Taylor Swift Dear John Lyrics

“

The song "Dear John" is sort of like the last email you would ever send to someone that you used to be in a relationship with. Usually people write this venting last email to someone and they say everything that they want to say to that person, and then they usually don't send it. I guess by putting this song on the album I am pushing send.

”

Dear John is a 2010 song by Taylor Swift on the album Speak Now.

The song is written about John Mayer, who Taylor Swift  had briefly dated. She also worked with him on a song called "Half of My Heart" for his 2009 album Battle Studies.

Mayer, who is well-known for publicly talking about his relationships with various famous women in the press, has whined in an interview in Rolling Stones about Taylor writing the song about him. He said about Taylor humiliating him with the song. 

Long were the nights when my days once revolved around you
Counting my footsteps,
Praying the floor won't fall through, again
My mother accused me of losing my mind,
But I swore I was fine, you paint me a blue sky
And go back and turn it to rain
And I lived in your chess game,
But you changed the rules every day
Wondering which version of you I might get on the phone
Tonight, well I stopped picking up, and this song is to let you know why

Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress, cried the whole way home, I should've known

Well maybe it's me and my blind optimism to blame
Maybe it's you and your sick need to give love then take it awayAnd you'll add my name to your long list of traitors who don't understand
And I'll look back and regret how I ignored when they said "run as fast as you can"1

Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress, cried the whole way home

Dear John, I see it all, now it was wrong
Don't you think nineteen is too young
To be played by your dark twisted games, when I loved you so?
I should've known

You are an expert at sorry,
And keeping the lines blurry
Never impressed by me acing your tests
All the girls that you've run dry
Have tired, lifeless eyes
'Cause you burned them out
But I took your matches before fire could catch me,
So don't look now, I'm shining like fireworks over your sad, empty town1

Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress, cried the whole way home.

I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress wrote you a song
You should've known, you should've known
Don't you think I was too young? You should've known

Brenda Fassie - Black President (Aye Nelson Mandela)

Brenda Fassie - My Black President (A Tribute To Nelson Mandela) video & lyrics

This post showcases Brenda Fassie's song "My Black President". This song was composed, recorded, and released in 1983 as a tribute to Nelson Mandela who was  imprisoned in South Africa for his anti-apartheid actions. Fassie added another verse to this song when Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa in 1994. She sang this song during Nelson Mandela's inauguration.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, historical, educational, and aesthetic purposes.

*
Nelson Mandela
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela
"[Nelson] Mandela served 27 years in prison, initially on Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison. An international campaign lobbied for his release, which was granted in 1990 amid escalating civil strife [in the nation of South Africa]."
-snip-
From http://www.ask.com/question/when-did-nelson-mandela-become-president
"Nelson Mandela became president on 10th May 1994 after South Africa's first multi-racial elections were held on 27 April 1994. The African National Congress (ANC) won 62% of the votes in the election, and Mandela, as leader of the ANC, was inaugurated as the country's first black President. He presided over the transition from minority rule and apartheid, winning international respect for his advocacy of national and international reconciliation."


Brenda Fassie
From http://www.answers.com/topic/brenda-fassie#ixzz2mrnELZhT
"Known as the "Madonna of the Townships" or simply as the "undisputed queen of the vocals," and generally deemed one of South Africa's biggest female pop stars of recent years, Brenda Fassie [born in 1964] notched a long string of infectious pop hits. Her music was deeply woven into the fabric of South African life, and more than once her music played a role in the country's tumultuous political scene. A major talent whose popularity survived several waves of musical fashion and extended at its height to Europe and the United States, Fassie struggled with personal demons before dying a tragically early death in 2004.

By 1983 Fassie had formed an act of her own called Brenda and the Big Dudes, and that year she had a breakthrough hit with "Weekend Special," singing in the disco-flavored "bubblegum" style. "Weekend Special" sold over 200,000 copies and had an extended life in cover versions and remixes, including one by New York producer Van Gibbs in 1986 that spent eight weeks on Billboard magazine's Hot Black Singles chart. The song's international success led to a Fassie tour of the United States, Europe, Australia, and Brazil.

After parting ways with the Big Dudes, Fassie partnered with producer Sello "Chicco" Twala to record the 1989 album Too Late for Mama. Among several hits that became widely known in South Africa's black townships was "Black President," a single that looked forward to the dismantling of the country's apartheid system. That song was banned for a time by the South African government, but Fassie's popularity only increased."...


LYRICS: MY BLACK PRESIDENT
(Brenda Fassie)

The year 1963
The people's president
Was taken away by security men
All dressed in a uniform
The brutality, brutality
Oh no, my, my black president

Him and his comrades
Were sentenced to isolation
For many painful years
For many painful years
Many painful years
Of hard labor

They broke rocks
But the spirit was never broken
Never broken
Oh no, my, my black president

Hmm maa, hmm maa, hmm ma mama
Hmm maa, hmm maa, hmm ma mama
Hmm maa, hmm maa, hmm ma Madiba
Hmm maa, hmm maa, hmm ma Madiba
Ahh uyem-yem

They broke rocks
But the spirit was never broken
Never broken
Oh my black president

Let us rejoice for our president
Let us sing for our president
Let us pray for our president
Let us sing, let us dance
For Madiba, Madiba's freedom

Now in 1990
The people's president
Came out from jail
Raised up his hand and said
"Viva, viva, my people"

He walked the long road
Back, back to freedom
Back to freedom
Freedom for my black president

Let us rejoice for our president
Let us sing for our president
et us pray for our president
Let us sing, let us dance
For Madiba, Madiba's freedom

We thank You Lord,
For listening to our prayers
Oh, my president

I will die for my president
I will sing for my president
I will stand and say
Viva, viva, viva, viva, viva, viva my president


RIP Mandiba Nelson Mandela (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013)

The Band - The Last Waltz - Full Concert “The Last Waltz” at 40: The Band and their classic movie speak beyond boomer nostalgia Scorsese's 1978 movie with Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Muddy Waters appeals powerfully to younger musicians too

“The Last Waltz” at 40: The Band and their classic movie speak beyond boomer nostalgia
Scorsese's 1978 movie with Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell and Muddy Waters appeals powerfully to younger musicians too


(Credit: United Artists)


The consummate musical cliché of the baby boomer era is the big, guitar-wielding encore where a bunch of white men in long hair and casual clothes take turns singing one verse after another of a really long, usually blues-based, song. Sometimes it is followed by a boomer-iffic group hug among presumably straight men.

In its crudest form, this describes the enormous, multi-band, marathon concert that came to be known as “The Last Waltz”: a rock-till-dawn gathering assembled by The Band, a quintet of roots musicians who had once backed up Bob Dylan, to play a farewell show alongside their old boss. Old friends and inspirations like Neil Young, Van Morrison, Joni Mitchell, Dr. John and Muddy Waters joined in as well (and, for some reason, Neil Diamond showed up).

As humble as The Band’s identity was — this was a group without a lead singer, after all, and which saw itself as channeling the spirit of the American past even though most of them came from Canada — the concert itself was like the final stand of rock’s royalty. It was a celebration of a legendary group, of the fellowship of the road, of the passing of an era.

But what’s funny about “The Last Waltz,” which was filmed on Thanksgiving 1976 in San Francisco’s Winterland Ballroom and released as a Martin Scorsese film two years later, is that it didn’t just engage nostalgic boomers. It spoke to music and film fans — some of whom would go on to become important players in a country-derived tradition The Band had helped inaugurate. Forty years later, it’s still a milestone.

“Oh, man, it really blew my mind!” said the normally dry Gillian Welch, the pioneering new-acoustic musician, born in 1967, who didn’t hear the original three-LP album or see the film until she was in college. “So much of the music I loved — all in one show. I was unprepared for what it looked like when you played music that sounded like that. They were moving more than I thought. Oh man! They just looked like gods to me. I think it honestly went into me at a cellular level.”

