Hamilton (musical)

Hamilton
An American Musical
Playbill from the Original Broadway Production
Music	Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lyrics	Lin-Manuel Miranda
Book	Lin-Manuel Miranda
Basis	Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
Productions	2015 Off-Broadway 2015 Broadway
Awards	Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Musical Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Score Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Book of a Musical Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Musical Obie Award for Best New American Theatre Work

Hamilton is a musical with music, lyrics, and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The show was inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton, by historian Ron Chernow.

The musical made its Off-Broadway debut at The Public Theater in February 2015, where its engagement was sold out.^[1] The show transferred to Broadway in August 2015 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. On Broadway, it has received enthusiastic critical acclaim and unprecedented advance box office sales.^[2] The Off-Broadway production of Hamilton won the 2015 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical as well as seven other Drama Desk Awards out of 14 total nominations.

Background

While on a vacation from his hit Broadway show In The Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda decided to pick up a biography to read on his trip. At the airport he purchased and began reading Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, a comprehensive biography of Alexander Hamilton's life. Miranda quickly began envisioning the life of Hamilton as a musical and researched whether or not a stage musical of his life had been created. A play of Hamilton's story had been done on Broadway in 1917, starring George Arliss as Alexander Hamilton.^[3] Upon Miranda's discovery, he began his work as a project titled The Hamilton Mixtape, that he worked on during his spare time from In The Heights. On May 12, 2009, Miranda performed the first song from it, which would later become "Alexander Hamilton", Hamilton's opening number, at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word. He spent a year after that working on another early number from the show, "My Shot".^[4]

Synopsis

Act One

The musical begins with the company summarizing Alexander Hamilton’s early life as a bastard orphan in the Caribbean, including the destruction of his town by a hurricane when he was 17. He writes about the devastation, and his extraordinary ability earns him passage on a ship to the American colonies to pursue his education ("Alexander Hamilton").

In the summer of 1776 in New York City, Hamilton seeks out Aaron Burr, anxious to discover how he finished college in two years, a feat Hamilton wishes to repeat. Burr is impressed but concerned by Hamilton's verbosity and passion, advising him to "talk less; smile more." Hamilton rebuffs Burr’s philosophy ("Aaron Burr, Sir") and instead joins three revolutionaries he meets: abolitionist John Laurens, the flamboyant Marquis de Lafayette, and the tailor's apprentice Hercules Mulligan. Hamilton dazzles them with his oratory skills ("My Shot") and they dream of laying down their lives for the cause ("The Story of Tonight"). Meanwhile, the wealthy Schuyler sisters — Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy — wander the streets of New York, excited by the spirit of revolution in the air. The oldest, Angelica, is searching for minds that will challenge her own ("The Schuyler Sisters").

A vocal British loyalist preaches against the revolution, and Hamilton refutes and ridicules his statements ("Farmer Refuted"). A message arrives from King George III, reminding the colonists that he is willing and able to fight for their love ("You'll Be Back").

The revolution is underway, and Hamilton, Burr, and their friends join the Continental Army. As the army retreats from New York City, General George Washington realizes he needs help to win the war. Burr offers his services, but Washington is more interested in Hamilton. Though Hamilton desires a command and to fight on the front lines, he recognizes the opportunity Washington offers him, and accepts a position as his "Right Hand Man" ("Right Hand Man").

In the winter of 1780, the men attend "A Winter’s Ball" given by Philip Schuyler, and Hamilton sets his sights on the man’s daughters ("A Winter’s Ball"). Eliza is instantly smitten, and after being introduced by Angelica, she and Hamilton soon wed ("Helpless"). Meanwhile, Angelica is also intellectually and physically attracted to Hamilton, but swallows her feelings for the sake of her sister’s happiness ("Satisfied"). After Hamilton’s wedding, he and his friends celebrate. Burr arrives to offer congratulations, and privately admits to Hamilton that he is having an affair with the wife of a British officer. Hamilton advises him to take action ("The Story of Tonight (Reprise)"). Burr, however, prefers to wait and see what life has in store for him ("Wait For It").

