See if you can spot him
(Just you wait)
Another immigrant
Coming up from the bottom"
- Alexander Hamilton
On this day, one year ago, I listened to the Hamilton soundtrack for the very first time.
Yep, it took me, a self-proclaimed musical theater buff, a whole five months into the run of Hamilton before I gave that shows soundtrack a listen. Being unfamiliar with In The Heights (I really do need to listen to that soundtrack sooner rather than later) and also being busy with college, the Hamilton soundtrack just wasn't on my radar despite the heaps of praise it was receiving from all corners of the internet. Then, come January 26, 2016, I finally decided to give this album a listen. With all the hype surrounding it, I decided to place my psyche into the mindset of "Prepare for this to not live up to its reputation".
And then that first song starts. Those iconic bursts of noise that open Alexander Hamilton traveled through my headphones into my brain and immediately grabbed my attention. It was as if the song was musically telling anyone listening that what you were about to experience was something momentous. What follows is something that can't be called anything short of a masterstroke in terms of lyrics and delivery. The unique freestyling method of singing that permeates the show is introduced from the get-go, as the likes of Daveed Diggs and Leslie Odom Jr. drop some verses in a style that immediately sets Hamilton apart from any other Broadway show.
To boot, the words they're belting out are a perfect way to explain the backstory of the real-life figure leading this show for those, like myself, who were unfamiliar with Alexander Hamilton. It's like the opening crawl in the Star Wars movie, an entertaining way to explain vital background information to the audience in a way that also demonstrates what type of program you're about to watch. For Star Wars, the opening crawl makes it clear you're watching a sci-fi entity that owes a great deal to the likes of Flash Gordon, while for Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton proudly shows off how this musical will merge rap music with real life history in a way that sounds like it'll be gimmicky but ends up being far more insightful and entertaining,
From there, the Hamilton soundtrack delivers one knock-out song after another, with lyrics that have already been etched into the minds of millions across the planet. What really stands out to me about the entire Hamilton album is the level of tonal versatility in the various tunes. My Shot is a powerful peppy anthem bursting with hope and optimism, as Alexander Hamilton makes some friends (something he's never had before) while committing himself to a larger purpose. There's a similar sense of optimism found in The Schuyler Sisters, where Philip Schuyler's trio of daughters go out to "the greatest city in the world" and deliver a phenomenal piece of music that is guaranteed to get you dancing in no time.
Then that second act arrives, and with it, comes darker elements of the real-life story of Alexander Hamilton that thrusts the characters of this show into more dire moral quandaries. Children are lost, secret affairs are made public and the music shifts to a more somber aesthetic to accommodate this shift in the type of storytelling Hamilton as a show is now working with. The likes of It's Quiet Uptown, The World Was Wide Enough and of course Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story are truly emotionally devastating pieces of music that show the level of perspective the various characters of Hamilton have garnered as they get older, though, for some (like Aaron Burr), this newfound sense of perspective comes all too late. Really, Lin-Manuel Miranda's music for Hamilton is one of the great artistic accomplishments of the 21st century, a treasure trove of truth that can have you bobbing your head in happiness with one song and then have your eyes filled with tears on the very next track. It's a monumental feat.
At first, I just listened to the Hamilton soundtrack as a form of a happiness, the same way one might constantly go back to a high-quality eatery; it's fun to keep going back to something that brings you so much joy. As the months of 2016 went by though, the political landscape of America made Hamilton all the more important to me, turning this top-notch album into a coping mechanism of sorts. Hamilton, a show that promotes the value of hard-work, diversity and all other values that make America what it is, feels like a direct refutation to Donald Trump and his administration, a sexual predator who demonizes people of color and ran a campaign thriving on hate and fear. Hamilton and Trump represented polar opposite approaches to how to handle the future of America; Hamilton championed a vision of this country thriving on gender and racial diversity while Trump wanted to make this country a paradise solely for rich cis-gendered straight white guys.
In the wake of Trump managing to secure a victory in his bid for the White House, I felt broken. I never thought I'd be able to write or do anything I loved to do for fun ever again. It all seemed so pointless in the face of the incredible threat to human decency that is Trump's presidency. But giving up is what he and his bigot administration want. They want us all to stop calling him out, to stop marching in the streets, to stop pointing out how sparsely attended his inauguration is, to just stop with our lives. So I've gone on in the past two months and watched movies, written numerous reviews & essays and been able to go to sleep as I worry for all my friends who were already disenfranchised individuals in this country on how deeply they'll be affected by all of Trump's plan.
Donald Trump is hatred incarnate. But even in the midst of pervasive hatred, we cannot give up. A year later, Hamilton has transformed from a super album into a rallying cry for me, something that (like puppies, good cinema and images from anti-Trump marches) serves as a go-to reminder of the good that is out there in my darkest hours. It is a place where the kind of people (namely, people of color, women and the LGBTQA community) that Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Steve Bannon and the like despise can have their voices heard, their talents shown and they can provide a sense of inspiration for generations to come. While we watch the least diverse presidential cabinet in decades assemble, children of color can now look to Hamilton and, for the first time ever, see themselves in the historic figures that founded this nation.
That idea makes me smile. There's a lot about Hamilton that makes me smile. I thank Lin-Manuel Miranda for creating this incredible piece of art that is providing a sense of hope in times of uncertainty. Even after finishing the album for the first time a year ago, I knew Hamilton was something truly special that didn't come around every day. Now, a whole year later, I'm convinced that what we have here is a shining beacon that can provide a direct contrast to the inescapable hatred that has taken the highest seat of power in this country. Hamilton has helped me through some incredibly tumultuous times in my life and I'm sure there's plenty more hardships it'll help me cope with. Thank God we have great pieces of art like Hamilton to turn to for guidance in times of incredible difficulty.
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