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Overview
Synopsis
Lin-Manuel Miranda's Pulitzer prize-winning transformation of Ron Chernow's biography, Hamilton, into a hip-hop musical took the world by storm in 2016. At the center of this groundbreaking, multi-award-winning musical is the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton, whose ambition drove him from the position of Caribbean outsider and bastard child to American war hero and George Washington's right-hand man. In the process, Alexander Hamilton powerfully shaped America as we have come to know it -- and gave us all a template for what it means to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and realize the American Dream. This exploration of Hamilton's political mastermind was called "the most exciting and significant musical of the decade." David Brooks of the New York Times declared seeing Hamilton to be "one of the most exhilarating experiences I've had in the theatre." With heart, humor, and respect, Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical breathes vibrant, colorful life into this story of America's founding fathers.
Show Information
- Book
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Music
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Lyrics
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Arrangement
- Alex Timbers , Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
- Category
- Musical
- Age Guidance
- Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 2015
- Genres
- Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Period, Multiple Settings, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- 1776, late 1700s
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- Heavy
- Ideal For
- Professional Theatre, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Adult, Young Adult, Late Teen Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Hamilton began in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s mind as a concept album. One May evening in 2009, Miranda was supposed to perform a piece from his current Broadway hit, In the Heights, for “An Evening of Poetry, Music, and the Spoken Word” at the White House. It was early in President Barack Obama’s administration, and Miranda decided that this was the right night, and the right crowd, to try out a new project. Supported by Alex Lacamoire on piano, Miranda introduced the White House and the world to
to read the context for Hamilton and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act One
A few regal, military chords ring out, then an ensemble enters snapping their fingers, creating a beat to tell the beginning of the story of our main character (“Alexander Hamilton”). Aaron Burr, the shows erstwhile villain, takes the lead as narrator and one by one we are introduced to the characters from American History that are part of the story to be told. Alexander comes to New York from the Caribbean, the orphaned child of a whore and a Scotsman. He is driven and yearns to
to read the plot for Hamilton and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Act One
- Alexander Hamilton – Full company (except King George)
- Aaron Burr, Sir – Hamilton, Burr, Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan
- My Shot – Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Burr and Company
- The Story of Tonight – Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan
- The Schuyler Sisters – Angelica, Eliza, Peggy, Burr, and Company
- Farmer Refuted – Seabury and Hamilton
- You'll Be Back – King George
- Right Hand Man – Washington, Hamilton, Burr, and Company
- A Winter's Ball – Burr, Hamilton, Company
- Helpless – Eliza, Hamilton, Women
- Satisfied – Angelica, Eliza, Hamilton and Company
- The Story of Tonight (Reprise) -Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Hamilton, Burr
- Wait For It – Burr and Company
- Stay Alive – Hamilton, Washington, Lee, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, Eliza, Angelica, and Company
- Ten Duel Commandments – Laurens, Hamilton, Lee, Burr, and Company
- Meet Me Inside – Washington, Hamilton, and Company
- That Would Be Enough – Eliza and Hamilton
- Guns and Ships - Lafayette, Burr, Washington, Company
- History Has Its Eyes on You – Washington and Company
- Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down) – Hamilton, Lafayette, Laurens, Mulligan, Washington, and Company
- What Comes Next? – King George
- Dear Theodosia – Burr, Hamilton
- Non-Stop – Hamilton, Burr, Eliza, Angelica, Washington, and Company
Act Two
- What'd I Miss – Jefferson, Burr, Madison, Washington, Hamilton and Company
- Cabinet Battle #1 – Jefferson, Hamilton, Washington, and Madison
- Take a Break – Eliza, Philip, Hamilton, and Angelica
- Say No to This – Hamilton, Maria Reynolds, James Reynolds, and Company
- The Room Where It Happens – Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, and Company
- Schuyler Defeated – Philip, Eliza, Hamilton, and Burr
- Cabinet Battle #2 – Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison
- Washington on Your Side – Burr, Jefferson, and Madison
- One Last Time – Washington, Hamilton, and Company
- I Know Him – King George
- The Adams Administration – Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, and Company
- We Know –Hamilton, Burr, Jefferson, and Madison
- Hurricane – Hamilton and Company
- The Reynolds Pamphlet - Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, Burr, Angelica, Company
- Burn – Eliza
- Blow Us All Away – Philip, Hamilton, Eacker, Dolly, Martha and Company
- Stay Alive (Reprise) – Philip, Hamilton, Eliza, Doctor, and Company
- It's Quiet Uptown – Angelica, Hamilton, Eliza, and Company
- The Election of 1800 – Jefferson, Madison, Burr, Hamilton, and Company
- Your Obedient Servant – Burr, Hamilton
- Best of Wives and Best of Women – Eliza, Hamilton
- The World Was Wide Enough – Burr, Hamilton, and Company
- Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story – Eliza, Washington, Burr, Jefferson, Madison, Angelica, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan and Company
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
Key Terms
The lowest female vocal type, generally F3-F5.
The revolt of the American colonies against Great Britain, beginning in 1775 with the Battles of Lexington and Concord and ending at Yorktown in 1781.
A song that uses short stanzas to tell a story about love.
The middle male vocal type, generally A2-A4.
The lowest male vocal type, generally E2-E4.
The script of a musical.
The sequence of steps and movements in dance, also the orchestrated and rehearsed movements for actors, based on the script.
A 1787 gathering of delegates that redesigned the structure of the new United States government.
A contest between two people using deadly weapons (guns or swords), intended to settle arguments of honor.
A genre of music that uses stylized rhythms and quick lyrics. Hip-hop is a larger cultural expression that first developed in the 1970s among African-American, Latinx, and Caribbean American communities, especially in New York City. Hip-hop includes DJ, turntable scratching, beatboxing, and music sampling.
A recurrent theme throughout a musical or literary composition, associated with a particular person, idea, or situation.
The script of the musical, separate from the musical orchestrations.
The middle female vocal type, generally A3-A5.
Study of the cultural, economic, and political impacts of colonialism, often focusing on the stories of the colonized people.
An award for an achievement in American journalism, literature, or music
Quick lyric delivery in hip-hop music, often accompanied by a beat or musical track. Rap is stylized through its flow and delivery.
The highest female vocal type, generally C4-C6.
The highest male vocal type, generally C3-C5.
A sad or sentimental song, typically about unrequited love.
Videos
Quizzes
Themes, Symbols & Motifs
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Quote Analysis
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Guide Written By:
Laura Ware
StageAgent Editor and former dancing queen in Mamma Mia.