As the revolution continues, Hamilton repeatedly petitions Washington to give him command, but Washington refuses, instead promoting Charles Lee. This decision proves disastrous at the Battle of Monmouth, where Lee orders a retreat against Washington's orders, which prompts the commander to remove him from command in favor of Lafayette. Disgruntled, Lee spreads slanderous and vindictive rumors about Washington. Hamilton is offended, but Washington orders Hamilton to ignore the comments. Laurens volunteers to duel Lee so that Hamilton may avoid disobeying Washington's orders ("Stay Alive"). Laurens wins the duel by injuring Lee ("Ten Duel Commandments"). Washington is enraged at the duel and angrily reprimands Hamilton for participating, then orders him to return home to his wife ("Meet Me Inside"). When Hamilton returns home, Eliza tells him she is pregnant with a son. She reassures a hesitant Hamilton that he is enough for her as long as he allows her to be a part of his life ("That Would Be Enough").

Lafayette takes a larger leadership role in the revolution, convincing France to join the American cause. With France on their side, the balance shifts in favor of the Continental Army. Washington and Lafayette realize they can win the war by cutting off the British navy at Yorktown, but they will need Hamilton to do so, and the general reluctantly gives him his long-awaited command ("Guns and Ships"). On the eve of battle, Washington recalls his disastrous first command, and advises Hamilton that no man can control how he is remembered ("History Has Its Eyes on You"). After several days of fighting, the Continental Army is victorious. The British surrender in the last major battle of the war ("Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)"). His forces defeated, King George sarcastically asks the rebels how they expect to govern on their own without their people hating them ("What Comes Next?").

Soon after the revolution, Hamilton’s son Philip is born, while Burr has a daughter, Theodosia. The two men reflect on how to build a nation their children can inherit ("Dear Theodosia"). Hamilton's moment of peace is shattered when news arrives that Laurens has been killed in a skirmish with retreating British soldiers after the war had already ended ("Tomorrow There’ll Be More of Us").

Hamilton and Burr both return to New York to finish their studies and pursue careers as lawyers. Burr is in awe of Hamilton's "Non-Stop" work ethic and becomes increasingly irritated by his success. Hamilton is chosen as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and asks Burr's help in publishing a series of articles in support of the new U.S. Constitution, but Burr refuses, still hesitant to take action lest he choose the losing side. Hamilton instead enlists James Madison and John Jay to write The Federalist Papers without Burr. Angelica marries and moves overseas, but still holds affections for Hamilton. Eliza struggles to understand why she is being slowly marginalized out of his life. The newly elected President Washington enlists Hamilton for the job of Treasury Secretary. Over Eliza's protests, he accepts ("Non-Stop").

Act Two

In 1789, Thomas Jefferson returns to the U.S. from France, where he spent most of the revolution as an ambassador. Washington has asked him to be Secretary of State, and James Madison asks for Jefferson’s help to stop Hamilton's financial plan, which Madison believes gives the government too much control ("What'd I Miss?"). Jefferson and Hamilton then engage in debate over the merits of Hamilton's financial plan during a Cabinet meeting. Washington orders a break as the debate gets heated, pulls Hamilton aside, and tells him to figure out a compromise to win over Congress ("Cabinet Battle #1").

Hamilton begins working at home; Philip, now nine, amazes his father by performing a short rap on his birthday. Eliza asks Hamilton to accompany her on vacation upstate at her father's home, but Hamilton refuses, saying that he has to work on his plan for Congress. In England, Angelica trades correspondence with Hamilton, advising him to convince Jefferson of his plan in order for Congress to accept it. She travels to the U.S. to join the Hamiltons on their vacation, and though she is excited to see Eliza, she is saddened that Alexander ultimately decides to stay behind while they all go upstate ("Take a Break").

While alone, Hamilton is visited by Maria Reynolds, who claims her husband is mistreating her. When Hamilton offers to help her, she seduces him and they begin an affair. Maria's husband James Reynolds blackmails Hamilton into paying him money; in return, Reynolds will not tell Hamilton's wife about the affair. Hamilton is furious with Maria, but pays Reynolds and continues the affair ("Say No To This").

