Five years ago, Lin-Manuel Miranda brought “Hamilton: An American Musical” to Broadway. The production caught the attention of millions of people by using a soundtrack of hip-hop, R&B, jazz and pop to bring Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton to life.
I have greatly enjoyed singing along to the soundtrack, and now finally being able to watch the musical for myself with the version of the production that the Disney Plus streaming service released on July 3.
Disney’s “Hamilton” was created through recordings of live performances with the original Broadway cast in 2016. This new release has sparked conversations all over the world, praising “Hamilton” for its engaging characters and compelling storytelling in using modern music to inspire the life of this Founding Father.
As I’ve come to know and love Miranda’s music, lyrics, story and portrayal as Hamilton, I’ve noticed three central themes: storytelling, time and legacy. Hamilton was gifted with the intellect and willpower to rise up from poverty and become one of the most notable figures in history. Miranda saw the incredible story behind this Founding Father and wanted the whole world to realize how great of an impact Hamilton had on society.
The last song in the musical is titled “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story,” and sums up all three of these central themes. Miranda’s goal was to take control of storytelling and the art through which lessons are learned, tragedies are expressed and lives are unfolded. In this case, the musical’s story successfully attributes the achievements of its title character’s life and the things he accomplished through his short 47 years.
Time, the second theme, never seemed to be in Hamilton’s favor, yet his success was still great. The characters in the musical beg him with the question: “How do you write like you’re running out of time?” This portrays him as a hard-working man with a diligent spirit. Although Hamilton didn’t enjoy the luxury of a full life, he left behind something that no amount of time could ever make up for: his legacy.
In his role as Hamilton in the musical, Miranda asks: “What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.” Despite being born into poverty, receiving harsh criticism from hundreds of politicians, and dying young — at the same spot where his eldest son was killed — Hamilton created a legacy that would be remembered, retold and reenacted centuries later.
I greatly enjoyed Miranda’s grand creation of “Hamilton” and have applied these three central themes to my life. Watching “Hamilton” helps inspire me to produce something bigger than myself and take advantage of the time I have now, so that when I look back, I will be proud to have left behind a legacy to be learned from and a story to retell.
David Grigg is a 2020 graduate of Zillah High School.
