Background of:
Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton
• Inspired by Alexander Hamilton by Ron
Chernow.
• Began writing music for the musical in 2008.
• Performed a rap about Hamilton at the White
House in 2009.
• Miranda spent a year writing/revising “My Shot” in
order to accurately reflect Hamilton’s intelligence.
• Hamilton Mixtape premiered off-Broadway in
January, 2015.
• That same year, Chernow and Miranda received the
History Makers Award for their work in creating
Hamilton.
• After selling out their off-Broadway engagement,
officially opened on Broadway in August 2015.
• Over 700 people entered a lottery for tickets on
opening night.
• Due to the growing number of people congesting the
streets in an effort to win tickets, the lottery was
moved online.
• In its first online
lottery, more than
50,000 people
entered, causing the
site to crash.
• Costume and set design are meant to reflect
the period.
• Characters of Hamilton are played by Latinos,
African-Americans, and Asian-Americans in order to
foster a positive view on immigrants.
• Allows audiences to literally view America as a nation
of immigrants, thereby showing how irrelevant the
Founding Fathers' whiteness is to their claim on the
country.
Hamilton’s America
• http://sockshare.net/watch/qd7qZrxKhamilton-s-america.html
• Aired October 21, 2016 as part of PBS’ Arts
Fall Festival.
Hamilton Mixtape
• Originally what Miranda envisioned for Hamilton.
• Includes covers and interpolations of the
musical’s songs.
• Some of the artists include Busta Rhymes, Queen
Latifah, Common, and Chance the Rapper.
“Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)”
• K’naan: Somali Canadian rapper – immigrated
to the U.S. when he was 13 years old to
escape escalating violence in Somalia.
• Residente: Puerto Rican rapper – has won 24
Latin Grammy awards.
• Riz MC: British rapper – parents immigrated
from Pakistan
• Snow Tha Product: American rapper – parents
immigrated from Mexico