Hamilton Musical: An American Musical | Complete Guide
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Hamilton
An American Musical
A Revolutionary Musical
From its opening, Hamilton received near-universal acclaim. It premiered off-Broadway on February 17, 2015, at the Public Theater in Lower Manhattan, with Miranda playing the role of Alexander Hamilton, where its several-month engagement was sold out. The musical won eight Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical. It then transferred to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, opening on August 6, 2015, where it received uniformly positive reviews and high box office sales.
Plot Synopsis
Hamilton narrates Alexander Hamilton’s life in two acts, and details among other things his involvement in the American Revolutionary War as an aide-de-camp to George Washington, his marriage to Eliza Schuyler, his career as a lawyer and Secretary of the Treasury, and his interactions with Aaron Burr (the main narrator for most of the musical), which culminates in their duel that ends Hamilton’s life.
Act I – Rise
Alexander Hamilton
The orphan Alexander Hamilton experiences a difficult early life, but through his wits and the charity of the people of his hometown, he escapes his home—the island of St. Croix—and immigrates to New York City. As a student at King’s College in 1776, Hamilton meets Aaron Burr, John Laurens, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Hercules Mulligan, and impresses them with his rhetorical skills. The latter three and Hamilton affirm their revolutionary goals to each other, while Burr remains apprehensive.
Later, the daughters of the wealthy Philip Schuyler—Peggy, Angelica, and Eliza—go into town and share their excitement about the upcoming revolution, while loyalist bishop Samuel Seabury argues against the revolution and King George III insists on his authority. During the New York and New Jersey campaign, Hamilton accepts a position as George Washington’s aide-de-camp despite longing for field command.
At a ball hosted by Philip Schuyler, Eliza falls helplessly in love with Hamilton, who reciprocates her feelings to the point of marriage, as Angelica suppresses her own feelings for the sake of their happiness. After the wedding, Burr and Hamilton congratulate each other’s successes, and Burr reflects on Hamilton’s swift rise compared to his own more cautious career, as well as his affair with Theodosia, the wife of a British officer.
The Revolutionary War
As conditions worsen for the Continental Army with the Battle of Monmouth, Hamilton aids Laurens in a duel against disgraced Major General Charles Lee, for which Washington temporarily suspends him from the army. Back home, Eliza reveals that she is pregnant with their first child, Philip, and asks Hamilton to slow down to take in the good that has happened in their lives. Lafayette convinces Washington to recall Hamilton and grant him field command for the Battle of Yorktown.
Knowing that Hamilton would die a martyr, Washington tells him that he should carefully consider his actions because whatever he does will be remembered for all time. At Yorktown, Hamilton works with Lafayette to take down the British and reveals that Mulligan has been working as a spy, helping them trap the British and win the war.
Soon after the victory of Yorktown, King George asks the newborn America how it will succeed on its own. Hamilton’s son Philip is born, while Burr has a daughter, Theodosia, and the two new fathers promise their children that they will do anything to protect them. Hamilton receives word that Laurens has been killed in a pointless battle with evacuating British troops after the war was already over and responds to his grief by throwing himself into his work.
Non-Stop
Over the next decade, both Hamilton and Burr return to New York and work as lawyers. Through his work and writing, Hamilton rapidly gains influence, participates in the Constitutional Convention, co-authors The Federalist Papers and is selected as Secretary of the Treasury by newly elected President Washington, amidst Eliza begging him to slow down and Angelica moving to London with her new husband.
Act II – Fall
In 1789, Thomas Jefferson returns to America from being the U.S. ambassador to France, taking up his newfound position as Secretary of State. Jefferson and James Madison debate against Hamilton’s financial proposals at a Cabinet meeting. Washington orders Hamilton to figure out a compromise to push his plan through Congress. Eliza and her family—along with Angelica, visiting from London—travel upstate during the summer, while Hamilton stays home to work on the compromise.
The Reynolds Affair
Hamilton begins an affair with Maria Reynolds, making him vulnerable to her husband’s extortion. Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison finally reach a compromise over a private dinner: they will push through Hamilton’s financial plan in exchange for placing the country’s permanent capital on the Potomac River. Burr is envious of Hamilton’s sway in the government and wishes that he had similar power. Burr switches political parties and defeats Hamilton’s father-in-law Philip Schuyler in a race for the Senate, now making Hamilton a rival.