Hamilton tells Burr that he'll be yielding Burr's old advice to "talk less, smile more" to get his plan approved. Hamilton leaves to discuss his plan with Jefferson and Madison over a private dinner, which results in the Compromise of 1790, giving support to Hamilton's financial plan in exchange for moving the United States capital from New York to Virginia. Burr is envious of Hamilton's sway in the government and wishes he had similar power ("The Room Where It Happens").

Burr defeats Eliza’s father, Philip Schuyler, in a race for his seat in the Senate. Hamilton accuses Burr of switching to Jefferson’s party, the Democratic-Republicans, solely to run against Hamilton’s father-in-law. Burr says he was simply seizing the opportunity, but Hamilton doesn't believe him, driving a wedge between the two friends ("Schuyler Defeated").

In another cabinet meeting, Jefferson and Hamilton argue over whether the United States should assist France in their revolution. Washington ultimately agrees with Hamilton’s argument for remaining neutral ("Cabinet Battle #2"). After the meeting, Burr, Jefferson, and Madison bemoan how nice it must be for Hamilton to always have Washington's support, and they seek a way to damage Hamilton's image ("Washington on Your Side").

Washington tells Hamilton that Jefferson has resigned from his position in government in order to run for president, and that Washington himself is stepping down. Hamilton is shocked, but Washington convinces him that it is the right thing to do, and they write a farewell address ("One Last Time"). In England, King George III receives news about Washington's step down from leadership and the election of John Adams. The king exits merrily, ready for the United States to fall under Adams' leadership ("I Know Him").

Adams and Hamilton have a huge altercation and effectively destroy the Federalist Party ("The Adams Administration"). Thinking they have discovered a scandal capable of destroying Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison and Burr accuse him of embezzling government money and committing treason. In reality, however, they found the transactions from his affair with Maria Reynolds. Hamilton, knowing that the truth is the only way out, tells them about his affair and begs them not to tell anyone ("We Know"). Still worried that they will tell, Hamilton thinks about how writing openly and honestly has saved him in the past ("Hurricane"), and publicly writes "The Reynolds Pamphlets" to come clean about the affair, hoping to save his political legacy ("The Reynolds Pamphlet"). His personal reputation, however, is ruined. In despondence, Eliza burns their correspondence, destroying Hamilton’s chance at being redeemed by "future historians" and keeping the world from knowing how she reacted ("Burn").

Years pass, and Hamilton’s son Philip, now nineteen, is praised for having the same intelligence, charm, and good looks as his father. Philip challenges a man named George Eacker to a duel for his slander of Hamilton’s reputation. Hamilton orders Philip to aim his gun to the sky instead of at Eacker, saying that if Eacker is a man of honor he will follow suit. Philip aims for the sky from the beginning of the duel, but at the count of seven, Eacker shoots him ("Blow Us All Away"). Philip is taken to a doctor, and Hamilton and Eliza rush to his side, but it is too late ("Stay Alive (Reprise)"). In the aftermath of Philip’s death, the Hamiltons move uptown and become reclusive while "going through the unimaginable." Hamilton asks for and receives Eliza’s forgiveness ("It’s Quiet Uptown").

"The Election of 1800" results in President John Adams being defeated, with Jefferson and Burr deadlocked in a tie. Burr visits Hamilton to lobby for support, and tells him that he's doing everything he can to be president. Hamilton is upset that Burr has once again changed his ideals for personal gain, and instead throws his support behind Jefferson, who ends up winning by a landslide ("The Election of 1800"). Burr, enraged, exchanges letters with Hamilton and challenges him to a duel ("Your Obedient Servant"). Before sunrise on the morning of the duel, Eliza asks Hamilton to come back to bed, but he says he has to leave, not telling her why ("Best of Wives and Best of Women").

