Hamilton: The Musical

16 nominations. 11 awards. Record breaking numbers. All of these statistics describe the iconic Hamilton: The Musical. Lin Manuel-Miranda is the genius behind this musical. Miranda wrote the script, and he composed the music and lyrics of this hit show. The music of Hamilton has a hip-hop and R&B soul feel. Based solely on the life of Alexander Hamilton, the founding father, the show describes his life from birth to death focusing on his years of success. Musicals take the audience on a journey through lyrical messages and instrumental breaks. Although some people would argue that the music of Hamilton is too modern, it deserves the credit it has received because of the creative lyrics, the variety of styles throughout the soundtrack , and
Variety. Many people argue that the whole score is hip hop music, but that is false. A variety of music styles is used. George Washington’s character who is played by Jonathan Groff, is one of the only characters played by a white man. His song brings us back to an old show tune style. In his song “What Comes Next”, he sings a ballad that turns into an upbeat melody. It can be compared to a 60’s song. In contrast to the other songs in the show, this song has the most different style. Another change in the score happened when the audience hears the song “What’d I Miss”. It is evident that jazz is incorporated in this song because there is a fuller melody with syncopated rhythms. It is hard to give this musical a genre because the music variety is so wide. Each song takes you on a different
It is used in some of the best musicals of all time such as Les Miserables and Rent. In Les Miserables, each character has a melodic line that they sing throughout the entire show. Each melodic line is sung with different words in a variety of songs. It gives each character individuality. Motifs are present in Hamilton, as well. Angelica’s character motif originates in the song “Helpless”. She sings the same melodic line in the songs “Satisfied” and “Non-Stop”. Different words are given to the melody, but it helps us gain a general idea of her personality and feelings. Melodic motifs can be compared to anaphora in narrative writing. Repetition of Angelica’s melody helps the audience create a relationship with her character. It helps them feel what she