast are people of color. The shows diversity contradicts the technical “setting” of the musical. The events occurring in this time period were primarily done by rich, white men. Yet, these characters are being portrayed by people of all races, black, hispanic, and more. This creates a sense of unity promoted by the musicals’ style and