“The world turned upside down” for “Hamilton” in theaters
“Hamilton: An American Musical” premiered on Broadway in 2015, and its legacy is observed through its 11 Tony awards, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a Grammy award. “Hamilton” tells the story of the founding father Alexander Hamilton’s life, spanning from his time as Lieutenant Colonel in the Revolutionary War to his untimely death. Some characters include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Hamilton’s wife Eliza and her sisters — known as the Schuyler sisters. To celebrate its 10-year anniversary, “Hamilton” was re-released in movie theaters across the country for one week, and NPHS students did “not throw away their shot” to experience it on the big screen.
Zoe Maturo, senior, has been a fan of “Hamilton” since third grade. “My mom was a U.S. history teacher at the time, and she was obsessed with it. We listened to it in the car, and I quickly became obsessed with it,” Maturo said.
Maturo’s theater-going experience was shared by many other people. “It was packed. I think the max capacity in the theater was 122 people, and every single seat was filled. There were people in costumes, dressed up as Lin-Manuel Miranda,” Maturo said.
Maturo believes that “Hamilton” is so popular because it pushes the limits of the musical theater genre by blending history and hip-hop. “I think it’s made people my age more interested in early American history and what shaped our government because of how popular the musical was and how intriguing it was to them with the songs and the concepts that it covers,” Maturo said.
Annette Rhee, senior, went to the theater with Maturo to become “a part of the narrative.” Rhee noticed the melodic composition of the show’s score. “They reuse the same melodies in the songs to convey a greater message,” Rhee said. As an avid history fan, Rhee appreciates its historical themes. “I think it brings more light to the American Revolution era and the state-building era. It talks a lot about history, which I think is important,” Rhee said. Rhee’s favorite Schuyler sister, and character in general, would have to be Eliza Hamilton. “I think she’s a good singer, and also I feel like she’s a very crucial character in the plot of the story. She’s someone you can look up to, for sure,” Rhee said.
Saya Markowitz, senior, watched “Hamilton” for the first time in theaters. She walked out of the theater as a “Hamil-fan.” “Hamilton’s awesome. I love it. Everyone should watch it. The songs, the people. It’s magical,” Markowitz said. Markowitz is not typically a history enthusiast, yet she still enjoyed the musical. “I think U.S. history is interesting, but it can be boring in class, so Hamilton’s a fun way of incorporating learning,” Markowitz said.
Markowitz’s favorite lyric from the show is said by the titular character. “My name is Alexander Hamilton. And there’s a million things I haven’t done, but just you wait, just you wait,” Markowitz said, “that [lyric] shows [Hamilton’s] determination.”
Although Alexander Hamilton died over 200 years ago, he lives on through the global sensation that “Hamilton: An American Musical” has become. The final song in the musical features all of the important characters from his life, and its lyrics are some of the most famous. “‘You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.’ I like that one,” Maturo said.
