NPR is streaming the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hamilton right now. The two disc release does not come out until 26 September (digitally; the CD's not out until 16 October) and the show is basically sold out for the next few months already. This is your earliest and easiest chance to hear the entire show for the first time. Hamilton tells the story of Alexander Hamilton through rap, song, and dance. It follow his life from his college days to his death in a duel with Aaron Burr. Written and composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Tony Award winner for In the Heights, composer of the highly underrated Bring It On), the show has received nothing but rave reviews since its debut as a conceptual album called The Hamilton Mixtape. Miranda stars as Hamilton, with Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr, Phillipa Soo as Eliza Schuyler Hamilton, David Diggs as Thomas Jefferson, Jonathan Groff as King George, and Renee Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schulyer Church.
I'm going to be perfectly honest here: I actually didn't like In the Heights, Miranda's debut musical. The show received 13 Tony nominations, winning for Musical, Score, Orchestrations, and Choreography. I appreciated the creative risk of composing a musical largely with rap music. The staging, choreography, and cast were excellent. Miranda himself is a charming performer who always commands the stage. I just think it felt more like a well-staged novelty than a cohesive musical. I'm in the minority in this thinking. That's the beauty of theater: everyone will find shows they love and hate for various reasons. Not working for me, personally, doesn't mean In the Heights was not a good show.
While it's certainly not fair to judge Hamilton from its soundtrack alone, I can say I already prefer this score to In the Heights. I feel it has cleaner transitions between the songs. The layering that defined so much of In the Heights is so much clearer here.
I also prefer that Hamilton uses so much rap. In the Heights was a musical with rap; Hamilton is a musical defined by rap. The integration of period orchestrations and hip-hop mainstays to define the conflict between the colonies and Britain works really well.
Essentially, I believe that Lin-Manuel Miranda, a very young creator (he's only five years older than me and won fame in his mid-20s), has found his voice as a composer. It's a unique voice in musical theater and one that does call for celebration. It's not just the rap; it's his understanding of layered counter melodies, ear for a good hook, and his clever lyrics.
Hamilton is the talk of NYC right now and it's totally deserved. Miranda, the creative team, and cast of the show are doing incredible work in an innovative show that forces us to reimagine our nation's history through a modern, multicultural lens.
Give the soundtrack a listen and tell me what you think in the comments below.
