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Hamilton

[An American Musical] : Original Broadway Cast Recording
Mar 21, 2017TEENREVIEWCREW rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Hamilton: An American Musical is a fantastic musical written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda. With unique and excellent choices of hip-hop, pop, rap, and the occasional love ballad, Hamilton makes excellent use of its musical genres. The talented actors and actresses singing in this album excel and fit wonderfully into the roles Lin has prepared for them. These actors of varying backgrounds and ethnicities manage to flourish whilst playing a cast consisting of historical figures who were known for being white and rich. The combination of musical choice and the diverse cast allows Hamilton to be something truly unique. Which brings me to my criticism, the reason I haven’t given this musical five stars; it’s hard to say whether or not the jazzed-up musical causes idealization and misconceptions of who these historical figures are. Casting (the very talented) Daveed Diggs, a black Jewish man, as a jazzy, rapping Thomas Jefferson can make it very easy for one who doesn’t know the crimes of the Founding Father to overlook his flaws and cruelties, for example. Regardless, this one flaw can be easily overlooked, and does not necessarily ruin the experience of what is a multi-award winning, passionate, incredibly musical. 4/5 stars @Demosthenes of the Hamilton Public Library's Teen Review Board Lin Manuel Miranda, of In the Heights fame, is back at it again with a brand new musical that is rightfully being called revolutionary. Hamilton, telling the story of the founding of the United States of America, and the revolutions that followed, uses hip-hop, rap, R&B, pop, and rock music to tell it's story, and to great success. Miranda's music and lyrics are skilled in incredible fashion that can be compared to William Shakespeare: Witty, fast-paced, heartbreaking, informational, and unlike anything ever seen before. The story is also told through the use of a cast comprised of mostly people of colour, which is a wonderful burst of diversity. You absolutely must listen to Hamilton at least once - but you'll probably listen to it over and over again. @reallylikesmusicals of the Teen Review Board at the Hamilton Public Library