Hamilton hit Broadway in 2015 and subsequently became a smash hit. Teachers are now using some of the (clean) songs to supplement lessons on American history, there are tributes and parodies all over YouTube, and people unashamedly admit to listening to the soundtrack on repeat (with 46 songs, most of them over three minutes, this is nothing to sneeze at).
The popularity of Hamilton brings to mind other long-forgotten historical figures and historical periods. Could other historically-based musicals be as successful? Who or what would you like to see get the Broadway/Lin-Manuel Miranda treatment (or attention from another composer)? Are there certain musical genres that would work best for some time periods (Hamilton leans heavily on hip-hop but, for instance, would WWII be more a rock opera type of story? Would a Civil War figure be more suited to say, bluegrass or rockabilly)? Who or what deserves a shot at Hamilton’s level of success, and how would you pull it off? Discuss.
I like this topic. I can't see me writing on this (well, never say never) but I'd be interested in seeing how someone would take a character or period and develop how it could be approached as a musical and why it might be of interest the way "Hamilton" has been received. – Joseph Cernik5 years ago
I love this topic. I think focusing on Lin's influences and how he achieved the incredible work he did in "Hamilton" is crucial in this discussion. – karenstahl5 years ago