The musician James Felice says he and his fellow Felice Brothers — an upstate New York roots band mostly in their early 30s — saw the film only about a decade ago. “I just remember feeling a palpable sense of awe at The Band’s musicianship,” he said by email. “Each guy was so damn good, and had such unique style and personality, but they made it work perfectly together. They were basically rock and roll superheroes, like ‘The Avengers’ or something.”

What’s surprising about this boomer milestone, made and released before most Xers were out of elementary school — some, because the birth range typically goes from 1964 to 1981, were not born yet — is how the movie connects across generations.

Part of it is just that this concert saw a collection of some of the greatest and deepest musicians if any generation. Some of it is Mojo-magazine-style nostalgia for a more authentic age. “We all romanticize that period so much,” says Taylor Goldsmith, the 31-year-old lead singer of the band Dawes, whose first few albums grew right out of the ground The Band plowed. Some members of Wilco, including bassist John Stirratt, are also major fans of the film and the group.

But part of it may be that “The Last Waltz” and the story of The Band — especially for those who know the whole tale — signified both boomer utopia and Gen X disillusionment at the same time. Nobody was killed, and no one OD’ed on the brown acid. But with one movie, Scorsese and The Band produced Woodstock and Altamont simultaneously. On its 40th anniversary, which sees Rhino reissuing the recording and film in various versions, it’s as ambiguous as ever.

* * *

Around the time of The Band’s Thanksgiving concert (which involved a turkey dinner served to thousands of audience members), the course of rock history was changing in a profound way. The group was retiring partly because its members were worn out from the road, but they also recognized that they were the final gasp of something — of a rock ’n’ roll tradition that was grounded in the Chicago blues, gospel and the rockabilly of the South. (The movie’s inclusion of Muddy Waters, the Staples Singers and their old boss Ronnie Hawkins was in some ways a nod to this.)

So it was not just vainglory to dub the concert “The Last Waltz”: This really was the end of something. Some of these musicians would have late-career renaissances years later — Neil Young and Dylan most notably — but most of them had already peaked artistically by 1976, and even their best work would seem out of place in the new world.

Glam musicians like David Bowie and Roxy Music had electrified young music fans, and made the denim-and-fringed-vest crowd look like backwoods day laborers. The year before the concert, a New York City poet named Patti Smith had released a volcanic debut album called “Horses” that went so deep into feminism and contemporary politics that even Joni Mitchell seemed positively medieval.

By Thanksgiving, history was bending. CBGBs was now more important than the Fillmore West: Its denizens, the band Television, had recorded punk rock’s most poetic LP — “Marquee Moon” — a few months before, and the gawky geniuses of Talking Heads had just signed to Sire. Britain was burning: The Clash and The Sex Pistols had just played a show together in Sheffield. If this new generation had its way, this would be a last waltz indeed. By the time the concert film was released, two years later, punk bands were moving into mid-career (the Clash was dreaming up “London Calling”), and “New Wave” showed a second, more pop-savvy vanguard led by a lanky, bespectacled Liverpudlian who had cheekily named himself for the king of rock ’n’ roll. The Sugarhill Gang would score hip-hop’s first hit with “Rapper’s Delight” just a year later.

This kind of irreverence, aggression and sonic experimentation was most decidedly not what The Band or “Last Waltz” fellow travelers like Eric Clapton or Emmylou Harris or Ringo Starr were about.

Gen Xers and their younger compatriots, though, grew up in a world shaped by punk and hip-hop, and the moussed-out glitz of MTV. And somehow, this earnest, often blues née country née folk-based music, so different from what this younger crowd heard on the radio and saw on television, would make profound sense to some of them.
* * *

As celebratory as the concert was, as sincere its treatment of the music’s old guard, there was a darkness to “The Last Waltz” that was different from what the group may have intended. Some of the band members were wasted from drugs. The Band’s guitarist and songwriter Robbie Robertson told a backstage anecdote — the film was full of moments where the musicians spun stories from the road — that involved playing with legendary bluesman Sonny Boy Williamson, who would alternate playing harmonica with spitting blood into a can.

Most seriously, perhaps, the members of The Band — after 16 years on the road — hated each other. At least some of the time. Robertson was the only one dedicated to a retirement from touring; the others weren’t as sure. And it didn’t get better when the movie came out. Levon Helm, the band’s drummer and sometime singer, was particularly upset. “For two hours we watched as the camera focused almost exclusively on Robbie Robertson, long and loving close-ups of his heavily made-up face and expensive haircut,” he wrote in his memoir, “This Wheel’s on Fire.” “The film was edited so it looked like Robbie was conducting the band with expansive waves of his guitar neck.”

Robertson was most outgoing member of the group, and an engaging and charismatic storyteller, but at times it seemed like pianist Richard Manuel and organist Garth Hudson, who both sang as well, were barely part of the group. (Helm and bassist Rick Danko fared a bit better.)

The reality cut against the image of the band, memorialized in part by a bravura chapter in Greil Marcus’ “Mystery Train: Images of America in Rock ‘N’ Roll Music,” as a group of ego-less, passionate friends, singing vocal harmonies that could help the nation heal after the divisions of the Vietnam war.

When Goldsmith saw the movie in 2008, around the time Dawes was recording its debut album, “North Hills,” he saw, mostly, the dream. “You heard that there’s a whole philosophy to the group’s name: The guy who wrote the songs didn’t sing them, and there was no lead singer. It was so democratic. That’s what created the romance. You think of partnerships like Keith and Mick, or Lennon and McCartney. This was like a five-way relationship — that rock ’n’ roll band romance — epitomized in American rock.”

Perhaps appropriately for younger generations that inherited a less innocent nation after the reveries of the boomers, some Gen X and millennial fans responded to the film not in spite of, but because of the pain and tension.

“It made you want to see more of it, because it sounded like so much had been left out,” says Michael Trent of the Americana duo Shovels & Rope. “As much as I hated to take sides,” says his wife and bandmate Cary Ann Hearst, who was won over by Helm’s description of being an Arkansas country boy visiting New York City, “it’s hard not to. But it didn’t change my mind about the movie, or its sweetness.” Shovels & Rope sing a song about Hudson, “The Last Hawk,” on their new album.

As a first viewing of the movie became an obsession for young musicians, their point of view grew more complex. Some learned, for instance, that they were not really hearing what was played that night: Much of the parts were later overdubbed in the studio because the playing was so sloppy. “The more you get to know about ‘The Last Waltz,’ or get to know about Richard Manuel — in the film he’s pretty tweaked out… It was a pretty tragic story,” says Goldsmith. “They seem upset with each other. But it doesn’t make you love them any less.”

The hard tales from the road, the stories of personal tension, and the rigors of the touring life only excited Gillian Welch and her partner David Rawlings even more. “It means there was all this life behind this one concert,” she said. “You’d drive around for 20 years — yeah, that’s what you’d do. I honestly think it’s altered decisions Dave and I have made. We drive around in a Cadillac, and have been doing that for 20 years. You don’t take a shuttle to the airport.”

The Band — most of whom played with Dylan on his tumultuous 1966 world tour (as “The Hawks), on his epochal “Blonde on Blonde” album, and on the rough home recordings later released as “The Basement Tapes” — certainly had some great years before things all went bad.

But the albums after their first two — “Music from Big Pink” and “The Band” — only occasionally approached the old magic. And post-“Last Waltz,” their solo careers mostly faltered.

Things went from bad to worse. In 1986, Manuel hanged himself after ingesting liquor and cocaine. A heart attack after decades of drink and drugs killed Danko in 1999. Helm ran a series of “midnight rambles” at his farmhouse in Woodstock and made several celebrated albums in his 60s. But cancer took him in 2012. Hudson and Robertson are still alive.

But that’s not entirely all.

My interest in this group, album and film are not entirely archival. As a kid, I was dragged, partly against my will, to see the movie at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge. It was a double feature with “Singin’ in the Rain,” which I knew and loved, but I was, at 10, not the least bit interested in waltzing. At the time I was a pure British Invasion-and-Dylan zealot — the idea that country rock even existed or could be any good had never crossed my mind. My father insisted.

