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5 Reasons Teens Should Watch the Hamilton Musical
After watching the Hamilton musical on opening night, we now know why teens love it!
After watching Hamilton on opening night, we’d like to think that Hamilton is our teen’s version of Les Miserables. It’s a musical about a revolution, drama, and history but with more contemporary expressions. Even the language they use is a lot less flowery than those of the older plays, making it easier to understand the story line. Besides the choreography and the songs, the lighting adds that extra layer of immersion to show just how grievous or light-hearted some of the moments are. But here are some other reasons we discovered why teens love the musical:
1. It portrays historical figures as someone more human.
The most droning part about learning history, we realize, is that all we do is memorize their achievements, learn what they did, and call it a day. But Hamilton adds a human element to the founding fathers, like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Maddison, Aaron Burr, and Alexander Hamilton by having them dance and even rap during what we know as a senatorial debate! Although many of these men were serious writers and thought-leaders in their lifetimes, that doesn’t mean they didn’t have other emotions.
2. The redemption arc is believable.
Alexander Hamilton messed up a lot of things in his life based on the musical. He cheated on his wife, made enemies in congress because of his strong distaste for certain behaviors, and let his ambition blind him for what he already had: a loving family with Eliza Schuyler (“Look Around”). But that’s what most history books don’t tell us about him since chroniclers usually catch more of their professional life. There was probably a moment in his life wherein he lived his life as Alexander Hamilton, not the passionate revolutionary that people would either love or hate. And for today’s teens, that’s a big plus for storytelling because they are more aware that forgiveness is such a complex affair.
3. It shows another side of rap music.
Much of the rap music we know today tackles real talk topics like sex, drugs, and more. But what makes Hamilton extra memorable are the rap (rhythm and poetry) verses. Even the raps used showcase the different personalities of the characters in word choice, speed, and delivery. And that’s not easy to do since it adds a lot of political jargon and people can lose their momentum if they use the wrong word. If political debates usually happened like this, it would explain why some law schools require extra units in literature and creative writing.
4. It’s a different style compared to European plays.
Most broadway musicals, because many of their playwrights are European, have a different flavor and appeal to them. The flashy costumes, the flowery language, the arias that demonstrate the singers’ vocal ranges — the classic elements may make it hard for other teens to understand the appeal. On the other hand, Hamilton has less of a learning curve because some of us are already familiar with American history and culture since it uses elements of hip-hop, R&B, pop, and soul — all which many of us associate with American music.
5. Hamilton’s playwright is a familiar name especially in Disney.
We may have heard the name Lin-Manuel Miranda several times but, more as the writer for the songs from beloved Disney movies like Encanto and Moana. But before he collaborated with the movie giant, he created broadway plays such as In The Heights. If your teens are fond of songs like “How Far I’ll Go” , “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” that’s all Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work!
He’s also won several Tony Awards. Two of them come from his performance In The Heights and the rest coming from his directing and acting in Hamilton.
Watch Hamilton live instead of a stream!
Before Hamilton came to the Philippines to perform in Solaire, teens could only watch it on either YouTube or Disney Plus. But it would be a tick off their bucket list or an early Christmas present to take them to the Hamilton show. Not only will they get to see their favorite musical live, they’ll have this “high” wherein they’ll be playing their songs which might be a little better than some of the songs they usually listen to. Who knows? Their watching of Hamilton might inspire them to watch other broadway plays.
Book your tickets for Hamilton in Solaire on their website!
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