Hamilton as a First West End Musical Experience

A hip-hop score to draw anyone in

I had heard rave reviews of Hamilton in common discourse but no-one had ever explained why the show is so good. Having now seen the West End production for myself, I now understand the reason for its popularity. The music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda make the show incredibly contemporary and give an intensity beyond more classical balladic musicals. Of course there are many ensemble sections for emphasis and all the vocal range one expects when performed on the West End or Broadway, but the spoken words hitting over popular musical beats seems more unique to Hamilton. 

Personally, I can find musicals grating when they seem to follow pre-determined melodic paths and the lyrics in themselves are not strong enough to stand out. Whereas, in Hamilton the priority in many of the songs appears to be on the lyrics. Ultimately hip-hop is designed to convey clear points with instrumentation for accompaniment, and we get this in Hamilton. The orchestra is no more than ten, and perhaps some of the best moments feature very few instruments. The table-tapping and beat-boxing in Aaron Burr, Sir, record scratching sound in a song like The Schuyler Sisters, and synth in a song like Right Hand Man, enriches the rapping on display. 

The genius of Miranda’s creation only stands out more in comparison to the conventional musical moments he includes in his show. While pushing the boundaries of the musical genres on display, he provides much variety with music-hall inspired songs for the character of King George, and longer-held and sweet female singing in songs from Helpless to First Burn for example. A professional production of the show such as on the West End ticks all the boxes for the dancing and emotional intensity of acting too. So even if, like me, you are a little cynical of musicals but have the opportunity to see a West End or Broadway production of Hamilton you should take it.