Hamilton: An American Musical and Its Influence on Youth
Thirteen hundred students had the privilege to attend this show through the #EduHam program.
Hamilton: An American Musical set the world on fire in 2016, and reached a whole new standard of popularity on Broadway. Creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, made a show that touched people of all ages, races, classes, and more. The compelling retelling of the founding father Alexander Hamilton’s story is brought together with different musical stylings, and the newer twist of rap. This musical, however, brings together modern youth with a mix of inspiration, a recap of major historical figures, and of course, the music.
Teenagers all across America were introduced to the soundtrack first, a two hour and twenty-two minute long story of love, anger, betrayal, and ambition. This soundtrack was released on September 25, 2015, and has exponentially grown in popularity since then. It has set an unbelievable number of records including the highest debut of a cast album on the Billboard 200 since 1963, highest charting cast album since 2011, largest debut sales week for a digital cast album (with a total of around 28,000 copies), and most famously, setting a record for its number of Tony nominations. This popularity was charged by the sheer will power of the fans, and celebrities who shared their experiences with it. President Obama said that “Hamilton has become not only a smash hit, but a civics lesson our kids can’t get enough of. One with fierce, youthful energy. One where rap is the language of revolution, and hip hop its urgent soundtrack.” The president’s words sum up the obsession that teenagers have with the show, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the show, is trying to influence high school youth even more. Miranda started the #EduHam trend, which is Hamilton welcoming and encouraging the education of hundred of thousands of high school students across the country. For just $10 a ticket, selected students get to see the musical, interact with the cast, and perform themselves. This has already brought 20,000 New York public school students to see the show and experience the moving message of inspiration expressed through the story of a man who came from nothing, and became something incredible by little more than will power. This EduHam movement is spreading across the country and touching more students than ever imaginable.
Madison Dodger Online got the chance to sit down with three high school students who are big fans of the musical and get their opinions on just how important Hamilton is to them. Junior, Emma Schuszler, first found out about Hamilton from her musical theater friends, and it quickly grew into an obsession of hers. Lydia Hendrickson and Morgan Schier, also juniors, both found out about the musical from their families, and were skeptical of it until they experienced it for themselves. The first time Hendrickson listened to it, she said that “It was really different than all the musicals I have heard in my life because instead of the traditional musical it was very modern and I was like ‘oh this is cool.’” All three students found that the musical has made an impact on their lives, varying from trying new things, inspired by Hamilton’s courage in coming to America, to not giving up, remembering Washington’s efforts fighting to win the war. Schuszler said, “It’s changed my opinion of American History and it sounds cheesy but it’s hard to put it in perspective when everyone looks different and acts different and has different technology but when you put it in a time that we understand and when you put it in a mode of entertainment that we understand like rap and musical theater then it makes more sense.” Most importantly, each of the students found a message in the song lyrics, while the storyline of the musical continues to inspire them every day. Hendrickson perfectly summed up that Alexander Hamilton had very hard childhood, but he was able to persevere even with these downfalls. She said, “It’s just inspiring, and shows people that your past is exactly that, it’s just your past, and your future, you can make it whatever you want it to be.” All three students said they were lucky to stumble upon such an inspiring piece of work, and they all showed great enthusiasm when asked how many songs they could recite from memory. Answers ranged from seven song to all of the songs but two. Hamilton: An American Musical is based off an inspiration, and continually inspires students every single day through rap and powerful lessons. To put it in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s words, “How lucky we are to be alive right now.”
Picture by Walter McBride
http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/6722015/hamilton-cast-album-billboard-200
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/tony-awards-2016-hamilton-wins-11-awards-but-doesnt-break-record/