Burr and Hamilton travel to New Jersey for the duel. Burr points out that Hamilton is wearing his glasses, which he concludes must mean Hamilton intends to take deadly aim. The men raise their guns to shoot, and, as a shot sounds, Hamilton soliloquizes on death, his relationships, and his legacy. He aims his pistol at the sky and is struck by Burr’s shot, dying soon after. Burr laments that even though he survived, he's cursed to be the villain in history, remembered only as the man who killed Alexander Hamilton ("The World Was Wide Enough").

The company congregates to close the story. Washington enters and reminds the audience that they have no control over how they will be remembered. Eliza explains how she fights to save her husband's legacy over the next 50 years and frets that she has not done enough. After her death, she joins Hamilton in the afterlife, and the company asks the audience who will tell their story ("Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story").^[5]

Principal roles and major casts

Character	Vassar Workshop (2013)[6]	Off-Broadway (2015)[7]	Original Broadway Cast (2015)[8]
Alexander Hamilton	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Lin-Manuel Miranda / Javier Muñoz*
Aaron Burr	Utkarsh Ambudkar	Leslie Odom Jr.
Angelica Schuyler Church	Anika Noni Rose	Renée Elise Goldsberry
Eliza Schuyler Hamilton	Ana Nogueira	Phillipa Soo
George Washington	Christopher Jackson
King George	Joshua Henry	Brian d'Arcy James / Jonathan Groff*	Jonathan Groff
Maria Reynolds / Peggy Schuyler	Presilah Nunez	Jasmine Cephas Jones
Thomas Jefferson / Marquis de Lafayette	Daveed Diggs
James Madison / Hercules Mulligan	Joshua Henry	Okieriete Onaodowan
John Laurens / Philip Hamilton	Javier Muñoz	Anthony Ramos
Samuel Seabury / Ensemble	-	Thayne Jasperson

• Ensemble members appear as additional historical characters in cameo roles. These characters include Charles Lee, James Reynolds, Rachel Faucette, Doctor David Hosack, George Eacker and Philip Schuyler. Sally Hemings appears in the song "What'd I Miss". ".^[9]

Notable cast replacements

• Jonathan Groff replaced Brian d'Arcy James as King George III in the off-Broadway run on March 3, 2015.^[10]
• Javier Muñoz is the alternate for Alexander Hamilton, playing the role on Sunday matinees on Broadway as well as understudying Miranda.^[11]
• Andrew Rannells temporarily replaced Groff in the role of King George III from October 27 to November 29, 2015, as Groff worked on filming the Looking movie.^[12]

Musical numbers

Act I "Alexander Hamilton" – Full company (except King George) "Aaron Burr, Sir" – Hamilton, Burr, Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan "My Shot" – Hamilton, Burr, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, and Company "The Story of Tonight" – Hamilton, Laurens, Lafayette, Mulligan, and Company "The Schuyler Sisters" – Angelica, Eliza, Peggy, Burr, and Company "Farmer Refuted" – Samuel Seabury and Hamilton "You'll Be Back" – King George "Right Hand Man" – Washington, Hamilton, Burr, and Company "A Winter's Ball" – Burr, Hamilton, and Laurens "Helpless" – Eliza, Hamilton, and Company "Satisfied" – Angelica, Hamilton, and Company "The Story of Tonight" (Reprise) – Hamilton, Burr, Laurens, Lafayette, and Mulligan "Wait For It" – Burr and Company "Stay Alive" – Hamilton, Washington, Charles Lee, Laurens, and Company "Ten Duel Commandments" – Laurens, Hamilton, Lee, Burr, and Company "Meet Me Inside" – Washington, Hamilton, and Company "That Would Be Enough" – Eliza and Hamilton "Guns and Ships" – Burr, Lafayette and Washington "History Has Its Eyes on You" – Washington and Company "Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)" – Hamilton, Lafayette, Laurens, Mulligan, and Company "What Comes Next?" – King George "Dear Theodosia" – Burr and Hamilton "Tomorrow There'll Be More Of Us"‡ – Laurens "Non-Stop" – Hamilton, Burr, Eliza, Angelica, Washington, and Company

