Winning 11 Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize, Hamilton brought new life to Broadway. Broadway has always been a popular entertainment venue, but it has been a long time since tickets sold as well as they still do for Hamilton. What does Lin-Manuel Miranda's creation have that is different to offer? There are so many musicals out there and they all differ in music and story. However, Miranda's musical is completely different, using a hip-hop and rap to explain the story of one of America's founding fathers. This is a musical that strives to be unique, and succeeds in doing so. The documentary adds quite a bit of depth to the creation, giving audiences a background for the creation and some of the fictional aspects that go along with putting a historical figure at the forefront of a musical.
In the documentary, Miranda acts as a tour guide showing us his upbringing and background. As an actor, Miranda got involved more and more on Broadway. As a modern poet, Miranda found himself at a slam poetry presentation at the White House. In the presence of President Obama, Miranda performed the first song in the modern musical. The song was followed by audience amazement, and the idea for a founding father musical was born. The documentary vastly discusses the process of creating Hamilton, giving light to the behind-the-scenes story.
Hamilton's America also discusses the connections between Miranda and Hamilton himself. Both of them have immigrant backgrounds and felt a disconnect from the general populations. Yet, both ended up being creators that appear to the public as prodigies. Where Hamilton helped to construct the American economy, Miranda has constructed a new musical format. These mirroring figures were/are crucial to the development of America's culture and the documentary gives us the full weight of each of their products. While Hamilton passed away a long time ago, Miranda still has a lot of work to come in his already inventive career path. I cannot wait for what is still to come!
The Bottom Line: Anyone interested in Hamilton and Miranda will learn something that they did not know about them in this documentary.
Score: 7.6/10
In the documentary, Miranda acts as a tour guide showing us his upbringing and background. As an actor, Miranda got involved more and more on Broadway. As a modern poet, Miranda found himself at a slam poetry presentation at the White House. In the presence of President Obama, Miranda performed the first song in the modern musical. The song was followed by audience amazement, and the idea for a founding father musical was born. The documentary vastly discusses the process of creating Hamilton, giving light to the behind-the-scenes story.
Hamilton's America also discusses the connections between Miranda and Hamilton himself. Both of them have immigrant backgrounds and felt a disconnect from the general populations. Yet, both ended up being creators that appear to the public as prodigies. Where Hamilton helped to construct the American economy, Miranda has constructed a new musical format. These mirroring figures were/are crucial to the development of America's culture and the documentary gives us the full weight of each of their products. While Hamilton passed away a long time ago, Miranda still has a lot of work to come in his already inventive career path. I cannot wait for what is still to come!
The Bottom Line: Anyone interested in Hamilton and Miranda will learn something that they did not know about them in this documentary.
Score: 7.6/10