In another Cabinet meeting, Jefferson and Hamilton argue over whether the United States should assist France in its conflict with Britain. President Washington ultimately agrees with Hamilton’s argument for remaining neutral. In the wake of this, Jefferson, Madison, and Burr decide to join forces to find a way to discredit Hamilton. Washington retires from the presidency after his second term, and Hamilton assists in writing his farewell address. A flabbergasted King George receives word that George Washington has stepped down, and will be replaced by John Adams. Adams fires Hamilton, who, in response, publishes an inflammatory critique of the new president.
Jefferson, Madison, and Burr confront Hamilton about James Reynolds’s blackmail years earlier, accusing him of embezzlement. Desperate to salvage his political career by proving that he was merely lustful and not corrupt, Hamilton reminisces over his life and how writing has always saved him, before preemptively publicizing his affair in the Reynolds Pamphlet, which wrecks his own reputation. It also ruins his relationship with Eliza, who, in heartbroken retaliation, burns all the letters Hamilton wrote her, trying to erase herself from history.
Personal Tragedy
At 19 years old, Hamilton’s son Philip attempts to defend his father’s honor in a duel with George Eacker, but is fatally shot, eventually leading to reconciliation between Alexander and Eliza. Hamilton’s surprising endorsement of longtime political enemy Jefferson over Burr in the 1800 presidential election dramatically intensifies the animosity between Hamilton and Burr, who reaches his breaking point and challenges Hamilton to a duel via an exchange of letters.
Hamilton writes his last letter in a rush while Eliza tells him to go back to bed. Burr reflects on the events leading up to the duel, while Hamilton reflects on his legacy, before throwing away his shot. Burr fatally shoots Hamilton, and laments that though he survived, he is destined to be remembered by history as the villain who killed Hamilton.
Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story
The musical closes with a reflection on historical memory. Jefferson and Madison reflect on Hamilton’s legacy, while Eliza tells how she reinserted herself in history and ensured Hamilton’s memory by recording the memories of fellow veterans, raising funds for the Washington Monument, speaking out against slavery, and establishing the first private orphanage in New York City. Eliza then turns toward the audience and lets out a tearful gasp.
Development and Creation
Inspiration and Early Development
While on vacation from performing in his hit Broadway show In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda read a copy of the 2004 biography “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow. After finishing the first few chapters, Miranda began to envision the life of Hamilton as a musical, and researched whether a stage musical of Hamilton’s life had been created: all he found was that a play of Hamilton’s story had been done on Broadway in 1917, starring George Arliss as Alexander Hamilton.
The White House Performance (2009)
Miranda began a project titled The Hamilton Mixtape. On May 12, 2009, Miranda was invited to perform music from In the Heights at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word. Instead, he performed the first song from The Hamilton Mixtape, an early version of what would later become “Alexander Hamilton”, Hamilton’s opening number. He spent a year after that working on “My Shot”, another early number from the show.
Historical Research
Although Miranda took some dramatic license in recounting the events of Hamilton’s life, both the story and the lyrics in the musical numbers were heavily researched. Many of the songs included in the show contain lines lifted directly from primary source documents including personal letters and other documents such as The Federalist Papers and the infamous Reynolds Pamphlet.
Workshop Productions
Miranda performed in a workshop production of the show, then titled The Hamilton Mixtape, at the Vassar College and New York Stage and Film Powerhouse Theater on July 27, 2013. The workshop production was directed by Thomas Kail and musically directed by Alex Lacamoire. The workshop consisted of the entirety of the first act of the show and three songs from the second act.
The cast included Miranda as Hamilton, Utkarsh Ambudkar as Burr, Christopher Jackson as Washington, Daveed Diggs as Lafayette/Jefferson, Ana Nogueira as Eliza, Anika Noni Rose as Angelica, Javier Muñoz as Laurens, Presilah Nunez as Peggy/Maria, and Joshua Henry as Mulligan/Madison/King George.
In 2014, there was a workshop production at the 52nd Street Project starring Miranda as Hamilton, Leslie Odom Jr. as Burr, Diggs as Lafayette/Jefferson, Phillipa Soo as Eliza, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica, Anthony Ramos as Laurens/Philip, Okieriete Onaodowan as Mulligan/Madison, Ciara Renée as Peggy/Maria, Brian d’Arcy James as King George III, and Isaiah Johnson as Washington.
Off-Broadway Production
Directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler, the musical received its world premiere Off-Broadway at The Public Theater, under the supervision of the Public’s Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, with previews starting on January 20, 2015, and officially opening on February 17. The production was extended twice, first to April 5 and then to May 3. Chernow served as historical consultant to the production. The show opened to universal acclaim.
