Item Description
"An unorthodox musical with a diverse cast about the life of Alexander Hamilton is creating waves on Broadway and beyond while it smashes box office records"
- 2015Nov 08
- CORRESPONDENTCharlie Rose
- MORE+
- STUMBLE
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The following is a script from "Hamilton" which aired on Nov. 8, 2015. Charlie Rose is the correspondent. Graham Messick, producer.
"Imagine the pitch: a Broadway musical about the life and times of founding father Alexander Hamilton and his contemporaries. They are played by a young, multiracial cast; dancing, singing and rapping to hip hop and popular music. This unlikely combination is called "Hamilton" and it is being hailed as a theatrical "game-changer."
"Hamilton" is the brainchild of a 35-year-old playwright named Lin-Manuel Miranda. He also composed the music, and plays the title character. Miranda worked six years on the project. His biggest challenge was fitting the immense story of one of the most brilliant and misunderstood men in American history into a single evening of musical theater."
“HAMILTON IS THE MOST EXCITING AND SIGNIFICANT MUSICAL OF THE DECADE. SENSATIONALLY POTENT AND THEATRICALLY VITAL, IT IS PLUGGED STRAIGHT INTO THE WALL SOCKET OF CONTEMPORARY MUSIC. THIS SHOW MAKES ME FEEL HOPEFUL FOR THE FUTURE OF MUSICAL THEATER.”
—Terry Teachout, The Wall Street Journal
“HAMILTON IS ONE OF THE MOST EXHILARATING EXPERIENCES I’VE HAD IN THE THEATER. BOLD, ROUSING, SEXY, TEAR-JERKING AND HISTORICALLY RESPECTFUL — THE SORT OF PRODUCTION THAT ASKS YOU TO THINK AFRESH ABOUT YOUR COUNTRY AND YOUR LIFE.”—David Brooks, The New York Times
Item Special Note
RAVE REVIEWS!
How Lucky We Are To Be Alive Right Now,
September 28, 2015
This review is from: Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) [Explicit] (MP3 Music)
Hamilton is a powerful, emotional, gripping, stunning, phenomenal masterpiece that will certainly be remembered as one of the best in Broadway history. While the cast recording cannot fully replicate the experience of seeing the show live, it comes amazingly close. You will cry. You will replay. You will cry again. The dense and brilliant lyrics, subtle references to pop culture, direct incorporation of historical documents, musical arrangements, and repetition of themes mean that you will discover new aspects of the show with every listen. But be warned: Don't start listening unless you're ready to keep listening during every waking hour of your life for a solid week.
The Kiss of Life to Broadway,
September 30, 2015
This review is from: Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) [Explicit] (MP3 Music)
I've been a theater musical buff for years. For quite some time, there has been a famine in creativity on Broadway. Jukebox musicals are okay, but the music isn't original. Revivals are reliable for a profitable box office, but how many Sondheim revivals can one mount? I was all set to throw in the towel and stream Netflix shows for artistic sustenance for the remainder of my days. But all that has changed since Lin-Manuel Miranda decided to turn Alexander Hamilton's life story into a Hip-Hop musical. It looks crazy on paper, right? Yes, but it's crazy excellent! This exquisite piece of musical craftsmanship is nothing like I've ever experienced. The songs are well forged against the backdrop of one of this nation's most historical moments. All of these songs could easily be Top 40's singles. This excellent cast album has it all: songs about desire, triumph, love, heartbreak, power, obsession, family, cheating, status, happiness and loss. After an eight year absence from visiting NYC, Hamilton has inspired me to book a plane ticket and a ridiculously expensive hotel room in the Big Apple just to see this show in the Fall. Thank you, Mr. Miranda for granting the kiss of life to Broadway...and it was well worth the wait!
A Groundbreaking Masterpiece (Yes, I'm Serious),
October 17, 2015
This review is from: Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)(Explicit)(2CD) (Audio CD)
These are not words I toss around lightly, but seriously, Hamilton is a masterpiece that will change musical theater forever. This show is certain to sweep the 2016 Tony Awards and I would not be surprised at all if Lin-Manuel Miranda is awarded a Pulitzer Prize along the way.
As for the soundtrack, let's just say this is one of those epics that gets better and better with every listen (and I've listened dozens of times already). Every member of my family has been addicted to it since the day it was released. It's a brilliant pastiche of musical and poetic styles, all perfectly tailored to each particular character, yet woven into an intricate narrative that will inspire, entertain, and break your heart.
I was privileged to see the show the week that it opened, and can't stop telling people about it, so I was beyond thrilled that the production team, including writer/performer Lin-Manuel Miranda and producer Ahmir Khalib Thompson (aka Questlove) chose to produce a full-length soundtrack that skipped nothing from the original show. With such a beautifully-woven narrative, it would have been a shame to leave anything out. Now an entire generation of theater-goers will arrive at Hamilton already knowing the music and words, and that's probably a great thing, because it's incredibly complex and fast-paced. I can't wait to go again, because it's easy to miss so much on first listen.
Is this soundtrack for everybody? I think so. I don't listen to hip hop music at all -- at least not until Hamilton. That's one reason this is so groundbreaking. It's a mix of hip hop, R&B, jazz, vintage pop and straight-ahead broadway tunes, all perfectly pushing forward a narrative of the founding of United States of America as an immigrant story -- a story of bold, daring, rule-breaking, enlightened thinkers, and of how they made a name for themselves and for the new world.
I could go on and on, but I'm wasting your time. Just order it now!
RR“A groundbreaking, one-for-the-ages tale of one of America's founding fathers. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s HAMILTON is an “A groundbreaking, one-for-the-ages tale of one of America's founding fathers. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s HAMILTON is an amazing, thrillingly multi-layered new musical.”– Entertainment Weeklyamazing, thrillingly multi-layered new musical.”– Entertainment Weekly“A groundbreaking, one-for-the-ages tale of one of America's founding fathers. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s HAMILTON is an amazing, thrillingly multi-layered new musical.”– Entertainment Weekly