But from the first scenes of backstage pool-playing and the one-two-three punch of Band songs “Up on Cripple Creek,” “The Shape I’m In,” and “It Makes No Difference,” my life changed. It took me years to get deeply into alt-country and the blues and Van Morrison, but I was launched on a journey. My dad wasn’t always right, but he often was. I dedicate this story to his memory.

"Alexander Hamilton" from HAMILTON (Musicality Cover)

Broadway musical (2015)Hamilton the Musical - Alexander Hamilton Lyrics
"Alexander Hamilton" is a song from the Broadway musical Hamilton performed by Leslie Odom Jr. (Burr), Anthony Ramos (Laurens), Daveed Diggs (Jefferson), Okieriete Onaodowan (Madison), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton), Phillipa Soo (Eliza), Christopher Jackson (Washington) and other Cast.

AARON BURR:
How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a
Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten
Spot in the Caribbean by Providence, impoverished, in squalor
Grow up to be a hero and a scholar?

JOHN LAURENS:
The ten-dollar Founding Father without a father
Got a lot farther by workin’ a lot harder
By bein’ a lot smarter
By bein’ a self-starter
By fourteen, they placed him in charge of a trading charter

THOMAS JEFFERSON:
And every day while slaves were being slaughtered and carted
Away across the waves, he struggled and kept his guard up
Inside, he was longing for something to be a part of
The brother was ready to beg, steal, borrow, or barter

JAMES MADISON:
Then a hurricane came, and devastation reigned
Our man saw his future drip, drippin’ down the drain
Put a pencil to his temple, connected it to his brain
And he wrote his first refrain, a testament to his pain

BURR:
Well the word got around, they said, “This kid is insane, man!”
Took up a collection just to send him to the mainland
“Get your education, don’t forget from whence you came, and
The world’s gonna know your name! What’s your name, man?"

ALEXANDER HAMILTON:
Alexander Hamilton
My name is Alexander Hamilton
And there’s a million things I haven’t done
But just you wait, just you wait

ELIZA HAMILTON:
When he was ten, his father split, full of it, debt-ridden
Two years later, see Alex and his mother, bed-ridden
Half-dead, sittin’ in their own sick
The scent thick

COMPANY:
And Alex got better but his mother went quick

GEORGE WASHINGTON and (COMPANY):
Moved in with a cousin, the cousin committed suicide
Left him with nothin’ but ruined pride, somethin’ new inside
A voice saying "(Alex) you gotta fend for yourself"
He started retreatin’ and readin’ every treatise on the shelf

BURR and (COMPANY):
There would’ve been nothin’ left to do
For someone less astute
He would’ve been dead or destitute
Without a cent of restitution
Started workin’, clerkin’ for his late mother’s landlord
Tradin’ sugar cane and rum and other things he can’t afford
(Scammin’) for every book he can get his hands on
(Plannin’) for the future, see him now as he stands on (oooh)
The bow of a ship headed for a new land
In New York you can be a new man

COMPANY and (HAMILTON):
In New York you can be a new man (Just you wait)
In New York you can be a new man (Just you wait)
In New York you can be a new man

WOMEN:
In New York
MEN:
New York

HAMILTON:
Just you wait

COMPANY and (COMPANY):
Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
We are waiting in the wings for you (waiting in the wings for you)
You could never back down
You never learned to take your time
Oh, Alexander Hamilton (Alexander Hamilton)
When America sings for you
Will they know what you overcame?
Will they know you rewrote the game?
The world will never be the same, oh

BURR and (COMPANY):
The ship is in the harbor now, see if you can spot him
(Just you wait)
Another immigrant comin’ up from the bottom
(Just you wait)
His enemies destroyed his rep, America forgot him

MULLIGAN/MADISON AND LAFAYETTE/JEFFERSON:
We fought with him

LAURENS/PHILLIP:
Me? I died for him

WASHINGTON:
Me? I trusted him

ANGELICA SCHUYLER, ELIZA, MARIA REYNOLDS:
Me? I loved him

BURR:
And me? I’m the damn fool that shot him

COMPANY:
There’s a million things I haven’t done
But just you wait

BURR:
What’s your name, man?

HAMILTON & COMPANY:
Alexander Hamilton!

Read more: Hamilton the Musical Lyrics

Alexander Hamilton lyrics from Hamilton musical

This article is about the musical. For the Broadway cast recording, see Hamilton (album).

Hamilton
An American Musical
Playbill from the Original Broadway Production
Music	Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lyrics	Lin-Manuel Miranda
Book	Lin-Manuel Miranda
Basis	Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Premiere	January 20, 2015: The Public Theater, New York City
Productions	2015 Off-Broadway 2015 Broadway 2016 Chicago 2017 US National tour 2017 West End
Awards	List of awards [show]

Hamilton is a musical about the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, with music, lyrics and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The show, inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by historian Ron Chernow, achieved both critical acclaim and box office success.

The musical made its Off-Broadway debut at The Public Theater in February 2015, where its engagement was sold out. The show transferred to Broadway in August 2015 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. On Broadway, it received enthusiastic critical acclaim and unprecedented advance box office sales. Nominated for a record-setting 16 Tony Awards, the production ultimately won 11, including Best Musical, and is also the recipient of the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The prior off-Broadway production of Hamilton won the 2015 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical as well as seven other Drama Desk Awards out of 14 total nominated categories.

A production of the musical will open in Chicago in 2016. In 2017, a national touring production is expected to begin, and it may have international productions beginning in London.

Background

Lin-Manuel Miranda Performs at the White House Poetry Jam^[4]

External audio

Lin-Manuel Miranda Talks 'Hamilton': Once A 'Ridiculous' Pitch, Now A Revolution, interview with Scott Simon, NPR, April 9, 2016

At the airport, while on a vacation from his hit Broadway show In The Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda decided to pick up and read Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, a biography of Alexander Hamilton. After finishing the first couple of chapters, Miranda quickly began envisioning the life of Hamilton as a musical and researched whether or not a stage musical of his life had been created. A play of Hamilton's story had been done on Broadway in 1917, starring George Arliss as Alexander Hamilton.^[5]

Upon Miranda's discovery he began a project entitled The Hamilton Mixtape and worked on it during his spare time from In The Heights. On May 12, 2009, Miranda was invited to perform music from In The Heightsat the White House Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word. Instead he performed the first song fromThe Hamilton Mixtape, a rough version which would later become "Alexander Hamilton", Hamilton's opening number. He spent a year after that working on "My Shot", another early number from the show.^[6]

Miranda performed in a workshop production of the show, then titled The Hamilton Mixtape, at the VassarReading Festival on July 27, 2013.^[7] The workshop production was directed by Thomas Kail and musically directed by Alex Lacamoire. The workshop consisted of the entirety of the first act of the show and 3 songs from the second act. The workshop was accompanied by Lacamoire on the piano.^[6] The only cast members to continue with the show throughout the rest of its course to Broadway were Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson/Marquis de Lafayette, Chris Jackson as George Washington, and Javier Muñoz as Alexander Hamilton (alternate).

Synopsis[edit]

Act One[edit]

The musical begins with the company summarizing Alexander Hamilton's early life as an orphan in the Caribbean ("Alexander Hamilton").

In the summer of 1776 in New York City, Hamilton seeks out Aaron Burr. Burr advises him to "talk less; smile more." Hamilton rebuffs Burr's philosophy ("Aaron Burr, Sir") and instead joins three revolutionaries he meets: abolitionist John Laurens, the flamboyant Marquis de Lafayette, and the tailor's apprentice Hercules Mulligan. Hamilton dazzles them with his oratory skills ("My Shot") and they dream of laying down their lives for the cause ("The Story of Tonight"). Meanwhile, the wealthy Schuyler sisters—Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy—wander the streets of New York, excited by the spirit of revolution in the air ("The Schuyler Sisters").

Samuel Seabury, a vocal Loyalist, preaches against the revolution, and Hamilton refutes and ridicules his statements ("Farmer Refuted"). A message arrives from King George III, reminding the colonists that he is willing and able to fight for their love ("You'll Be Back").