Critical Acclaim
According to New York Post gossip columnist Michael Riedel, producer Jeffrey Seller wanted to take the show to Broadway before the end of the 2014–2015 season in order to capitalize on public interest in the show and qualify for eligibility for that year’s Tony Awards; however, he was overruled by Miranda and Kail, as Miranda wanted more time to work on the show. Changes made between off-Broadway and Broadway included the cutting of several numbers, a rewrite of Hamilton’s final moments before his death, and a cutting-down of the song “One Last Ride” (now titled “One Last Time”) to focus simply on Washington’s decision not to run for a third term as president.
Broadway Production
Broadway Premiere
Hamilton premiered on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (also home to Miranda’s 2008 Broadway debut In the Heights) on July 13, 2015, in previews, and opened on August 6, 2015. As in the off-Broadway production, the show is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman and Sandy Jacobs with sets by David Korins, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley and sound by Nevin Steinberg. The production was critically acclaimed and won 11 Tony Awards.
Original Broadway Cast
- Alexander Hamilton – Lin-Manuel Miranda (original), Javier Muñoz, Michael Luwoye, Ryan Vasquez, Miguel Cervantes
- Aaron Burr – Leslie Odom Jr. (original), Brandon Victor Dixon, Daniel Breaker, Jin Ha, Nik Walker
- Eliza Hamilton – Phillipa Soo (original), Lexi Lawson, Denée Benton, Krystal Joy Brown
- Angelica Schuyler – Renée Elise Goldsberry (original), Mandy Gonzalez
- George Washington – Christopher Jackson (original), Nicholas Christopher
- King George III – Jonathan Groff (original), Andrew Rannells, Rory O’Malley, Taran Killam, Brian d’Arcy James
- Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson – Daveed Diggs (original), Seth Stewart, James Monroe Iglehart, Kyle Scatliffe
- John Laurens/Philip Hamilton – Anthony Ramos (original), Jordan Fisher
- Hercules Mulligan/James Madison – Okieriete Onaodowan (original)
- Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds – Jasmine Cephas Jones (original)
COVID-19 Impact
On March 12, 2020, the show suspended production due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Performances resumed on September 14, 2021.
Musical Score and Songs
Act I
- Alexander Hamilton – The company introduces Hamilton’s story
- Aaron Burr, Sir – Hamilton meets Burr and his revolutionary friends
- My Shot – Hamilton declares his revolutionary ambitions
- The Story of Tonight – The revolutionaries pledge their friendship
- The Schuyler Sisters – Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy explore New York
- Farmer Refuted – Hamilton debates Samuel Seabury
- You’ll Be Back – King George III warns the colonies
- Right Hand Man – Washington recruits Hamilton
- A Winter’s Ball – The revolutionaries attend a ball
- Helpless – Eliza falls in love with Hamilton
- Satisfied – Angelica’s perspective on the wedding
- Wait for It – Burr reflects on his cautious approach
- Stay Alive – The Continental Army struggles
- Ten Duel Commandments – The rules of dueling
- That Would Be Enough – Eliza asks Hamilton to slow down
- Guns and Ships – Lafayette convinces Washington
- History Has Its Eyes on You – Washington advises Hamilton
- Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) – Victory at Yorktown
- What Comes Next? – King George questions America’s future
- Dear Theodosia – Hamilton and Burr sing to their children
- Non-Stop – Hamilton’s relentless work ethic
Act II
- What’d I Miss – Jefferson returns from France
- Cabinet Battle #1 – Hamilton vs. Jefferson on financial policy
- Take a Break – Eliza asks Hamilton to vacation
- Say No to This – Hamilton’s affair with Maria Reynolds
- The Room Where It Happens – Burr envies Hamilton’s influence
- Schuyler Defeated – Burr defeats Philip Schuyler
- Cabinet Battle #2 – Debate over helping France
- Washington on Your Side – Jefferson, Madison, and Burr plot
- One Last Time – Washington’s farewell
- I Know Him – King George on John Adams
- The Adams Administration – Hamilton criticizes Adams
- We Know – Hamilton confronted about Reynolds
- Hurricane – Hamilton decides to publish the pamphlet
- The Reynolds Pamphlet – Hamilton’s affair goes public
- Burn – Eliza destroys Hamilton’s letters
- Blow Us All Away – Philip defends his father’s honor
- Stay Alive (Reprise) – Philip dies
- It’s Quiet Uptown – Hamilton and Eliza reconcile
- The Election of 1800 – Hamilton backs Jefferson
- Your Obedient Servant – Letters leading to the duel
- Best of Wives and Best of Women – Hamilton’s last night
- The World Was Wide Enough – The fatal duel
- Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story – Eliza’s legacy
Cast Recordings
Original Broadway Cast Recording
Chart Success
The original Broadway cast recording for Hamilton was made available to listeners by NPR on September 21, 2015. It was released by Atlantic Records digitally on September 25, 2015, and physical copies were released on October 16, 2015. The album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the highest entrance for a cast recording since 1963. It went on to reach number 2 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Billboard Rap albums chart. The original cast recording won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
The Hamilton Mixtape
The Hamilton Mixtape, a collection of remixes, covers, and samples of the musical’s songs, was released on December 2, 2016. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200.
