Hamilton, The Musical
Location: Victoria Palace Theatre
Date: Saturday 19th October 2019
Price: Starting from £35
Every man, woman and dog on planet earth has heard of the dazzling musical Hamilton by now. The hype that surrounds this show has been sustained since its first debut on Off-Broadway in 2015, and it most definitely lived up to the highest of expectations.
The audience is taken on a musical journey of the life of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of America. The first thing that differentiates this musical is its incorporation of hip-hop, R&B, pop and soul. There are some more traditional songs throughout, which are heard through the character of King George III; this is likely a deliberate choice to highlight the old, monarchical English world, and signify how America is moving away from England into new things.
This is an extremely fast-paced musical and if you do happen to zone out for just a few seconds you will be a tad lost. However, the key themes and motifs are repeated throughout, so you will never truly miss key messaging. Reading up on who Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the Schuyler sisters before watching is somewhat advised but not entirely necessary.
If you don’t do your research beforehand, then you will most definitely want to do some afterwards; this musical is so nuanced, and each song is crammed full of historically rich lyrics. Lots of which are crafted from actual letters that the ‘characters’ wrote in real life or are extracts from Hamilton’s biography. The full soundtrack is available to buy or is on Spotify, and you will probably have it on repeat for the next couple of months.
Another deliberate and significant choice from Miranda – one that can only be commended – is having a highly diverse and majority Black cast. The writer of Hamilton and incidentally the original Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, said of this choice “we’re telling the story of old, dead white men but we’re using actors of colour, and that makes the story more immediate and more accessible to a contemporary audience”.
Watching this musical in a Brexit-Britain made the casting choices shine even brighter. As the entire story centres on an immigrant and his journey through life in America, the importance of immigration, diversity and open-mindedness are prominent themes. Alexander Hamilton is constantly referred to as an immigrant throughout the show, but so is his intellect, dedication and importance in the creation of the American Republic.
Debates are ongoing as to the show’s historical accuracy. However, Lin-Manuel Miranda actually based the entire show on a biography by Ron Chernow titled Alexander Hamilton. Even if you aren’t too fussed about American history, you will most likely love this musical. And if you are one of those precious people that doesn’t enjoy musicals, then this show has been known to engage your type before.
#FLODown: The theatre itself is stunning and you would be mad to not enjoy a tipple in the foyer before the drink and take in the beautiful interiors. Also right around the corner (approximately a three minute walk away) is Victoria Market Hall where you will find some delicious food, including fresh pasta from Nonna Tonda, some incredible vegan curries from CookDaily, or a delicious (but rather strangely named) halloumi and aubergine wrap from Fanny’s Kebabs.
Location:
Victoria Palace Station, Victoria St, Westminster, London SW1E 5EA
Nearest Station:
Victoria Station
Words by Mollie Kate Cohen