Act II "What'd I Miss" – Burr, Jefferson, Madison, and Company "Cabinet Battle #1" – Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison "Take a Break" – Eliza, Philip, Hamilton, and Angelica "Say No to This" – Hamilton, Maria Reynolds, James Reynolds, and Company "The Room Where It Happens" – Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson, Madison, and Company "Schuyler Defeated" – Philip, Eliza, Hamilton, and Burr "Cabinet Battle #2" – Washington, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Madison "Washington on Your Side" – Burr, Jefferson, and Madison "One Last Time"† – Washington, Hamilton, and Company "I Know Him" – King George "The Adams Administration" – Burr, Hamilton, and Company "We Know" – Burr, Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison "Hurricane" – Hamilton and Company "The Reynolds Pamphlet" – Full company "Burn" – Eliza "Blow Us All Away" – Philip, George Eacker, Hamilton, and Company "Stay Alive" (Reprise) – Philip, Hamilton, Eliza, Doctor "It's Quiet Uptown" – Angelica, Hamilton, Eliza, and Company "The Election of 1800" – Jefferson, Madison, Burr, Hamilton, and Company "Your Obedient Servant" – Burr, Hamilton "Best of Wives and Best of Women" – Eliza, Hamilton "The World Was Wide Enough" – Burr, Hamilton, and Company "Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story" – Eliza, and Full Company

† Previously titled "One Last Ride" in the Off-Broadway production.^[13]

‡ Not included on the Original Broadway Cast Recording.^[14]

Productions

Vassar College reading (2013)

Miranda performed in a workshop production of the show, then titled The Hamilton Mixtape, at the Vassar Reading Festival on July 27, 2013.^[15] The workshop production was directed by Thomas Kail and musically directed by Alex Lacamoire. The workshop consisted of the entirety of the first act of the show and 3 songs from the second act. The workshop was accompanied by Lacamoire on the piano.^[4] The only cast members to continue with the show throughout the rest of its course to Broadway would be Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, Daveed Diggs as Thomas Jefferson/Marquis de Lafayette, Chris Jackson as George Washington, and Javier Muñoz as Alexander Hamilton (alternate).

Off-Broadway (2015)

Directed by Thomas Kail and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler, the musical debuted Off-Broadway at The Public Theater, under the supervision of the Public's Artistic Director Oskar Eustis, with previews starting on January 20, 2015 and officially opening on February 17.^[16][17] The production was extended twice, first to April 5 and then to May 3.^[18] Chernow served as historical consultant to the production.^[19][20] The show opened to universal acclaim according to review aggregator Did He Like It.^[21]

Broadway (2015)

Hamilton premiered on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (home to Miranda's 2008 Broadway debut In the Heights) on July 13, 2015 in previews, and opened on August 6, 2015.^[22] The production is produced by Jeffrey Seller and features scenic design by David Korins, costumes by Paul Tazewell, lighting by Howell Binkley and sound by Nevin Steinberg, who all reprised their roles from the off-Broadway production.^[23]

The production was critically acclaimed by many theater analysts.^[22][24][25]

Chicago (2016)

Hamilton will have a separate sit-down production at the PrivateBank Theatre in Chicago starting on September 27, 2016.^[26]

First U.S. National Tour (2017)

Official plans for a national tour of Hamilton emerged near the end of January 2016. The touring production is expected to begin at San Francisco's SHN Orpheum Theatre in March 2017, where it will play for 21 weeks. The touring production will then head to Los Angeles' Hollywood Pantages Theatre for a run from August 11 to December 30, 2017. Other cities planned for the tour have not yet been announced.^[27]

Concept

According to an article in The New Yorker, the show is "an achievement of historical and cultural reimagining". The costumes and set reflect the period, with "velvet frock coats and knee britches. The set ...is a wooden scaffold against exposed brick; the warm lighting suggests candlelight.^[19] The musical is mostly sung-through, with little dialogue.^[6][28]