The Hamilton Instrumentals
The Hamilton Instrumentals, an instrumental edition of the original Broadway cast recording without the cast’s vocals, was released on June 30, 2017. In conjunction with the release, the producers of Hamilton announced that they were officially authorizing free sing-along programs for fans, offering organizers the Hamiltunes name and logo to promote the events.
Hamildrops
Miranda announced a new series of 13 Hamilton-related recordings called Hamildrops, releasing once a month from December 2017 to December 2018. Notable releases included:
- “Ben Franklin’s Song” by The Decemberists
- “The Hamilton Polka” by “Weird Al” Yankovic
- “Found/Tonight” by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt (benefiting March for Our Lives)
- “First Burn” featuring five actresses who played Eliza Hamilton
- “A Forgotten Spot (Olvidado)” featuring Puerto Rican artists (Hurricane Maria anniversary)
- “One Last Time (44 Remix)” featuring Barack Obama
Major Productions
Chicago Production (2016-2020)
Hamilton began previews at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago on September 27, 2016. The Chicago production cast included Miguel Cervantes as Alexander Hamilton, Joshua Henry as Aaron Burr, Karen Olivo as Angelica Schuyler, Arianna Afsar as Eliza Schuyler, Alexander Gemignani as King George III, Jonathan Kirkland as George Washington, and Samantha Marie Ware as Peggy/Maria Reynolds. The Chicago run closed on January 5, 2020, after 1,341 shows. The production grossed $400 million, breaking the box office record for theater in Chicago. Overall, more than 2.6 million people took in Hamilton during its Chicago run.
West End Production (2017-Present)
London Premiere
Cameron Mackintosh produced a London production that re-opened the Victoria Palace Theatre on December 21, 2017, following previews from December 6. The London production received strongly positive reviews. In 2018, Prince Harry attended a charity performance of the London production, where he sung a few bars of “You’ll Be Back,” sung in the show by his sixth great-grandfather King George III. The show was forced to close from March 16, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in England. It reopened on August 19, 2021.
U.S. National Tours
Angelica Tour (First National Tour): Began preview performances at San Francisco’s SHN Orpheum Theatre on March 10, 2017. The tour concluded its run on June 25, 2023, at the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré in Puerto Rico. The Angelica tour re-opened on September 4, 2024, at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre.
Philip Tour (Second National Tour): Began preview performances at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle on February 6, 2018, before officially opening on February 15, 2018. Hamilton premiered in Canada when the Philip tour began a planned three-month run at the Ed Mirvish Theatre in Toronto on February 11, 2020.
And Peggy Tour (Third National Tour): Debuted in a January 11–27, 2019 run at the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with Lin-Manuel Miranda reprising the title role. The And Peggy Company had their final performance in Toronto on August 20, 2023.
Eliza Tour: The production opened on August 27, 2021, in Los Angeles and ran until March 20, 2022.
Puerto Rico Production (2019)
Miranda Returns
Miranda’s performance in the Luis A. Ferré Performing Arts Center marked his return to the venue nine years after he reprised the role of Usnavi for the San Juan stop of the North American touring production of In the Heights. The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon taped segments in Puerto Rico to help tourism. In a review, Chris Jones said Miranda’s performance demonstrated “deeper on-stage emotions”, as well as improved vocal and dance technique than on his original run on Broadway. The sold-out three-week engagement raised about $15 million for Miranda’s Flamboyán Arts Fund, which benefits arts in Puerto Rico.