The revolution is underway, and Hamilton, Burr, and their friends join the Continental Army. As the army retreats from New York City, General George Washington realizes he needs help to win the war. Though Hamilton desires a command and to fight on the front lines, he recognizes the opportunity Washington offers him, and accepts a position as his aide-de-camp ("Right Hand Man").

In the winter of 1780, the men attend a ball given by Philip Schuyler, and Hamilton sets his sights on the man's daughters ("A Winter's Ball"). Eliza is instantly smitten, and after being introduced by Angelica, Eliza and Hamilton soon wed ("Helpless"). Meanwhile, Angelica is also intellectually and physically attracted to Hamilton, but swallows her feelings for the sake of her sister's happiness ("Satisfied"). Burr arrives to offer congratulations, and privately admits to Hamilton that he is having an affair with the wife of a British officer. Hamilton advises him to take action ("The Story of Tonight (Reprise)"). Burr, however, prefers to wait and see what life has in store for him ("Wait For It").

As the revolution continues, Hamilton repeatedly petitions Washington to give him command, but Washington refuses, instead promoting Charles Lee. This decision proves disastrous at the Battle of Monmouth, where Lee orders a retreat against Washington's orders, which prompts the commander to remove him from command in favor of Lafayette. Disgruntled, Lee spreads slanderous and vindictive rumors about Washington. Hamilton is offended, but Washington orders Hamilton to ignore the comments. Laurens, now also an aide to Washington, volunteers to duel Lee so that Hamilton may avoid disobeying Washington's orders ("Stay Alive"). Laurens wins the duel by injuring Lee ("Ten Duel Commandments"). Washington is enraged at the duel, and orders Hamilton to return home to his wife ("Meet Me Inside"). When Hamilton returns home, Eliza tells him she is pregnant. She reassures a hesitant Hamilton that he is enough for her ("That Would Be Enough").

Lafayette takes a larger leadership role in the revolution, convincing France to join the American cause, and the balance shifts in favor of the Continental Army. Washington and Lafayette realize they can win the war by cutting off the British navy at Yorktown, but they will need Hamilton to do so, and the general reluctantly gives him his long-awaited command ("Guns and Ships"). On the eve of battle, Washington recalls his disastrous first command, and advises Hamilton that no man can control how he is remembered ("History Has Its Eyes on You"). After several days of fighting, the Continental Army is victorious. The British surrender in the last major battle of the war ("Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)"). His forces defeated, King George asks the rebels how they expect to govern on their own without their people hating them ("What Comes Next?").

Soon after the revolution, Hamilton's son Philip is born, while Burr has a daughter, Theodosia ("Dear Theodosia"). Hamilton's moment of peace is shattered when news arrives that Laurens has been killed ("Tomorrow There'll Be More Of Us"). Hamilton and Burr both return to New York to finish their studies and pursue careers as lawyers. Burr is in awe of Hamilton's unyielding work ethic and becomes increasingly irritated by his success. Hamilton is chosen as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787. Hamilton enlists James Madison and John Jay to writeThe Federalist Papers after Burr refuses. The newly elected President Washington enlists Hamilton for the job of Treasury Secretary, despite a helpless Eliza's pleas ("Non-Stop").

Act Two[edit]

In 1789, Thomas Jefferson returns to the U.S. from France, where he spent most of the Articles of Confederation era as an ambassador. Washington has asked him to be Secretary of State under the new Constitution, and Madison asks for Jefferson's help to stop Hamilton's financial plan, which Madison believes gives the government too much control ("What'd I Miss?"). Jefferson and Hamilton then engage in debate over the merits of Hamilton's financial plan during a Cabinet meeting. Washington pulls Hamilton aside, and tells him to figure out a compromise to win over Congress ("Cabinet Battle #1").

While working at home, Eliza reminds Hamilton of Philip's ninth birthday. Philip presents Hamilton with a short rap he composed, amazing his father. Angelica advises Hamilton to convince Jefferson of his plan so Congress will accept it. Later, Eliza and Angelica try to persuade Hamilton to accompany them on vacation for the summer, but Hamilton refuses, saying that he has to work on his plan for Congress, staying in New York while the family goes upstate. ("Take a Break").

While alone, Hamilton is visited by Maria Reynolds, who claims her husband is mistreating her. When Hamilton offers to help her, she seduces him and they begin an affair. Maria's husband James Reynolds blackmails Hamilton, who is furious with Maria but pays Reynolds and continues the affair ("Say No To This").

Hamilton discusses his plan with Jefferson and Madison over a private dinner, which results in the Compromise of 1790, giving support to Hamilton's financial plan in exchange for moving the United States capital from New York to Washington, D.C., a site much closer to Jefferson's home in Virginia. Burr is envious of Hamilton's sway in the government and wishes he had similar power ("The Room Where It Happens"). Burr switches political parties and defeats Eliza's father, Philip Schuyler, in a race for his seat in the Senate, driving a wedge between Burr and Hamilton ("Schuyler Defeated").

In another cabinet meeting, Jefferson and Hamilton argue over whether the United States should assist France in their revolution. Washington ultimately agrees with Hamilton's argument for remaining neutral ("Cabinet Battle #2"). After the meeting, Burr, Jefferson, and Madison bemoan how nice it must be for Hamilton to always have Washington's support, and they seek a way to damage Hamilton's image ("Washington on Your Side").

Washington tells Hamilton that Jefferson has resigned from his position in government in order to run for president, and that Washington himself is stepping down. Hamilton is shocked, but Washington convinces him that it is the right thing to do, and they write a farewell address ("One Last Time"). In England, King George III receives news about Washington's step down from leadership and the election of John Adams. The king exits merrily, ready for the United States to fall under Adams' leadership ("I Know Him").

Adams and Hamilton have a huge altercation and effectively destroy the Federalist Party ("The Adams Administration"). Thinking they have discovered a scandal capable of destroying Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison and Burr accuse him of embezzling government money and committing treason. In reality, however, they found the transactions from his affair with Maria Reynolds. Hamilton, knowing that the truth is the only way out, tells them about his affair and begs them not to tell anyone ("We Know"). Still worried that they will tell, Hamilton thinks about how writing openly and honestly has saved him in the past ("Hurricane"), and publishes a public admission about the affair, hoping to snuff out rumors of embezzlement and save his political legacy ("The Reynolds Pamphlet"). His personal reputation, however, is ruined. In despondence, Eliza tearfully burns their correspondence, destroying Hamilton's chance at being redeemed by "future historians" and keeping the world from knowing how she reacted by "erasing herself from the narrative" ("Burn").

Years pass, and Hamilton's son Philip challenges a man named George Eacker to a duel for his slander of Hamilton's reputation. Philip aims for the sky from the beginning of the duel, but at the count of seven, Eacker shoots him ("Blow Us All Away"). Philip is taken to a doctor, who is unable to save him. Hamilton and Eliza separately arrive not long before Philip dies ("Stay Alive (Reprise)"). In the aftermath of Philip's death, the Hamiltons move uptown. Hamilton asks for Eliza's forgiveness, which he eventually receives ("It's Quiet Uptown").

The presidential election of 1800 results in President John Adams being defeated, with Jefferson and Burr deadlocked in a tie. Hamilton is upset that Burr has once again changed his ideals for personal gain, and instead throws his support behind Jefferson, who ends up winning the delegates by a landslide ("The Election of 1800"). Burr, enraged, exchanges letters with Hamilton and challenges him to a duel ("Your Obedient Servant"). Before sunrise on the morning of the duel, Eliza asks Hamilton to come back to bed, but he says he has to leave before lovingly complimenting her ("Best of Wives and Best of Women").

Burr and Hamilton travel to Weehawken, New Jersey for the duel, near the site where Philip was shot. As a gunshot sounds, Hamilton soliloquizes on death, his relationships, and his legacy. He aims his pistol at the sky and is struck by Burr's shot, dying soon after. Burr laments that even though he survived, he's cursed to be the villain in history, remembered only as the man who killed Alexander Hamilton ("The World Was Wide Enough").