Miranda said that the portrayal of Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and other Caucasian historical figures by black and Hispanic actors should not require any substantial suspension of disbelief by audience members. "Our cast looks like America looks now, and that’s certainly intentional," he said. "It’s a way of pulling you into the story and allowing you to leave whatever cultural baggage you have about the founding fathers at the door."^[29] He noted "We're telling the story of old, dead white men but we're using actors of color, and that makes the story more immediate and more accessible to a contemporary audience."^[30]

"Hamilton is a story about America, and the most beautiful thing about it is…it’s told by such a diverse cast with a such diverse styles of music," says Renee Elise Goldberry, the actress who plays Angelica Schuyler, "We have the opportunity to reclaim a history that some of us don’t necessarily think is our own." ^[31]

Critical response

Marilyn Stasio, in her review of the Off-Broadway production for Variety, wrote: "The music is exhilarating, but the lyrics are the big surprise. The sense as well as the sound of the sung dialogue has been purposely suited to each character. George Washington, a stately figure in Jackson’s dignified performance, sings in polished prose... But in the end, Miranda’s impassioned narrative of one man’s story becomes the collective narrative of a nation, a nation built by immigrants who occasionally need to be reminded where they came from."^[32]

In his review of the Off-Broadway production, Jesse Green in New York wrote: "The conflict between independence and interdependence is not just the show’s subject but also its method: It brings the complexity of forming a union from disparate constituencies right to your ears.... Few are the theatergoers who will be familiar with all of Miranda’s touchstones. I caught the verbal references to Rodgers and Hammerstein, Gilbert and Sullivan, Sondheim, West Side Story, and 1776, but other people had to point out to me the frequent hat-tips to hip-hop... Whether it’s a watershed, a breakthrough, and a game changer, as some have been saying, is another matter. Miranda is too savvy (and loves his antecedents too much) to try to reinvent all the rules at once.... Those duels, by the way — there are three of them — are superbly handled, the highlights of a riveting if at times overbusy staging by the director Thomas Kail and the choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler."^[33]

Ben Brantley in reviewing the Broadway production in The New York Times, wrote: "I am loath to tell people to mortgage their houses and lease their children to acquire tickets to a hit Broadway show. But Hamilton, directed by Thomas Kail and starring Mr. Miranda, might just about be worth it.... Washington, Jefferson, Madison – they’re all here, making war and writing constitutions and debating points of economic structure. So are Aaron Burr and the Marquis de Lafayette. They wear the clothes (by Paul Tazewell) you might expect them to wear in a traditional costume drama, and the big stage they inhabit has been done up (by David Korins) to suggest a period-appropriate tavern, where incendiary youth might gather to drink, brawl and plot revolution."^[22]

David Cote in his review of the Broadway production for Time Out New York wrote "I love Hamilton. I love it like I love New York, or Broadway when it gets it right. And this is so right... A sublime conjunction of radio-ready hip-hop (as well as R&B, Britpop and trad showstoppers), under-dramatized American history and Miranda’s uniquely personal focus as a first-generation Puerto Rican and inexhaustible wordsmith, Hamilton hits multilevel culture buttons, hard... The work’s human drama and novelistic density remain astonishing." He chose Hamilton as a Critics' Pick, and gave the production five out of five stars.^[34]

A review in The Economist notes that the production enjoys "near-universal critical acclaim..." ^[35]

Box office and business

The musical's engagement at the Off-Broadway Public Theater was sold-out.^[1]

When the musical opened on Broadway, it had a multimillion-dollar advance in ticket sales, reportedly taking in $30 million before its official opening.^[36] Hamilton was the second-highest-grossing show on Broadway for the Labor Day week ending September 6, 2015 (behind only the The Lion King).^[37] As of September 2015, the show has been sold out for most of its Broadway engagement.^[2]