International Productions
Australian Production (2021-2023)
Hamilton had its Australian premiere at Sydney Lyric, with previews beginning March 17, 2021. The Australian company is led by Jason Arrow as Alexander Hamilton, Chloé Zuel as Eliza Hamilton, Lyndon Watts as Aaron Burr, Akina Edmonds as Angelica Schuyler, Matu Ngaropo as George Washington, and Brent Hill as King George III. The production opened in Melbourne at Her Majesty’s Theatre on March 15, 2022. The Melbourne production received overwhelming positive reviews, with The Age saying that Arrow “wipes the floor with Miranda’s performance in the Disney+ version”. The Australian tour continued in Brisbane at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC from January to April 2023.
German Production (2022-2023)
According to Stage Entertainment, a German production opened at the Operettenhaus in Hamburg. Previews started on September 24, 2022, and the opening night eventually took place on October 6, 2022. It was the first official non-English production of the show. The translation of the lyrics was done by German musical author Kevin Schroeder and German rapper Sera Finale. In March 2023 it was announced that the production would end in October 2023 after only one year due to disappointing ticket sales. The production closed on October 15, 2023.
International Tour (2023-Present)
The Australian producers, Michael Cassel Group, announced an international tour to commence in Auckland, New Zealand at Spark Arena in May 2023. The production features the Australian cast, and is the first to be staged in an arena.
The tour started previews in Manila, Philippines on September 21, 2023, before having an opening night on November 11, 2023. Filipino actress Rachelle Ann Go reprised her role as Eliza from the original West End production. After the Manila run, the production moved to Abu Dhabi in 2024, where it ran from January 17 to February 11 at the Etihad Arena. Subsequently, the show transferred to Singapore starting on April 19 at the Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands.
UK and Ireland Tour (2023-Present)
A UK and Ireland tour began at the Palace Theatre, Manchester on November 11, 2023, before touring to Edinburgh, Bristol, Birmingham, Dublin, Cardiff, Bradford, Southampton, Liverpool, Sunderland, Plymouth and Norwich. The full cast was announced on September 21, with Shaq Taylor taking on the titular role.
Awards and Recognition
2016 Tony Awards
Record-Breaking Nominations
The musical currently holds the record for most Tony Award nominations with 16 nominations (though due to multiple nominations in the two ‘actor’ categories, it could have only won 13 awards unless a tie occurred). It eventually won 11 awards, the second-most ever given to a single production, behind only the original Broadway production of The Producers (2001), which won twelve.
| Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Best Musical | Hamilton | WON |
| Best Book of a Musical | Lin-Manuel Miranda | WON |
| Best Original Score | Lin-Manuel Miranda | WON |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Lin-Manuel Miranda | Nominated |
| Best Actor in a Musical | Leslie Odom Jr. | WON |
| Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Daveed Diggs | WON |
| Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Christopher Jackson | Nominated |
| Best Featured Actor in a Musical | Jonathan Groff | Nominated |
| Best Actress in a Musical | Phillipa Soo | Nominated |
| Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Renée Elise Goldsberry | WON |
| Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Jasmine Cephas Jones | Nominated |
| Best Direction of a Musical | Thomas Kail | WON |
| Best Choreography | Andy Blankenbuehler | WON |
| Best Orchestrations | Alex Lacamoire | WON |
| Best Scenic Design of a Musical | David Korins | Nominated |
| Best Costume Design of a Musical | Paul Tazewell | Nominated |
| Best Lighting Design of a Musical | Howell Binkley | WON |
Other Major Awards
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama (2016)
- Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album (2016)
- Eight Drama Desk Awards (2015) including Outstanding Musical
- Seven Laurence Olivier Awards (2018) including Best New Musical
- BroadwayWorld Australia Awards (2021)
Cultural Impact
Revolutionary Casting
“America Then, as Told by America Now”
Miranda said that the portrayal of Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and other white historical figures by black, Latino and Asian actors should not require any substantial suspension of disbelief by audience members. “Our cast looks like America looks now, and that’s certainly intentional”, he said. “It’s a way of pulling you into the story and allowing you to leave whatever cultural baggage you have about the founding fathers at the door.” He noted “We’re telling the story of old, dead white men but we’re using actors of color, and that makes the story more immediate and more accessible to a contemporary audience.”
Pro-Immigration Message
The pro-immigration message of Hamilton is at the forefront, as the show revolves around the life of one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Alexander Hamilton, and how he made his mark in American politics as an immigrant. Instead of being characterized as a white person, Alexander Hamilton’s immigrant status is referenced throughout the show, along with the virtue and prowess of Hamilton (“by working a lot harder, by being a lot smarter, by being a self-starter”), in order to foster a positive image of immigrants. Alongside this, the casting of Black, Latino, and Asian American leads allowed audiences to literally view America as a nation of immigrants, and illustrate the “complex racial history and identity of America”.