The company congregates to close the story. Washington enters and reminds the audience that they have no control over how they will be remembered. Jefferson and Madison collectively admit the genius of their political rival's work. Eliza explains how she fights to save her husband's legacy over the next 50 years and frets that she has not done enough, and she then asks the audience who will tell their story once she is gone. As she dies, Hamilton shows her all those who will care for and protect her legacy as she did for him ("Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story").^[8]

Principal roles and major casts[edit]

Character	Vassar Workshop (2013)[9]	Off-Broadway (2015)[10]	Original Broadway Cast (2015)[11]	Current Broadway Cast
Alexander Hamilton	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Lin-Manuel Miranda / Javier Muñoz
Aaron Burr	Utkarsh Ambudkar	Leslie Odom, Jr.
Eliza Schuyler Hamilton	Ana Nogueira	Phillipa Soo
Angelica Schuyler Church	Anika Noni Rose	Renée Elise Goldsberry
Marquis de Lafayette / Thomas Jefferson	Daveed Diggs
George Washington	Christopher Jackson
King George III	Joshua Henry	Brian d'Arcy James	Jonathan Groff	Rory O'Malley
Peggy Schuyler / Maria Reynolds	Presilah Nunez	Jasmine Cephas Jones
John Laurens / Philip Hamilton	Javier Muñoz	Anthony Ramos
Hercules Mulligan / James Madison	Joshua Henry	Okieriete Onaodowan

Notable Broadway cast replacements[edit]

• Jonathan Groff replaced Brian d'Arcy James as King George III in the show's Off-Broadway run on March 3, 2015.^[12]
• Andrew Rannells temporarily replaced Groff in the role of King George III from October 27 to November 29, 2015, while Groff filmed his HBOseries Looking in San Francisco.^[13]
• Rory O'Malley assumed the role of King George III from Groff on April 11, 2016.
• Javier Muñoz is set to assume the role of Alexander Hamilton from Lin-Manuel Miranda beginning July 11, 2016.

Alternates and understudies[edit]

• Javier Muñoz is currently the alternate for Alexander Hamilton. He has played the role on various Saturday and Sunday matinées, and is set to assume the role full-time from Miranda beginning July 11, 2016.^[14]
• Jon Rua, who plays Charles Lee, is also the understudy for Miranda and Muñoz as Hamilton. He has performed the role a number of times since December 2015.^[15][16]
• Alysha Deslorieux acts as standby for Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy/Maria.
• Sydney James Harcourt and Austin Smith both understudy the roles of Aaron Burr and George Washington.
• Andrew Chappelle understudies the roles of Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, John Laurens/Philip Hamilton, Hercules Mulligan/James Madison and King George.
• Thayne Jasperson understudies for Laurens/Philip and King George.
• Seth Stewart is the understudy for Jefferson/Lafayette.
• Ephraim Sykes understudies Madison/Mulligan.
• Emmy Raver-Lampmon is the understudy for Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy/Maria.
• Betsy Struxness is the understudy for Angelica.
• Carleigh Bettiol is the understudy for Eliza.
• Sasha Hutchings is the understudy for Peggy/Maria.

Ensemble[edit]

	Original Workshop Cast 2014[17]	Original Off-Broadway Ensemble 2015[18]	Original Broadway Ensemble 2015[19]
Ensemble	Jon Rua[20] as Charles Lee
	Thayne Jasperson as Samuel Seabury
	Sydney James Harcourt as Philip Schuyler / James Reynolds
	Ephraim Sykes as George Eacker
	Daniel Watts	Seth Stewart
	N/A		Austin Smith
	Carleigh Bettiol[21]
	Betsy Struxness
	Sasha Hutchings
	Ariana DeBose
	N/A		Emmy Raver-Lampman
Swing/Dance Captain	N/A		Voltaire Wade-Greene
	Stephanie Klemons[22]		Morgan Marcell
Swing	N/A	Voltaire Wade-Greene	Neil Haskell
Swing/Stand by	N/A	Andrew Chappelle
Stand by	N/A	Alysha Deslorieux
Dance Supervisor	N/A		Stephanie Klemons

Musical numbers[edit]

Act I "Alexander Hamilton" – Full company (except King George) "Aaron Burr, Sir" – Hamilton, Burr, Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan "My Shot" – Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Burr and Company "The Story of Tonight" – Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan "The Schuyler Sisters" – Angelica, Eliza, Peggy, Burr, and Company "Farmer Refuted" – Seabury and Hamilton "You'll Be Back" – King George "Right Hand Man" – Washington, Hamilton, Burr, and Company "A Winter's Ball" – Burr, Hamilton, Company "Helpless" – Eliza, Hamilton, Women "Satisfied" – Angelica, Eliza, Hamilton and Company "The Story of Tonight" (Reprise) – Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Hamilton, Burr "Wait for It" – Burr and Company "Stay Alive" – Hamilton, Washington, Lee, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Eliza, Angelica, and Company "Ten Duel Commandments" – Laurens, Hamilton, Lee, Burr, and Company "Meet Me Inside" – Washington, Hamilton, and Company "That Would Be Enough" – Eliza and Hamilton "Guns and Ships" – Lafayette, Burr, Washington, Company "History Has Its Eyes on You" – Washington and Company "Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)" – Hamilton, Lafayette, Laurens, Mulligan, Washington, and Company "What Comes Next?" – King George "Dear Theodosia" – Burr, Hamilton "Tomorrow There'll Be More of Us" – Laurens, (Eliza, Hamilton) † "Non-Stop" – Hamilton, Burr, Eliza, Angelica, Washington, and Company † "Tomorrow There'll Be More Of Us", a thirdprise to "The Story of Tonight" is not included on the Original Broadway Cast Recording, and is often considered a scene rather than a song.[23] ‡ Previously titled "One Last Ride" in the Off-Broadway production.[24] Off-Broadway 2015 Workshop Act I "Alexander Hamilton" – Full company (except King George) ‡‡ "Aaron Burr, Sir" – Hamilton, Burr, Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan "My Shot" – Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Burr and Company "The Story of Tonight" – Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan "The Schuyler Sisters" – Angelica, Eliza, Peggy, Burr, and Company ‡‡ "Farmer Refuted" – Seabury and Hamilton "You'll Be Back" – King George "Right Hand Man" – Washington, Hamilton, Burr, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, and Company ‡‡ "A Winter's Ball" – Burr, Hamilton, Men "Helpless" – Eliza, Hamilton, Angelica and Company "Satisfied" – Angelica, Hamilton, Eliza and Company "The Story of Tonight" (Reprise) – Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Hamilton, Burr "Wait For It" – Burr and Company "Stay Alive" – Hamilton, Washington, Lee, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Eliza, Angelica, and Company "Ten Duel Commandments" – Laurens, Hamilton, Lee, Burr, and Company "Meet Me Inside" – Washington, Hamilton, and Company "That Would Be Enough" – Eliza and Hamilton "Guns and Ships" – Burr, Lafayette, Washington, Company "History Has Its Eyes on You" – Washington and Company "Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)" – Hamilton, Lafayette, Laurens, Mulligan, and Company "What Comes Next?" – King George "Dear Theodosia"– Burr and Hamilton ‡‡ "Tomorrow There'll Be More of Us" – Laurens, (Eliza, Hamilton) "Non-Stop" – Hamilton, Burr, Eliza, Angelica, Washington, and Company ‡‡