Hamilton, like other Broadway musicals, offers a lottery before every show. Twenty-one front row seats and occasional standing room are given out in the lottery. Chosen winners are able to purchase two tickets at $10 each. Unlike other Broadway shows, Hamilton’s lottery process always draws in big crowds of people that created a congestion problem for West 46th Street. Even though many people are not able to win the lottery, Hamilton creator Lin Manuel-Miranda prepares mini-performances, #Ham4Ham shows, right before the lotteries are drawn. People are then able to enjoy a little part of the show even when they do not win the lottery.^[38]

Awards and nominations

Off-Broadway production

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
2015	Lucille Lortel Awards[39]	Outstanding Musical		Won
		Outstanding Director	Thomas Kail	Won
		Outstanding Choreographer	Andy Blankenbuehler	Won
		Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Won
			Leslie Odom, Jr.	Nominated
		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical	Phillipa Soo	Won
		Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical	Daveed Diggs	Won
			Brian d'Arcy James	Nominated
		Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical	Renée Elise Goldsberry	Won
		Outstanding Costume Design	Paul Tazewell	Won
		Outstanding Lighting Design	Howell Binkley	Won
		Outstanding Sound Design	Nevin Steinberg	Won
	Outer Critics Circle Awards[40]	Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical		Won
		Outstanding Book of a Musical	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Won
		Outstanding New Score		Won
		Outstanding Director of a Musical	Thomas Kail	Nominated
		Outstanding Choreographer	Andy Blankenbuehler	Nominated
	Drama League Awards[41]	Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical		Nominated
		Distinguished Performance	Daveed Diggs	Nominated
			Lin-Manuel Miranda	Nominated
	Drama Desk Awards[42]	Outstanding Musical		Won
		Outstanding Actor in a Musical	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Nominated
		Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical	Leslie Odom, Jr.	Nominated
		Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical	Renée Elise Goldsberry	Won
		Outstanding Director of a Musical	Thomas Kail	Won
		Outstanding Music	Lin-Manuel Miranda	Won
		Outstanding Lyrics		Won
		Outstanding Book of a Musical		Won
		Outstanding Orchestrations	Alex Lacamoire	Nominated
		Outstanding Set Design	David Korins	Nominated
		Outstanding Costume Design	Paul Tazewell	Nominated
		Outstanding Lighting Design	Howell Binkley	Nominated
		Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical	Nevin Steinberg	Won
		Special Award ‡	Andy Blankenbuehler	Won
	New York Drama Critics' Circle Awards[43]	Best Musical		Won
	Off Broadway Alliance Awards[44]	Best New Musical		Won
	Theatre World Awards[45]	Outstanding Debut Performance	Daveed Diggs	Won
	Clarence Derwent Awards[46]	Most Promising Female Performer	Phillipa Soo	Won
	Obie Awards[47]	Best New American Theatre Work	Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, Alex Lacamoire	Won
	Edgerton Foundation New American Play Awards[48]			Won

‡ Blankenbuehler received a Special Drama Desk Award for "his inspired and heart-stopping choreography in Hamilton, which is indispensible to the musical's storytelling. His body of work is versatile, yet a dynamic and fluid style is consistently evident. When it's time to 'take his shot,' Blankenbuehler hits the bull's-eye."^[42]

Broadway production

Year	Award	Category	Nominee	Result
2015	Grammy Award[49]	Best Musical Theater Album	Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jonathan Groff, Christopher Jackson, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom, Jr., Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos & Phillipa Soo (principal soloists); Alex Lacamoire, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bill Sherman, Ahmir Thompson & Tarik Trotter (producers); Lin-Manuel Miranda (composer & lyricist)	Pending
	NAACP Image Awards[50]	Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration	Original Broadway Cast	Nominated

Recordings

The original Broadway cast recording for Hamilton was made available to listeners by NPR on September 21, 2015.^[51] It was released by Atlantic Records digitally on September 25, 2015, and physical copies were released on October 16, 2015.^[52] The cast album will also be released on vinyl.^[53]

The album debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, the highest entrance for a cast recording since 1963.^[54] It went on to reach number 1 on the Billboard Rap albums chart.^[55]

The original cast recording has been nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.^[49]

