I cannot begin to express the depth of my gratitude toward you for the wonderful piece of theater that you have given to this world. Hamilton has become a beacon of light that I look to for comfort in times of sadness and anxiety as well as the sound of my celebrations in times of great happiness. Hamilton: An American Musical is what I am now proud to call my absolute favorite musical, and I haven’t even seen it performed on stage yet. I consider the cast and characters of this story to be close friends and the story, a safe place to seek refuge, hence my confusion on how to address you. I live the story with them every time I listen to the TONY AWARD WINNING music. There are so many thoughts and ideas that are swirling in my head on what
A hip-hop musical about a forgotten Founding Father – though not by my history teacher – seemed like a far-fetched idea. After seeing the performance of “Alexander Hamilton” at the Grammy’s, however, I was blown away and immediately started searching for the rest of the music. Thankfully, by the time Hamilton reached me the cast album had already been released. I devoured the album and listened to the whole thing in one sitting. I was motivated by “My Shot,” empowered by “The Schuyler Sisters,” I fell in love with Alexander alongside Eliza in “Helpless,” and I wanted to raise a glass to freedom after hearing “Yorktown.” Similar feelings followed throughout the rest of the album, although ones of love were replaced by deep hatred toward Alexander once I realized what was happening in “Say No to This.” By the end of “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” I was a puddle of tears, but I immediately started the whole process over again, slowly learning every lyric and trying to sing every part in every song, not an easy feat in “Non Stop” (it usually just comes out
I do not normally let myself listen to a whole album and understand the story of a musical without some way to experience it in person or through a movie musical. The movies for Les Misérables, Rent, Grease, Chicago, and Into the Woods have been the ways I have experienced different shows. Yes, I’ve heard the arguments about the actors in Les Mis, how Rent is “too clean” and not enough like the raw stage version, the complaints about changes in Into the Woods, but these have been my stage shows, my front row seats. Hamilton was different. I didn’t let my normal need of a visual outlet stop me from loving the cast, the songs, and the characters/figures (it’s tricky when they are real people). I dove into anything Hamilton related. I read cast bios, devoured Wikipedia pages for the characters, watched any and every #Ham4Ham, interview, and live video I could find. I’m reading Chernow’s biography of Hamilton now. Hamilton consumed me and I was not at all upset about
Rachel M. Harper’s The Myth of Music intentionally weaves together 1960s era jazz music and a poor African American family via metaphor and allusion to show a deep familiar bond between father and daughter.
You may of heard about the musical Hamilton, witch is about the great founding father Alexander Hamilton. Do you know all the other facts about his life? Here are some of his biggest facts.
Alexander Hamilton was born on the island of Nevis of the British West Indies January eleventh in 1757. He lived with his brother and a single mother. In 1772, Hamilton moved to the United states. He entered the Continental Army in 1776 as the captain of artillery while in New York where he also studied law at King’s College. He was married to Elizabeth Schuyler in 1780. Elizabeth was from a wealthy land holding family, this helped Alexander hold ties to rich and powerful leaders in New York. Alexander Hamilton died in 1804 on July 12. Aaron Burr was the man who killed him in a duel because Mr. Hamilton help Thomas Jefferson win the election for becoming the 3rd president of the United States.
I believe Hamilton was trying to show that stubborn people with different ideas can over come one another’s differences. She shows how kindness and letting someone know that your care, and to be able to let the past go can bring even the worst of enemies together.
On a Wednesday night I saw Texas State Theatre and Dance Department's performance of A Chorus Line. The main plot of the musical entails the audition of 17 dancers for several Broadway roles on the chorus line. However, during their auditions the director Zach asks for personal stories of each dancer's life. Though the plot of this musical is seemingly simple in its twist on the traditional audition, it explores themes that reveal the human experience, the search for individuality, and the sense of self.
Music nurtured the African American tradition and their struggle towards equality in the same century.... ... middle of paper ... ... Greensboro, N.C.: Morgan Reynolds Pub. Carter, D. (2009).
