By Aliza Gans, Staff Writer
Before 2015, studying the Revolutionary War and the 13 colonies breaking away from Britain was probably pretty boring. Sure, the events still happened hundreds of years ago, but now you can say you are studying simply by opening up Spotify and giving Hamilton a listen. As someone guilty of using this method, I can vouch that this show holds plenty of details bound to show up on your history test.
This year, 2025, marks 10 years of Hamilton, a popular musical that combined the music of hip-hop and Broadway, written and composed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The show follows the Founding Fathers in the formation of our country, shedding light on Alexander Hamilton, a lesser known figure of the Revolutionary era. Actually, while that statement may have been true in 2015, Alexander Hamilton is now a household name thanks to the popularity of the Broadway musical and the release of its proshot on Disney+ during the pandemic. This release has allowed greater access to the show especially for fans like me who have never seen the story in a live production.
With Hamilton available worldwide, whether on Broadway, the West End, Disney+ or through its various tours, the musical has touched the hearts of millions and greatly impacted the genre of musical theater as a whole. Aside from the catchy lyrics, Hamilton holds many different meanings for different fans.
Hamilton has even made its way into Yeshiva College and Stern College for Women circles. Last spring the Broadway Club went to Hamilton, much to the excitement of the club’s many members. In addition, various songs from Hamilton have made their way into the Stern College Dramatics Society (SCDS) musical showcases over the years.
Personally, Hamilton represents a way of bringing people together in a time of great isolation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the release of the Hamilton proshot allowed my friends and me to gather outside (more than six feet apart, don’t worry!) with snacks, a projector and a shared love of theater. While we couldn’t be close physically, we felt connected to each other as we sang along to our favorite songs.
Hamilton continued to be relevant in my life after the pandemic. In my 11th grade history class, we studied the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States. To my delight my teacher actually showed us a few Hamilton songs that she felt relayed enough accurate information. But while the show quotes real-life documents like George Washington’s Farewell Address, it unfortunately is not enough to ace your classes. Trust me, I’ve tried.
Fast forward to my first year of college and I am in “the greatest city in the world” for Hamilton’s ten year anniversary, also known as HamilTEN. The show announced that throughout all of 2025 there will be special events in honor of the musical’s 10-year anniversary. One of these was free screenings of movies that starred cast members of Hamilton with a live interview between Lin-Manuel Miranda and one of his former co-stars. I was lucky enough to go to the screening of 2021’s West Side Story starring Ariana Debose, who played the Bullet in Hamilton, and the screening of Miranda’s first musical In the Heights, with Christopher Jackson, Hamilton’s original Washington, as the special guest. These screenings included short performances by these cast members as well as interviews where we learned how they each got involved in Hamilton in its early days. The energy in the theater for these events was electric as Hamilton fans showed up by the hundreds to celebrate this momentous occasion in the world of musical theater. To those who haven’t been able to nab a ticket to this show, Hamilton was released in theaters all over the nation on September 5.
An additional exciting piece of news announced for the anniversary was the return of Leslie Odom Jr. in his role as Aaron Burr for a limited Broadway engagement that started September 9. Meanwhile, the show’s last original cast member, Thayne Jasperson, has taken the 10th anniversary to reflect on the many years he has been “in the room where it happens.” Jasperson is both in the ensemble and plays Samuel Seabury, who sings the comedic song “Farmer Refuted.”
In an article in People, Jasperson shared his thoughts on the popularity of the show. “I think it’s just the relatability mixed with truth. It makes people proud of the country that was formed,” he said. “They still have pride in what we’ve been able to do with the separation from the UK… That relatability keeps people coming back.”
To me, Hamilton is relatable in the way you can identify with the emotions of many of the songs like the eagerness of Alexander Hamilton in “My Shot” even if I’m not overthrowing a British regime. I also keep coming back to this show for all the musical details hidden in all the songs. Everytime I listen to the soundtrack I notice more musical intricacies like a certain character’s instrumental theme appearing somewhere perhaps as a foreshadowing. While I have yet to see the show live, I have watched the Disney+ proshot many times. I still continue to enter the Hamilton lottery every week, and like they say in the show, “I’m willing to wait for it.”
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