The hit musical “Hamilton” is taking the Broadway world by storm. Since its debut in 2015, the show has attracted top-tier guests like Barack Obama and Beyoncé and has made waves with its innovative, diverse cast and blend of modern music genres.

“Hamilton,” written by music and lyrical genius Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also stars as the titular character in the show, was inspired by the best-selling biography of founding father Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. Inspiration struck Miranda while he was performing in his previous hit musical, “In the Heights,” and he went on to spend seven years penning the show. He worked with Chernow to check the historical facts and Alex Lacamoire on the music. It first debuted as an Off-Broadway production in February of 2015, moving to Broadway later that summer.

The show follows Hamilton from his move to New York City at age 19 up until his death in a duel with Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom, Jr.), documenting his tumultuous involvement in American politics in between. It not only covers the politics of the time, but also provides an in-depth character study of Hamilton and his surrounding circle, such as Burr, George Washington (Christopher Jackson), Thomas Jefferson (Daveed Diggs) and his wife, Elizabeth Schuyler (Phillipa Soo).

One of the many unique things about the show is the fact that its music is almost entirely rap, hip-hop and R&B, with a few other genres mixed in. While contemporary rock musicals have existed for a while, Miranda is the pioneer of using rap on Broadway, and he’s quickly becoming a major voice for younger generations.

“The hip-hop narrative is one of writing your way out of your circumstance,” Miranda said in an interview with CBS in March of 2015.

Parts of history usually tied up in political jargon are transformed into catchy numbers, like “Cabinet Battle #1,” which is a rap battle version of a highly charged debate between Hamilton and Jefferson.

However, the genre choices aren’t the most discussed aspect of the show; rather, it’s the bold casting choices. Miranda decided to reimagine the era of the Founding Fathers with shocking racial diversity. The only main character that isn’t played by an actor of color is King George III.

“This is the story of America then, told by America now. It looks like America now,” said Miranda.

The musical is seriously challenging everything the theater world thought about historical accuracy and being realistic in shows. “Hamilton” proves that casting people of color in typically white roles doesn’t mean the end of the world; it truly expands what theater can be. This offers a connection for racial minorities to connect to a past they rarely see themselves as a part of, and this is extremely important in the context of college theater.

Many colleges and high schools already struggle with having diverse student populations and “Hamilton” poses an interesting challenge for schools to take a second look at the way they view diversity.

The diverse cast of the show demonstrates how seeing yourself in history can completely change your relationship to past events. In educational institutions, this relationship is vital—making minority students feel like part of the institution and its history is a lesson many universities could serve to learn. College production departments could also take more risks in casting minorities, choosing controversial shows and making creative production decisions. Shows like “Hamilton” offer theater departments a chance to reach beyond the typical students they cast and look to other parts of the student body that have unique talents not usually featured in musicals.

Watching the legacy of “Hamilton” unfold feels ironically like witnessing history being made. The ground-breaking musical defies many rules of the industry and has shot to the top because of it. Its effects will surely play out in the world of theater for years to come.

Tickets for “Hamilton” on Broadway are available through the show’s website at pretty exorbitant prices and are sold out for the foreseeable future. However, the show is set to go to Chicago in the fall of 2016 and go on a national tour in 2017. The ordinary public must resort to listening to the album, which is available through iTunes, Spotify and the website.