Flyer columnist: History becomes cool thanks to ‘Hamilton’ sensation

Flyer columnist: History becomes cool thanks to Hamilton sensation

Katie Gross, Flyer Photo Editor

A rather peculiar thing that millennials have become interested in lately is the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton.”

It’s a mix of modern hip hop music, and the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton. Written by actor, composer, rapper and writer Lin-Manuel Miranda, he was inspired while reading “Alexander Hamilton” by Ron Chernow. The show won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and a Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album both in 2016.

Miranda began writing the songs that would later appear in the Broadway show in 2009, shortly after reading Chernow’s book. He compiled a set of songs he called the Hamilton Mixtape that dropped in 2012. When the show opened off-Broadway in January of 2015, it was an instant hit. It began its Broadway previews in July of 2015, and officially opened in August of 2015.
The interesting thing about the fact that Hamilton is trending is that it is a pure mix of the old and the new.

It’s a story we all learned in our 11th grade history classes- but now it’s cool. It’s not just history, now it’s a sensation that is catching on, especially in the younger generations. The upbeat music, and thrilling story has revitalized a piece of American history.