Chart history

Chart (2015)	Peak position
Rap Albums	1
Broadway Cast Albums	1
Billboard Top 200	12
Top Current Albums	9

Accolades

Publication	Accolade	Rank
Billboard	25 Best Albums of 2015[56]	2
Rolling Stone	50 Best Albums of 2015[57]	8

See also

• 1776 (musical), a 1969 musical about the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

References

External links

• Hamilton at Internet Broadway database
• Internet Off-Broadway listing
• HamiltonBroadway show site

Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical The Wiz (1975) A Chorus Line (1976) Annie (1977) Ain't Misbehavin' (1978) Sweeney Todd (1979) Evita (1980) The Pirates of Penzance (1981) Nine (1982) Little Shop of Horrors (1983) Sunday in the Park with George (1984) The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1986) Les Miserables (1987) Into the Woods (1988) Jerome Robbins' Broadway (1989) City of Angels (1990) The Secret Garden (1991) Crazy for You (1992) Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993) Passion (1994) Show Boat (1995) Rent (1996) The Life (1997) Ragtime (1998) Parade (1999) Contact (2000) The Producers (2001) Thoroughly Modern Millie (2002) Hairspray (2003) Wicked (2004) Spamalot (2005) The Drowsy Chaperone (2006) Spring Awakening (2007) Passing Strange (2008) Billy Elliot the Musical (2009) Memphis (2010) The Book of Mormon (2011) Once (2012) Matilda the Musical (2013) A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (2014) Hamilton (2015)

Alexander Hamilton Senior Officer of the United States Army, 1799-1800 1st Secretary of the Treasury, 1789-1795 Delegate, Congress of the Confederation, 1782-1783, 1788-1789 United States Founding events A Full Vindication of the Measures of Congress (1774) The Farmer Refuted (1775) Delegate, 1786 Annapolis Convention Delegate, 1787 Constitutional Convention Initiated, main author, The Federalist Papers written by Hamilton Founding Father Secretary of the Treasury First Bank of the United States Revenue Marine (United States Coast Guard) United States Customs Service Hamiltonian economic program Residence Act Compromise of 1790 "First Report on the Public Credit", 1790 Funding Act of 1790 "Operations of the Act Laying Duties on Imports", 1790 "Second Report on Public Credit", a.k.a. "Report on a National Bank", 1790 "Report On Manufactures", 1791 Tariff of 1790 Tariff of 1792 Coinage Act of 1792 United States Mint Whiskey Rebellion Jay Treaty Military career New York Provincial Company of Artillery In the Revolutionary War Battles: Harlem Heights White Plains Trenton General Washington's Aide-de-Camp Princeton Brandywine Germantown Monmouth Siege of Yorktown Major General, Quasi-War preparation Other events Founder, Federalist Party Federalist Era Founder, Bank of New York Bank of North America Advisor, George Washington's Farewell Address President-General, Society of the Cincinnati Founder, New-York Evening Post Hamilton–Reynolds sex scandal Rutgers v. Waddington Life Early life Liberty Hall Hamilton Grange Home and National Memorial Hamilton-Oneida Academy Burr-Hamilton Duel Trinity Church Cemetery Legacy and popular culture Alexander Hamilton statue, Washington D.C. Alexander Hamilton statue, Central Park, New York City model United States ten-dollar bill Postage stamps Alexander Hamilton (1931 film) Liberty! (1997 documentary series) Liberty's Kids (2002 animated series) John Adams (2008 miniseries) Hamilton (2015 musical) Hamilton Hall, Salem, Massachusetts Hamilton Hall, Columbia University Fort Hamilton Alexander Hamilton High School Alexander Hamilton Bridge Hamilton Heights, Manhattan Related Age of Enlightenment American Enlightenment American Philosophical Society New York Manumission Society African Free School "American System" economic plan American School American Revolution patriots Family Elizabeth Schuyler (wife) Alexander Hamilton, Jr. (son) James Alexander Hamilton (son) John Church Hamilton (son) William S. Hamilton (son) Schuyler Hamilton (grandson)