Yep, Hamilton Still Rules

I mean, what else is there to say about Hamilton?

The Broadway musical sensation started playing for the general public in August 2015. However, it already feels like it's always been here. A once-forgotten founding father will not forever be associated with one of the most popular musicals of all-time. The various members of the original cast of Hamilton have all gone on to have thriving acting careers. Meanwhile, in my world of online writing, essays criticizing, praising, or doing mixed responses to Hamilton have managed to boost the careers of numerous writers. Hamilton is such a rich, how could it not spawn equally insightful pieces of writing?

In Laman's Terms: Avengers: Endgame and Hamilton Unearth The Humanity of Larger-Than-Life Icons

In Laman's Terms is a weekly editorial column where Douglas Laman rambles on about certain topics or ideas that have been on his mind lately. Sometimes he's got serious subjects to discuss, other times he's just got some silly stuff to shoot the breeze about. Either way, you know he's gonna talk about something In Laman's Terms!

Spoilers for Avengers: Endgame and Hamilton follow.

I had the privilege of getting to watch for the first time two pieces of pop culture that I had been eagerly awaiting for a prolonged period of time. The first of these was Avengers: Endgame, a movie culminating eleven years of storytelling that I had been following ever since my Dad took me and my younger brother to see Iron Man in theaters all the way back in May 2008. The other was getting to see Hamilton on stage for the very first time, an experience I had been dreaming about endlessly ever since I listened to the Hamilton soundtrack for the first time just over three years ago. My anticipation couldn't have been higher for either Endgame or Hamilton and it turns out they both exceeded my wildest expectations, particularly Hamilton, which took on a whole new level of life in the format of a physical stage show performed by flesh-and-blood people.

Endlessly Inventive Filmmaking Is One of The Many Ways City of God Impresses

City of God is one of those movies that grabs you, doesn't let go and you hope it never loosens its grip. What an intoxicating portrait of how so many seemingly disparate lives end up becoming intertwined over the course of nearly thirty years. Set in Cidade de Deus, Rio de Janeiro, also known as "the City of God" (hence the title of the film), City of God explores how exactly a massive war between two criminal enterprises began. Turns out, such a feud has humble and unexpected origins in a small neighborhood occupied by a child version of our protagonist Rocket (played as an adult by Alexandre Rodrigues). Rocket guides the viewer through the elaborate story that follows chronicling the rise of eventual big-time criminals like the sadistic Li'l Ze (Leandro Firmino).

The Hate U Give Is A Thoughtful Character Study Packed With Outstanding Performances

2018's been a good year for the Young-Adult novel film adaptation subgenre, hasn't it? It's nice to see this strain of American cinema having such a banner considering that I've always felt its gotten too much of a bum rap from people always associating it with Twilight and its various knock-off's rather than also considering that the high-quality likes of The Fault In Our Stars or The Spectacular Now also qualify as entries in this subgenre. Twilight isn't good (though the hate for it seems a wee bit overblown at this point), but judging the entire YA-novel film adaptation realm just by it is like judging all of superhero movies on Batman v. Superman. 

A Year Of Hamilton

"The ship is in the harbor now
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.

In The Middle Of History Being Made, There Is A Human Being Like Jackie At The Center Of It

It's important to keep in mind that, during any major historical event, the people involved in any given monumental world-changing situation are human beings, just like you and me. It's easy to forget that, but pieces of pop culture like Hamilton are excellent reminders that individuals that have obtained mythic status in our history textbooks were just as human and vulnerable as you or me. Jackie is a movie that very much keeps this in mind as it explores the psyche of one of the most famous First Ladies ever to grace the White House; Jackie Kennedy. A woman plagued by tragedy throughout so much of her life.

Lin-Manuel Miranda And Phillipa Soo To Exit Hamilton On July 9th

All good things must come to an end. The sun must set, the show must end and cast members of the Broadway sensation Hamilton must leave the program after nearly a year of constant performances. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the actor who plays the titular role of Hamilton and also created the book, music and lyrics for the show, was confirmed to be vacating the show a few days ago on July 9th, a not shocking development given his incredibly jam-packed schedule.

Hamilton Rules The Tony Nominations Roost With 16 Nods

At this point, chances are you've heard of a little Broadway musical entitled Hamilton. Penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show has become nothing short of a pop culture phenomenon, its own album selling units to be given the "Gold" designation by the Recording Industry Association of America. And let's not forget about how hard it is to get tickets to this show, with every performance sold out seemingly until the end of time itself. And did I mention it's also nabbed, in addition to universal critical acclaim, it's also taken home a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album and a Pulitzer Prize For Drama. Plus, it now comprises for 90% of the music I listen to on Spotify.