As one of the most successful musicals in recent years, Hamilton positions itself as a pioneer in revolutionizing how Broadway shows should be done. The genius of Lin-Manuel Miranda in bringing the story of Alexander Hamilton told in a series of beautifully crafted songs, raps, and complex choreography captured the hearts of many. From its humble beginnings in 2015 to its significant impact on the American culture today, Hamilton’s story of “America then, as told by America now” has captured the hearts of a global audience. One needs to be well-versed in American history ––or to be American in the first place–– to enjoy the musical. The enigmatic power of the musical will simply draw you into the lives intertwined through politics. Catch the instant classic Broadway production this summer at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton, Canada. Let the genius lyrics, choreography, costumes, orchestrations, and impressive raps take you on a one-of-a-kind history lesson that will take you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions!
“With ‘Hamilton,’ Broadway is officially the coolest place on the planet. And the smartest. And most exhilarating.” – Joe Dziemianowicz, New York Daily News
“Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘In the Heights’ may have been a hit — but his ‘Hamilton’ is a phenomenon.” – Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Post
“The greatest American musical in decades.” – David Cote, Time Out New York
Hamilton first premiered off-Broadway on February 17, 2015. The premise of the musical may have been relatively simple at first glance, as it simply would have told a boring history lesson about Alexander Hamilton, one of America’s Founding Fathers. However, the lucky audience who first saw the show came out of the theatre with a new sense of appreciation because what was thought of as dull turned out to be a revolutionary take on a history-themed show. Cleverly told from the perspective of Alexander Hamilton’s nemesis Aaron Burr, the show is crafted with high respect for historical facts while staying highly entertaining and innovative. The series of meaningful songs and genius raps brought out the genius of Lin-Manuel Miranda, an American actor, singer-songwriter, playwright, and filmmaker. Miranda used his vast theatre experience integrating catchy hip hop, R&B, pop, soul, and traditional-style show tunes to send his message across while giving us eargasmic delight.
In addition, the show has revolutionized Broadway by casting non-white actors as the Founding Fathers and other historical figures. This is an innovative and genius approach to casting characters that weren’t done in many years on Broadway. As Miranda described the musical, Hamilton is about “America then, as told by America now.” Thus, even if we stripped off Hamilton of all its songs and awesome raps, the show will still be an epic one by just looking at this aspect of the production.
In a nutshell, Hamilton’s story is straight out of a history book. Told in a mostly rapped-through biomusical, the show is about Alexander Hamilton, an orphan immigrant from the Caribbean who came to New York. He served as secretary to General Washington, fought against the redcoats, authored most of the Federalist Papers defending the Constitution, and founded the Treasury and the New York Post. Boring as it may sound, that is as plain as it gets. However, the musical lets us into the life of America’s founding fathers and see their struggles using their own perspectives. The show focuses on Hamilton’s life and how and why it ended in an infamous duel. But Burr lived on, and it’s Burr who tells Hamilton’s story, at least on this show. Burr is our guide.
Moreover, the story unfolds into a meaty drama as it delves deeper into the personal life of Hamilton, especially about the extramarital affair that he damage-controlled in a scandal-stanching pamphlet. With the iconic raps, songs, and unbelievable fast-paced production, we are then immersed into the industry and persona drama of the characters, which will end in the death of the main character after a duel with Vice President Aaron Burr.
“It was phenomenal off-Broadway. It’s even better now. ‘Hamilton’ is that rare musical that fires on all cylinders, even ones we never knew existed.” – Roma Torre, NY1
“This is a musical often stunning in its audaciousness.” – Mark Kennedy, Associated Press
“This enormously ambitious and entertaining musical history lesson is even more impressive on a second viewing.” – Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
With all the rave reviews about Hamilton when it was first staged on Broadway, the production team enjoyed the sold-out several-month engagement of the musical. Lin-Manuel Miranda, who played Alexander Hamilton himself, was really happy about people’s reception to the show. The long waiting list of people who want to see the show? Not as happy as Miranda as they could not contain their excitement. However, this is only a testament to how in-demand the show is and how people want to get a glimpse of this national sensation.
Hamilton went on to become one of the most highly-awarded musicals of all time. It won eight Drama Desk Awards, including “Outstanding Musical” in 2015, and bagged 11 awards, including “Best Musical,” out of the 16 record-breaking nominations at the prestigious 70th Tony Awards. It also won the highly-acclaimed Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2016 –– a marvel to the musical industry indeed!
The production of Hamilton immediately transferred from off-Broadway to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, opening on August 6, 2015, where it received uniformly positive reviews and high box office sales. The Chicago production of Hamilton began preview performances at the CIBC Theatre in September 2017 and opened the following month. Its West End production opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre in London on December 21, 2017, following previews on December 6 and winning seven Olivier Awards in 2018, including “Best New Musical.”
The production also went on tour to give fans all over the country the chance to witness the famous show. It began its national tour in March 2017. A second U.S. tour opened in February 2018, and the third U.S. tour began on January 11, 2019. Notably, a filmed version of the Broadway production was released in 2020 on Disney+ and was met with gratitude from fans worldwide.
Today, the famous production is back on the road again for its 2022 tour, and good news for Canadian fans because the Broadway production is also heading to the Great White North. The Broadway production will stop for a series of shows at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium starting June 21, 2022. Broadway’s Pierre Jean Gonzalez, Edred Utomi, and Julius Thomas III will play the role of Hamilton in each of the acts of the show.
“Hamilton is the kind of transformative theatrical experience that has only happened a few times in the history of American musicals. It joins the likes of Show Boat, Oklahoma! and West Side Story as game changers, innovative productions that forever redefined what came after them.”
– The Guardian
“It’s a theatrical rarity: a critically acclaimed work, written by a young composer, that’s making a cultural impact far beyond Broadway’s 40 theaters. That it’s told through the language and rhythms of hip-hop and R&B — genres that remain mostly foreign to the musical theater tradition — has put it in contention to redefine what an American musical can look and sound like.”
– New York Times
All you, Canadian fans, mark your calendars and find time to watch this revolutionary show come June 21 and be swept away by this legendary musical. Let this be a show filled with universal lessons that will make you realize certain things about where you stand in this modern era. As Vox Media has stated, “Hamilton is a show about revolution, and a show about the trouble with revolution: After you’ve turned the world upside-down, you have to figure out what comes next … you also have to figure out who matters, who makes the rules, and — maybe most importantly — who tells the story. Every culture war is about who gets to define the terms and control the narrative, and that’s no different now than it was in 2016 or 1812 or 1776.” Click on the “Get Tickets” button to secure your Hamilton tickets!