Act II "What'd I Miss" – Jefferson, Burr, Madison, Washington, Hamilton and Company "Cabinet Battle #1" – Jefferson, Hamilton, Washington, and Madison "Take a Break" – Eliza, Philip, Hamilton, and Angelica "Say No to This" – Hamilton, Maria Reynolds, James Reynolds, and Company "The Room Where It Happens" – Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, and Company "Schuyler Defeated" – Philip, Eliza, Hamilton, and Burr "Cabinet Battle #2" – Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison "Washington on Your Side" – Burr, Jefferson, and Madison "One Last Time" – Washington, Hamilton, and Company ‡ "I Know Him" – King George "The Adams Administration" – Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, and Company "We Know" – Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, and Madison "Hurricane" – Hamilton and Company "The Reynolds Pamphlet" – Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, Burr, Angelica, Company "Burn" – Eliza "Blow Us All Away" – Philip, Hamilton, Eacker, Dolly, Martha and Company "Stay Alive" (Reprise) – Philip, Hamilton, Eliza, Doctor, and Company "It's Quiet Uptown" – Angelica, Hamilton, Eliza, and Company "The Election of 1800" – Jefferson, Madison, Burr, Hamilton, and Company "Your Obedient Servant" – Burr, Hamilton "Best of Wives and Best of Women" – Eliza, Hamilton "The World Was Wide Enough" – Burr, Hamilton, and Company "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" – Eliza, Washington, Burr, Jefferson, Madison, Angelica, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan and Company Act II "What'd I Miss" – Jefferson, Burr, Madison, and Company ‡‡ "No John Trumbull" - Burr, and Company †† "Cabinet Battle #1" – Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison "Take a Break" – Eliza, Philip, Hamilton, and Angelica "Say No to This" – Hamilton, Maria Reynolds, James Reynolds, Eliza, Angelica and Company ‡‡ "The Room Where It Happens" – Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, and Company "Schuyler Defeated" – Philip, Eliza, Hamilton, and Burr ‡‡ "Let It Go" – Hamilton, Eliza, Washington, Burr, and Company †† "Cabinet Battle #2" – Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, (and Eliza) "Washington on Your Side" – Burr, Jefferson, and Madison ‡‡ "One Last Time" – Washington, Hamilton, Rebels and Company ‡‡ "I Know Him" – King George "The Adams Administration" – Burr, Hamilton, and Company ‡‡ "We Know" – Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison "Hurricane" – Hamilton and Company ‡‡ "The Reynolds Pamphlet" – Full company "Congratulations" – Angelica, and Hamilton ‡‡‡ "Burn" – Eliza "Dear Theodosia (Reprise)" – Burr †† "Blow Us All Away" – Philip, George Eacker, Hamilton, Burr, and Company ‡‡ "Stay Alive" (Reprise) – Philip, Hamilton, Eliza, Doctor, and Company "It's Quiet Uptown" – Angelica, Hamilton, Eliza, and Company "The Election of 1800" – Jefferson, Madison, Burr, Hamilton, and Company "Your Obedient Servant" – Burr, Hamilton "Best of Wives and Best of Women" – Eliza, Hamilton "The World Was Wide Enough" – Burr, Hamilton, and Company ‡‡ "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" – Eliza, Washington, Burr, Jefferson, Madison, Angelica, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Hamilton and Company

†† Included only in off-Broadway Workshop Production

‡‡ Songs that were longer or different in off-Broadway Production, than in Broadway Production

‡‡‡ The song "Congratulations", a reprise to "Satisfied", in a shortened version is a part of "The Reynolds Pamphlet" in the Broadway production

• "Aaron Burr, Sir", " A Winter's Ball", "Story of Tonight (Reprise)", "Meet Me Inside", "Guns and Ships", "What Comes Next", "Cabinet Battle #1", "Cabinet Battle #2", "I Know Him", "We Know", "Stay Alive (Reprise)", and "Best of Wives and Best of Women" were not included on the Song List on the Opening Night Playbill.

Musical motifs[edit]

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• "Alexander Hamilton" is reprised in "A Winter's Ball", "Guns and Ships", "Non-Stop" "What'd I Miss", "The Adams Administration" and "Your Obedient Servant"
• "Aaron Burr, Sir" - motif which usually accompanies Hamilton and Burr's meetings - is reprised in "The Story Of Tonight (Reprise)", "Right Hand Man", "Ten Duel Commandments", "Non-Stop" and "The Room Where It Happens",
• The "Look around" motif from Schuyler Sisters is reprised in "That Would Be Enough", "Non-Stop", "Take a Break", "Let It Go" and "It's Quiet Uptown"
• "Non-Stop" including the reprises of "Aaron Burr, Sir", "Wait for It", "Satisfied", "That Would Be Enough", "Alexander Hamilton" (Instrumental), "History Has Its Eyes On You", "Helpless" and "My Shot", which are interlace with "Non-Stop" motif, later reprised in "Best of Wives and Best of Women"
• In Hamilton, there are also characters motifs which appear many times through the whole musical. These are e.g. "Alexander Hamilton", "Aaron Burr, Sir", "Angelicaaa", "Eliiiza", "Alexaaander"
• Motifs connected with George Washington:
  • "Here comes the general" (which appear in "Right Hand Man", "Meet Me Inside" and in "One Last Ride" as "Here comes the president")
  • "We are out..." (in One Last Ride as "You are out...") - e.g.: “Outgunned, outmanned, outnumbered, outplanned”, “Provoke outrage, outright”, “Outrun, outlast”, “It outlives me when I’m gone.”

Recordings[edit]

• Main article: Hamilton (album)
  The original Broadway cast recording for Hamilton was made available to listeners by NPR on September 21, 2015.^[25] It was released by Atlantic Records digitally on September 25, 2015, and physical copies were released on October 16, 2015.^[26] The cast album has also been released on vinyl.^[27] The album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the highest entrance for a cast recording since 1963.^[28] It went on to reach number 3 on the Billboard 200^[29] and number 1 on the Billboard Rap albums chart.^[30] The original cast recording has won aGrammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.^[31]

Productions[edit]

Off-Broadway (2015)[edit]

Directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler, the musical received its world premiere Off-Broadway at The Public Theater, under the supervision of the Public's Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, with previews starting on January 20, 2015 and officially opening on February 17.^[32][33] The production was extended twice, first to April 5 and then to May 3.^[34] Chernow served as historical consultant to the production.^[35][36]The show opened to universal acclaim according to review aggregator Did He Like It.^[37]

Broadway[edit]

The Hamilton cast and crew greets President Barack Obama, 2015

Hamilton premiered on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (home to Miranda's 2008 Broadway debutIn the Heights) on July 13, 2015 in previews, and opened on August 6, 2015.^[38] The production is produced by Jeffrey Seller and features scenic design by David Korins, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley and sound by Nevin Steinberg, who all reprised their roles from the off-Broadway production.^[39]

The production was critically acclaimed by many theater analysts.^[38][40][41]

Chicago (2016)[edit]

Hamilton will have a separate sit-down (non-touring) production at the PrivateBank Theatre in Chicago starting on September 27, 2016.^[42] According to lead producer, Jeffrey Seller, the show may be in residence for two-years or more.^[43]

First U.S. national tour (2017)[edit]

Plans for a national tour of Hamilton emerged near the end of January 2016. The touring production is expected to begin at San Francisco's SHN Orpheum Theatre in March 2017, where it will play for 21 weeks. The production will then head to Los Angeles' Hollywood Pantages Theatre for a run from August 11 to December 30, 2017. Announced cities include Atlanta; Boston; Costa Mesa, Calif.; Des Moines; Denver;^[44] Houston; Las Vegas; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; Salt Lake City; Seattle; St. Louis; Tempe, Ariz., and Washington.^[45]

West End (2017)[edit]

Cameron Mackintosh will produce a London production which will re-open the Victoria Palace Theatre (currently undergoing a refurbishment following the closure of Billy Elliot The Musical) in October 2017. Tickets go on sale in November 2016.[1]

Future Productions[edit]

On June 9, 2016, Mirvish Productions announced that they are in discussions to bring Hamilton to Toronto.^[46]

Concept[edit]

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The names of many main characters, including that of Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, are given a unique melodic motif that is repeated throughout the musical Hamilton in various keys, tempos, and timbres depending on the context. This is one example of how Hamilton weaves melodic and lyrical reprises into later songs in the score in order to cue an emotional response.