Mclane claims that Hamilton had been grooming his eldest son, Philip, for his work in law and had hoped his bright, young boy would someday be his protégé. Philip Hamilton’s future had been Hamilton’s pride, and having this taken from him was devastating for Alexander Hamilton. Mclane mentions Alexander and Philip Hamilton’s strong bond, stating the two shared “a most affectionate sympathy.”2 Mclane includes a few letters that prove Hamilton’s professional interest in Philip’s studies, but also show the care and endearment that Hamilton truly shares for Philip. Their paternal bond, something Hamilton was not able to share with his real father, would have made it much more difficult for Hamilton to lose his son. Mclane clearly states that Philip’s untimely death mentally destroyed Alexander Hamilton, and he was never truly able to recover from this traumatic event. This lasting impact of trauma was an important marker of Hamilton’s mental health in the last few years of his
Before the war started, a wealthy white man by the name of John Hammond worked to integrate black and white music.1 Since his childhood, he enjoyed the music of numerous black artists, and he wanted to share his love with the rest of America. He used much of his inherited fortune to make this possible. He went against the general opinion of society and his parents, who despised black people. Hammond refused to ignore black artists’ musical abilities because of their color, “I did not revolt against the system, I simply refused to be a part of it.”2 He used his money to organize the most eclectic group of musicians ever assembled, for an integrated audience of his time. Hammond’s efforts made an indelible impact on the music industry. The musicians Hammond introduced in...
people think of the founders of the United States they think of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Many people today can only name some of the many incredible men who founded this country. One man who is often forgotten is not only a founding father, but also the first Treasury Secretary of the United States, Alexander Hamilton. Although Hamilton’s personality arguably made him the most difficult benefactor, he was very important in the early history and founding of the United States.
African-American music is a vibrant art form that describes the difficult lives of African American people. This can be proven by examining slave music, which shows its listeners how the slaves felt when they were working, and gives us insight into the problems of slavery; the blues, which expresses the significant connection with American history, discusses what the American spirit looks like and teaches a great deal from the stories it tells; and hip-hop, which started on the streets and includes topics such as misogyny, sex, and black-on-black violence to reveal the reactions to the circumstances faced by modern African Americans. First is about the effect of slave music on American history and African American music. The slave music’s
Musical theatre is a type of theatrical performance combining music, dance, acting and spoken dialogue. Written by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, ‘West Side Story’ is a classic American musical based on William Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. The through-composed score and lyrics are used to portray different characters and their cultures, the rivalry between the Jets and Sharks, and the emotions felt as the story progresses. This essay will be exploring the music and how effective the score is in realising the world and characters of the musical. Furthermore, it will discuss how Bernstein and Sondheim relate characters’ diverse ethnicities to particular musical ideas and motifs.
Many people hail “The Star Spangled Banner” as the greatest piece of American music. The audiences of America’s national anthem seem, instinctively, eager to express their respect by embracing the notion to remove their hats and stand up. However, not many people ponder over the question of what “The Star Spangled Banner” truly means. What does it mean? Why does it deserve so much reverence and honor? What exceptional difference allows it to prevail over the masterpieces of prominent composers like Mozart and Beethoven? The answer is fairly simple. “The Star Spangled Banner” symbolizes America’s perseverance, its set of moral laws and ethics, and its history that constitutes what America truly means.
This project/presentation was intended to educate on a musical that, despite its importance to the American musical, may be easily glanced over because it doesn’t fit the criteria for what makes a musical in the twenty first century. Shuffle Along adds another layer of history to the New Negro Movement and the civil rights movement. Negro theatre is very much responsible for the creation of the modern musical and it’s important to know where things come from. This topic was interesting because I had previously taken a class in African American Music and now seeing Shuffle Along and understanding how that ties in to something that I love helps put the world into a different perspective for me.
I experienced Chicago, the Broadway musical, and because I had seen the movie many times before, I knew all the songs and dances by heart. I loved it, but it was actually the movie that influenced me to become a “Chicago fan.” The movie is based on the 1996 Chicago revival of the original musical version of 1975. It was thrilling knowing that the making of the musical into a mainstream production would increase its accessibility and widen its distribution into all the corners of the world; now there is no excuse for people not to experience Chicago, and though not everyone can go to Broadway to see it, just about anyone can indulge themselves in this dazzling movie in the comfort of their homes. In addition to a fantasy world of singing, dancing and Vaudeville, the film also provides a narrative that is explicitly presented through Roxie’s point of view, creating a counter-human side to Roxie’s fantasy world so that the audience can easily identify and engage.
thesis of how the musical brought our inner child out to realize our true struggles in life.