Educational Impact
Hamilton in the Classroom
KQED News wrote of a “growing number of intrepid U.S. history teachers … who are harnessing the Hamilton phenomenon to inspire their students”. The Cabinet rap battles provide a way to engage students with topics that have traditionally been considered uninteresting. An elective course for 11th and 12th graders on the musical Hamilton was held at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York. Hamilton’s producers have made a pledge to allow 20,000 New York City public high school students from low-income families to get subsidized tickets to see Hamilton on Broadway by reducing their tickets to $70 for students, and the Rockefeller Foundation provided $1.5 million to further lower ticket prices to $10 per student.
Box Office Success
Broadway Records
Unprecedented Success
Hamilton’s off-Broadway engagement at The Public Theater was sold out, and when the musical opened on Broadway, it had a multimillion-dollar advance in ticket sales, reportedly taking in $30 million before its official opening. By September 2015, the show was sold out for most of its Broadway engagement. It was the second-highest-grossing show on Broadway for the Labor Day week ending September 6, 2015 (behind only The Lion King).
Hamilton set a Broadway box office record for the most money grossed in a single week in New York City in late November 2016, when it grossed $3.3 million for an eight-performance week, the first show to break $3 million in eight performances.
Ham4Ham Lottery Shows
Hamilton, like some other Broadway musicals, offers a ticket lottery before every show. Initially, 21 front-row seats (and occasional standing room tickets) were offered in each lottery. Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda began preparing and hosting outdoor mini-performances shortly before each daily drawing, allowing lottery participants to experience a part of the show even when they did not win tickets. These were dubbed the “Ham4Ham” shows, because lottery winners were given the opportunity to purchase two tickets at the reduced price of one Hamilton ($10 bill) each.
As a result of the Ham4Ham shows, Hamilton’s lottery drew unusually large crowds of people who created congestion on West 46th Street. To avoid increasingly dangerous crowding and traffic conditions, an online ticket lottery began operating in early January 2016. On the first day of the online lottery, more than 50,000 people entered, crashing the website. After Miranda left the show on July 9, 2016, Rory O’Malley, then playing King George III, took over as the host of Ham4Ham. The Ham4Ham show officially ended on August 31, 2016, after more than a year of performances.
Film Adaptation
Disney+ Release (2020)
In 2020, a filmed version of the Broadway production was released on Disney+, followed by a theatrical release in 2025 by Walt Disney Pictures. The filmed version featured the original Broadway cast and brought the musical to millions of viewers worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Critical Reception
Universal Acclaim
Marilyn Stasio, in her review for Variety, wrote: “The music is exhilarating, but the lyrics are a big surprise. The sense, as well as the sound of the sung dialogue, has been purposely suited to each character. George Washington, a stately figure in Jackson’s dignified performance, sings in polished prose. … In the end, Miranda’s impassioned narrative of one man’s story becomes the collective narrative of a nation, a nation built by immigrants who occasionally need to be reminded where they came from.”
Ben Brantley in The New York Times wrote: “But Hamilton, directed by Thomas Kail and starring Mr. Miranda, might just about be worth it…Washington, Jefferson, Madison—they’re all here, making war and writing constitutions and debating points of economic structure. So are Aaron Burr and the Marquis de Lafayette.”
Historical Criticism
Some historians have critiqued the show for a simplistic depiction of Hamilton and vilification of Jefferson. Australian historian Shane White found the framing of the show’s story “troubling”, stating that Miranda’s depiction of the founding of the United States “infuses new life into an older view of American history” that centered on the Founding Fathers. Rutgers University professor Lyra Monteiro criticized the show’s multi-ethnic casting as obscuring a complete lack of identifiable enslaved or free persons of color as characters in the show.
Legacy
A Cultural Phenomenon
Hamilton has become one of the most significant cultural phenomena of the 21st century, revolutionizing musical theater by combining hip-hop with historical narrative and diverse casting. The show has inspired educational programs, sparked renewed interest in American history, and demonstrated the power of theater to engage contemporary audiences with stories from the past. Its influence extends beyond Broadway to classrooms, political discourse, and popular culture worldwide.
Enduring Impact
“Hamilton is a story about America, and the most beautiful thing about it is … it’s told by such a diverse cast with such diverse styles of music”, according to Renée Elise Goldsberry, who played Angelica Schuyler. “We have the opportunity to reclaim a history that some of us don’t necessarily think is our own.”