According to an article in The New Yorker, the show is "an achievement of historical and cultural reimagining." The costumes and set reflect the period, with "velvet frock coats and knee britches. The set ...is a wooden scaffold against exposed brick; the warm lighting suggests candlelight".^[35] The musical is mostly sung-through, with little dialogue.^[9][47]

Miranda said that the portrayal of Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and other Caucasian historical figures by black and Hispanic actors should not require any substantial suspension of disbelief by audience members. "Our cast looks like America looks now, and that's certainly intentional", he said. "It's a way of pulling you into the story and allowing you to leave whatever cultural baggage you have about the founding fathers at the door."^[48] He noted "We're telling the story of old, dead white men but we're using actors of color, and that makes the story more immediate and more accessible to a contemporary audience."^[49]

"Hamilton is a story about America, and the most beautiful thing about it is...it's told by such a diverse cast with a such diverse styles of music", says Renee Elise Goldberry, the actress who plays Angelica Schuyler. "We have the opportunity to reclaim a history that some of us don't necessarily think is our own."^[50] The creator insists that all of the Founding Fathers be played by people of color, i.e. non-white, and is open to women playing as the Founding Fathers.^[51]

Historical accuracy[edit]

Although 'Hamilton' is based on true events, Miranda does use some dramatic license in retelling the story. For example, while Angelica did have a strong relationship with Hamilton, it is exaggerated in the show. During "Satisfied", Angelica explains why Hamilton is not suitable for her despite wanting him. In particular, she states, "I'm a girl in a world in which my only job is to marry rich. My father has no sons so I'm the one who has to social climb for one." In actuality, Angelica had less pressure on her to do this. There were actually fifteen children of Philip Schuyler, including two sons who survived into adulthood (one of whom was New York State Assemblyman Philip Jeremiah Schuyler), and Angelica had eloped with John Barker Church several years before she met Hamilton. Miranda stated that he chose to do this because it is stronger dramatically if Angelica is available but cannot marry him.^[52][53] In addition, in Act I, Burr's role in Hamilton's life is overstated, and much of the early interactions between the two men in the show are fictionalized. For example, while Burr was present at the Battle on Monmouth, Burr did not serve as Charles Lee's second in his duel with John Laurens as seen in "Ten Duel Commandments", Lee's second was Evan Edwards. Hamilton also never approached Burr to help write the Federalist Papers as portrayed in "Non-Stop".

In Act II, there are multiple inaccuracies throughout Hamilton's decline, probably due to time constraints and narrative arc. While it is true that John Adams and Hamilton did not particularly get along, John Adams did not fire Hamilton as told in the show. Hamilton resigned from his position as Secretary of the Treasury in 1795, two years before Adams became president. However, Hamilton remained close friends with Washington and highly influential in the political sphere.^[54] In addition, Jefferson, Madison and Burr did not approach Hamilton about his affair, it was actually James Monroe and Frederick Muhlenberg in 1792. Monroe was a close friend of Jefferson's and shared the information of Hamilton's affair with him. In 1796, journalist James Callendar broke the story of Hamilton's infidelity. Hamilton blamed Monroe, and the altercation nearly ended in a duel. With nothing left to do, Hamilton then published the Reynolds pamphlet.^[55] Lastly, it was not the Presidential Election of 1800 that led to Burr and Hamilton's duel. Burr did in fact become Jefferson's Vice-President, but when Jefferson decided to not run with Burr for reelection in 1804, Burr opted to run for Governor of New York instead. Burr lost to Morgan Lewis in a landslide. Afterwards, a letter was published from Charles D. Cooper to Philip Schuyler, claiming that Hamilton called Burr, "a dangerous man, and one who ought not be trusted with the reins of government", and that he knew of "a still more despicable opinion which General Hamilton has expressed of Mr. Burr."^[56] This led to the letters between Burr and Hamilton as seen in the show in "Your Obedient Servant".

The show has also been critiqued for a simplistic depiction of Hamilton and vilification of Jefferson. Joanne B. Freeman, professor of history and American studies at Yale University, writes, "The real Hamilton was a mass of contradictions: an immigrant who sometimes distrusted immigrants, a revolutionary who placed a supreme value on law and order, a man who distrusted the rumblings of the masses yet preached his politics to them more frequently and passionately than many of his more democracy-friendly fellows."^[57]

Another historian, Shane White, also states that the show's depiction of the founding of the United States stems from an outdated narrative that a few great men built the country. White says that historians now view the founding in a new way: "Attempting to get away from the Great Men story of the founding fathers, these scholars have incorporated ordinary people, African-Americans, Native Americans and women and placed the whole half-century in the broader contexts of the Atlantic World. In this more inclusive and nuanced telling of the republic's creation, Hamilton plays a cameo rather than leading role."^[58]

Yet another historian, Lyra Monteiro, criticized that the show's multi-ethnic casting obscures the complete lack of identifiable enslaved or free persons of color as characters in the show.^[59]

Use in education[edit]

KQED News wrote of a "growing number of intrepid U.S. history teachers...who are harnessing the Hamilton phenomenon to inspire their students."^[60] The Cabinet rap battles provide a way to engage students with topics that have traditionally been considered uninteresting.^[60] An elective course for 11th and 12th graders on the musical Hamilton was held at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York.^[60] KQED News added that "Hamilton is especially galvanizing for the student who believes that stories about 18th century America are distant and irrelevant" as it shows the founding fathers were real humans with real feeling and real flaws, rather than "bloodless, two-dimensional cutouts who devoted their lives to abstract principles."^[60] A high school teacher from the Bronx noted his students were "singing these songs the way they might sing the latest release from Drake or Adele."^[61] One teacher focused on Hamilton's ability to write his way out of trouble and toward a higher plane of existence: "skilled writing is the clearest sign of scholarship — and the best way to rise up and alter your circumstance."^[62]

Hamilton's producers have made a pledge to allow 20,000 New York City public high school students from low-income families to get subsidized tickets to see Hamilton on Broadway by reducing their tickets to $70 for students, and the Rockefeller Foundation provided $1.5 million to further lower ticket prices to $10 per student.^[63][64] The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History created a study guide to accompany the student-ticket program.^[63][64]

The website EducationWorld writes that Hamilton is "being praised for its revitalization of interest in civic education."^[65]

Critical response[edit]

Hamilton has received unanimous acclaim from professional critics, being deemed a cultural phenomenon by many.

Marilyn Stasio, in her review of the Off-Broadway production for Variety, wrote: "The music is exhilarating, but the lyrics are the big surprise. The sense as well as the sound of the sung dialogue has been purposely suited to each character. George Washington, a stately figure in Jackson's dignified performance, sings in polished prose... But in the end, Miranda's impassioned narrative of one man's story becomes the collective narrative of a nation, a nation built by immigrants who occasionally need to be reminded where they came from."^[66]

In his review of the Off-Broadway production, Jesse Green in New York wrote: "The conflict between independence and interdependence is not just the show's subject but also its method: It brings the complexity of forming a union from disparate constituencies right to your ears.... Few are the theatergoers who will be familiar with all of Miranda's touchstones. I caught the verbal references to Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gilbert and Sullivan, Sondheim, West Side Story, and 1776, but other people had to point out to me the frequent hat-tips to hip-hop... Whether it's a watershed, a breakthrough, and a game changer, as some have been saying, is another matter. Miranda is too savvy (and loves his antecedents too much) to try to reinvent all the rules at once.... Those duels, by the way — there are three of them — are superbly handled, the highlights of a riveting if at times overbusy staging by the director Thomas Kail and the choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler."^[67]

Ben Brantley in reviewing the Broadway production in The New York Times, wrote: "I am loath to tell people to mortgage their houses and lease their children to acquire tickets to a hit Broadway show. But Hamilton, directed by Thomas Kail and starring Mr. Miranda, might just about be worth it.... Washington, Jefferson, Madison – they're all here, making war and writing constitutions and debating points of economic structure. So are Aaron Burr and the Marquis de Lafayette. They wear the clothes (by Paul Tazewell) you might expect them to wear in a traditional costume drama, and the big stage they inhabit has been done up (by David Korins) to suggest a period-appropriate tavern, where incendiary youth might gather to drink, brawl and plot revolution."^[38]

