“Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?” Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton: An American Musical

Abstract

[Abstract] The main aim of this final project will be to analyze and comprehend the relevance and impact of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton: An American Musical (2015) on musical theater as well as in society in general. The focus will be put on both the creative process and the critical reception the show has received since its premiere. To do so, I will provide a complete and detailed summary of the plot and the main characters, as well as a close-reading analysis of five specific songs: “My Shot,” “One Last Time,” “Non-Stop,” “Dear Theodosia,” and “The Schuyler Sisters.” The methodology used to achieve these goals will include, firstly, the study of Hamilton: The Revolution by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, which is the main source of information on which this dissertation will be based on and, secondly, a compilation of interviews given by the members of the creative team which include the actors and actresses as well as Miranda himself. The conclusions reached are that Hamilton: An American Musical has marked a before and an after in the history of musical theater and the way in which history is taught. Consequently, it will serve as an inspiration for future works of similar (or greater) importance.