As part of its Arts Fall Festival, PBS recently created a documentary called “Hamilton’s America” to chronicle the creation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway phenomenon “Hamilton.”
Whether you’re a fan of musical theatre or not, it’s likely that you have heard of the musical “Hamilton.” The historical hip-hop musical has been groundbreaking in the world of the arts and beyond, smashing expectations of traditional theatre. It opened on Broadway in the summer of 2015 and has only increased in popularity since then, claiming 27 Off-Broadway production awards and 29 Broadway awards, 11 of which have been Tonys and one of which a Pulitzer Prize.
“Hamilton” uses hip-hop, rap and other music styles to tell the historically-accurate rags-to-riches story of one of our Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton. The documentary, “Hamilton’s America,” starts with the origin of the musical. It shows creator and writer Lin-Manuel Miranda finding inspiration in a biography of Hamilton by Ron Chernow. After inspiration struck, the documentary shows Miranda writing his first song, “Alexander Hamilton,” and performing it for President Barack Obama and others at the White House in 2009. A year later, Miranda had written a second song, “My Shot.” Needing to pick up the pace, he enlisted help and worked on writing the remainder of the musical.
“Hamilton’s America” shows glimpses of the following seven years over which “Hamilton” came to be. PBS interviews Miranda, Chernow and most of the cast members, including Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr), Phillipa Soo (Eliza Schuyler Hamilton), Daveed Diggs (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), Christopher Jackson (George Washington) and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler), among others. Viewers get to see the process of creating the show, as well as cast members learning the history of who they are portraying. For example, historians take Miranda and Odom Jr. to examine actual letters exchanged between Hamilton and Burr after the Revolutionary War.
Other documentary guests include celebrities and politicians who have seen and loved “Hamilton.” President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, former President George W. Bush and Senator Elizabeth Warren are big fans and certainly appreciate the historical merit of the show. Jimmy Fallon (“The Tonight Show”) and members of The Roots are interviewed, commending the show’s brilliance and contribution to hip-hop and rap.
The documentary is worth watching by anyone, “Hamilton” fan or not. Fans who have seen the show can experience the behind-the-scenes magic, and fans who have only heard the soundtrack get glimpses of the real Broadway production coming to life. People unfamiliar with “Hamilton” can listen to bits of almost every song, meet the wonderful Lin-Manuel Miranda and appreciate the significance of the show.
“Hamilton’s America” premiered on Oct. 21 and can be streamed in full on the PBS website.