David Cote in his review of the Broadway production for Time Out New York wrote "I love Hamilton. I love it like I love New York, or Broadway when it gets it right. And this is so right... A sublime conjunction of radio-ready hip-hop (as well as R&B, Britpop and trad showstoppers), under-dramatized American history and Miranda's uniquely personal focus as a first-generation Puerto Rican and inexhaustible wordsmith, Hamilton hits multilevel culture buttons, hard... The work's human drama and novelistic density remain astonishing." He chose Hamilton as a Critics' Pick, and gave the production five out of five stars.^[68]

A review in The Economist notes that the production enjoys "near-universal critical acclaim".^[69] Barack Obama joked that admiration for the musical is "the only thing Dick Cheney and I agree on."^[70]

Box office and business[edit]

The musical's engagement at the Off-Broadway Public Theater was sold-out.^[2]

When the musical opened on Broadway, it had a multimillion-dollar advance in ticket sales, reportedly taking in $30 million before its official opening.^[71] Hamilton was the second-highest-grossing show on Broadway for the Labor Day week ending September 6, 2015 (behind only the The Lion King).^[72] As of September 2015, the show has been sold out for most of its Broadway engagement.^[3]

Hamilton, like other Broadway musicals, offers a lottery before every show. Twenty-one front row seats and occasional standing room are given out in the lottery. Chosen winners are able to purchase two tickets at $10 each. Unlike other Broadway shows, Hamilton's lottery process drew in large crowds of people that created a congestion problem for West 46th Street. Even though many people were not able to win the lottery, Hamiltoncreator Lin Manuel-Miranda prepared mini-performances, right before the lotteries were drawn. They were dubbed the '#Ham4Ham' shows, due to the fact that if you won, you gave a Hamilton (a $10 bill) in exchange for seeing the show. People were then able to experience a part of the show even when they did not win the lottery.^[73] The lottery was eventually placed online to avoid increasing crowds and dangerous traffic conditions.^[74]On its first day, more than 50,000 people entered, which resulted in the website crashing.^[75] Trevor Boffone in his essay on HowlRound wrote: "Ham4Ham follows a long tradition of Latina/o (or the ancestors of present-day Latina/os) theatremaking that dates back to when the events inHamilton were happening. (...) The philosophy behind this is simple. If the people won't come to the theatre, then take the theatre to the people. While El Teatro Campesino's 'taking it to the streets' originated from a place of social protest, Ham4Ham does so to create accessibility, tap into social media, and ultimately generate a free, self-functioning marketing campaign. In this way, Ham4Ham falls into a lineage of accessibility as a Latina/o theatremaking aesthetic."^[76]

Awards and nominations[edit]

Original Off-Broadway production[edit]

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
2015	Lucille Lortel Awards[77]	Outstanding Musical		Won
		Outstanding Director	Thomas Kail	Won
		Outstanding Choreographer	Andy Blankenbuehler	Won
		Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Nominated
			Leslie Odom, Jr.	Won
		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical	Phillipa Soo	Won
		Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical	Daveed Diggs	Won
			Brian d'Arcy James	Nominated
		Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical	Renée Elise Goldsberry	Won
		Outstanding Costume Design	Paul Tazewell	Won
		Outstanding Lighting Design	Howell Binkley	Won
		Outstanding Sound Design	Nevin Steinberg	Won
	Outer Critics Circle Awards[78]	Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical		Won
		Outstanding Book of a Musical	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Won
		Outstanding New Score		Won
		Outstanding Director of a Musical	Thomas Kail	Nominated
		Outstanding Choreographer	Andy Blankenbuehler	Nominated
	Drama League Awards[79]	Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical		Nominated
		Distinguished Performance	Daveed Diggs	Nominated
			Lin-Manuel Miranda	Nominated
	Drama Desk Awards[80]	Outstanding Musical		Won
		Outstanding Actor in a Musical	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Nominated
		Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical	Leslie Odom, Jr.	Nominated
		Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical	Renée Elise Goldsberry	Won
		Outstanding Director of a Musical	Thomas Kail	Won
		Outstanding Music	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Won
		Outstanding Lyrics		Won
		Outstanding Book of a Musical		Won
		Outstanding Orchestrations	Alex Lacamoire	Nominated
		Outstanding Set Design	David Korins	Nominated
		Outstanding Costume Design	Paul Tazewell	Nominated
		Outstanding Lighting Design	Howell Binkley	Nominated
		Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical	Nevin Steinberg	Won
		Special Award ‡	Andy Blankenbuehler	Won
	New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards[81]	Best Musical		Won
	Off Broadway Alliance Awards[82]	Best New Musical		Won
	Theatre World Awards[83]	Outstanding Debut Performance	Daveed Diggs	Won
	Clarence Derwent Awards[84]	Most Promising Female Performer	Phillipa Soo	Won
	Obie Awards[85]	Best New American Theatre Work	Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, Alex Lacamoire	Won
	Edgerton Foundation New American Play Awards[86]			Won

‡ Blankenbuehler received a Special Drama Desk Award for "his inspired and heart-stopping choreography in Hamilton, which is indispensible [sic] to the musical's storytelling. His body of work is versatile, yet a dynamic and fluid style is consistently evident. When it's time to 'take his shot,' Blankenbuehler hits the bull's-eye."^[80]

Original Broadway production[edit]

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
2016	Tony Awards[87][88]	Best Musical		Won
		Best Book of a Musical	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Won
		Best Original Score		Won
		Best Actor in a Musical		Nominated
			Leslie Odom, Jr.	Won
		Best Actress in a Musical	Phillipa Soo	Nominated
		Best Featured Actor in a Musical	Daveed Diggs	Won
			Jonathan Groff	Nominated
			Christopher Jackson	Nominated
		Best Featured Actress in a Musical	Renée Elise Goldsberry	Won
		Best Scenic Design of a Musical	David Korins	Nominated
		Best Costume Design of a Musical	Paul Tazewell	Won
		Best Lighting Design of a Musical	Howell Binkley	Won
		Best Direction of a Musical	Thomas Kail	Won
		Best Choreography	Andy Blankenbuehler	Won
		Best Orchestrations	Alex Lacamoire	Won
	Drama League Awards[89]	Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical		Won
		Distinguished Performance	Daveed Diggs	Nominated
			Lin-Manuel Miranda	Won
	Pulitzer Prize	Drama		Won
	Grammy Awards[31]	Best Musical Theater Album	Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff,Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr.,Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos & Phillipa Soo (principal soloists); Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bill Sherman,Ahmir Thompson & Tariq Trotter(producers); Lin-Manuel Miranda(composer & lyricist)	Won
	Fred and Adele Astaire Awards[90]	Outstanding Ensemble in a Broadway Show		Nominated
		Best Choreographer	Andy Blankenbuehler	Won
		Best Male Dancer	Daveed Diggs	Nominated
	NAACP Image Awards[91]	Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration	Original Broadway Cast	Nominated
	Dramatists Guild of America Awards[92]	Frederick Loewe Award for Dramatic Composition	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Won
	Edward M. Kennedy Prize[93]	Drama Inspired by American History		Won

Accolades[edit]

Publication	Accolade	Rank
Billboard	25 Best Albums of 2015[94]	2
Rolling Stone	50 Best Albums of 2015[95]	8

Legacy[edit]

In 2015, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced a redesign to the $10 bill, with plans to replace Hamilton with a then undecided woman from American history. Because of Hamilton's surging popularity, partly due to the musical, United States Treasury Secretary Jack Lew reversed the plans to replace Hamilton's portrait, instead deciding to replace Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.^[96]

On April 12, 2016, Miranda and Jeremy McCarter's book, Hamilton: The Revolution, was released, detailing Hamilton's journey from an idea to a successful Broadway musical. It includes an inside look at not only Alexander Hamilton's revolution, but the cultural revolution that permeates the show. It also has footnotes from Miranda and stories from behind the scenes of the show.^[97]

See also[edit]