Hamilton Musical

​By Cecilia Yong and Tina Yang

Hamilton is a popular and entertaining musical that has been around for about 2 years. Written by Lin Manuel Miranda, who played the main character, Alexander Hamilton, it’s an amazing story with lots of rapping and singing. The story is about a 19-year-old orphan who dedicated his life to writing and helping George Washington fight Britain.   
                 
                                             Act I
In this reenactment of the American Revolution, he meets Aaron Burr , his soon-to-be rival and becomes friends with Hercules Mulligan, John Laurens, and the Marquis de Lafayette. They share their goals and get to know each other a little better. Soon after, they go to a ball and meen the Schuyler Sisters, Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy. They get a message from King George, who is very persistent and insists that they are still his subjects.

George Washington asks Hamilton to be his right-hand man, and of course, Hamilton accepts his offer. He chose to be his right-hand man rather than be on field command.  Soon after, he proposes to Eliza and they get married , and they are soon to have seven children, the first child named Philip.
        
Any of you remember John Laurens? He dueled a man named Charles Lee, who was a general. He was unfair and was a coward. Laurens shot him and Lee yielded. Washington suspended Hamilton for a period of time. After they won the fight in Yorktown, Burr has a daughter named Theodosia. Hamilton gets the news that his friend John Laurens had died in a battle . He feels horrible and begins to work ferociously. He helps write the Federalist papers and was selected as the Secretary of Treasury by George Washington, who was just elected as president.

                                            Act II
Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson debate about financial plans in a Cabinet meeting. Washington tells Hamilton privately to find a compromise to win over Congress. Eliza and the rest of her family go upstate for the summer and they try to convince Hamilton to go too, but he ends up staying at home working on the compromise. He has an affair with Maria Reynolds and which made him vulnerable to her husband’s blackmailing. Hamilton, James Madison, and Jefferson create the compromise in a private dinner and exchange Hamilton’s financial plan with placing the country’s capital by the Potomac River. Burr became jealous of Hamilton’s sway in the government and wishes he had the same authority as him.

In the second Cabinet meeting, Jefferson and Hamilton argue again about whether the United States should help France fight the British. Washington decides to retire from being a president and convinces Hamilton to write a farewell address with him. John Adams becomes the second president of the United States and fires Hamilton. The public finds out about Hamilton’s affair with Maria Reynolds, which damages his relationship with his wife, Eliza. Soon after, his son Philip died in a duel with George Eacker, who said something bad about his father. The sorrowful event caused Alexander and Eliza to come back together.
          
When Hamilton begins to support Jefferson, Hamilton and Burr’s hostility grows even stronger. Burr challenges Hamilton to a duel in an exchange of letters. Hamilton dies with Eliza and Angelica by his side. Burr regrets killing Hamilton and says he is to be the villain who killed Hamilton.


Original Broadway Cast
Alexander Hamilton: Lin Manuel Miranda
Eliza Hamilton: Phillipa Soo
Aaron Burr: Leslie Odom Jr.
Angelica Schuyler: Renée Elise Goldsberry
George Washington: Christopher Jackson
Marquis de Lafayette/ Thomas Jefferson: Daveed Diggs
Hercules Mulligan/ James Madison: Okieriete Onaodowan
John Laurens/Philip Hamilton: Anthony Ramos
Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds: Jasmine Cephas Jones
King George III: Jonathan Groff

Hamilton is an inspiring, historical, and amazing musical. It’s easy to get addicted to, and so fun to listen too! The actors and actresses are very talented-- never underestimate them! Imagine how hard it must be to do so many shows, and be able to hit all those notes! Imagine memorizing 46 songs and having to rap and sing. If you measure all the songs’ lengths, it’d add up to about 71 minutes for Act 2, and about 70 minutes for Act 1. The whole musical is actually 142 minutes! Imagine that! Although there are some disadvantages about Hamilton, there are way more advantages! If you ever decide to watch Hamilton, remember to buy two extra tickets for us (wink, wink)!

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