Hamilton: The Revolution

*Originally published on book blog Will Read for Feels. With the Tony Awards scheduled for today, I couldn’t not pay tribute even in some small way to my current obsession, Hamilton: An American Musical. I can’t count the number of times I’ve listened to the soundtrack in the past week or two, but it was only this week that I started reading the book for it, Hamilton: The Revolution, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (the genius behind the book, lyrics, music, and titular performance for Hamilton) and his co-author Jeremy McCarter (who is also director of the Public Theater, where Hamilton was staged before moving to Broadway). By the time I read this, the lyrics to the songs were nothing new to me, but I really appreciated the annotations by Miranda (and a few from McCarter), as they let me look at each song in a new light, and I found myself experiencing the feels all over again, and magnified at that, thanks to the context provided by those notes. It took me three days to read this book because I kept stopping to listen and re-listen to the songs. And that’s not all. Between the annotated song lyric pages were chapters that explored Lin-Manuel Miranda’s writing and development process as well as all the work everyone involved in the production, from the director to the choreographer to the actors and more. Little details about what each person brought to make the story come alive onstage but also in terms of the words and music. Things like personal triumphs and tragedies and how they affected those who helped put the musical together made each song, each photo mean so much more, even though the lyrics held a rainbow of feels even without that additional information. Being over 8,000 miles from New York, I haven’t had a chance to see the Broadway musical myself, nor will I have one in the immediate future, but somehow the descriptions of the direction and choreography really helped me solidify it in my imagination. And some of the details the authors shared about the decisions made for the choreography were things I felt would enrich the understanding and appreciation of someone who did see the musical, maybe even multiple times. The overall result? The Hamilton soundtrack alone still chokes me up even after I’ve listened to it dozens of times, but several parts of Hamilton: The Revolution had me blubbering all over again, while others had me giggling or hugging myself in what we Filipinos call kilig (romantic sort of thrill). And there were enough notes on Miranda’s efforts to keep things historically accurate and the instances in which he departed from the facts that I’m now determined to read the book that inspired the musical, Alexander Hamilton, the Founding Father’s biography written by Ron Chernow, as well as his Washington: A Life. I’ve also decided to rewatch a bio-documentary I watched a few years ago, called The Real George Washington, as well as HBO’s John Adams miniseries. Which is more American history than I’ve had since the seventh grade! In the end, Hamilton: The Revolution helped me understand that this musical tells of at least three revolutions: the historical one fought between the Americans and the Brits, for sure, but also the revolution in thought that created the United States of America and that still exists in and helps define it today. Thirdly, the revolutionary nature of this play in music and in theater, and the way it plays notes to a song we won’t hear the whole of for years to come. And that song? That same revolution in thought and burning ambition that keeps people like Hamilton inspiring people of today.

...plus so much more. I had to stop reading this and write this review *now*. I've been reading this book skipping around, reading Lin Manuel Miranda's foot notes, stopping to read an essay here and there. It's fascinating. It enhances the experience of the lyrics and also gives background of the much of the music, the inspiration of rhythms, and the evolution of the revolution of the modern musical that became "Hamilton". So after playing around with reading (and honestly belting out more than a few songs; hopefully the walls in my apartment aren't too thin) here and there, I went back to the beginning and started reading the essays. They are amazing. They introduce the many people who are a part of this evolution of this revolution in musical theatre. I was reading "Part IV: In Which the Character of New York City is Considered in Its Musical & Scenic Aspects". It's fascinating in and of itself. The challenges of depicting of the show's settings. And then I turned the page it took my breath away and threw me back into the experience of anticipation as we waited for the performance begin. Start *now* here. I was lucky enough to see "Hamilton" 5 days ago. Everything you've heard about it cannot in any way express what an amazing, beautiful, dynamic experience it is. Listening to the soundtrack is amazing, but it's as if you forget the rest of the musical. The dancing, the choreography, the staging. I literally, unconsciously, had my mouth open the whole time. Okay, this isn't a review of the musical. The picture on pages 40 & 41 is the stage for "Hamilton". It is the anticipation of sitting in the orchestra waiting for the musical to begin. I have read many parts of this book in bits and pieces. It is an amazing supplement if you have the amazing luck to see "Hamilton". At the same time if you have not seen it, this book is closest you can get to seeing it. The musical is simply it is breath taking. This book has taken me back to that experience and taken my breath away again. The picture is of the actual stage. It is virtually an exact copy (but taken with a phone, far away, in crap ligh). Btw, this is a tome of a book. Hard covered, inches thick, archival worthy pages, fabulously rendered pictures, full lyrics with footnotes, and essays with Pulitzer winners and Presidents. The price of this book could easily be 4-6 times what it is. Even if you're on the fence about "Hamilton", get this.

BUY THIS BOOK! It's worth every penny! I bought it for my daughter for Christmas! She loves it! (and so do I) The quality is excellent and it looks like an "old" book. There are some pages that are longer then the others. The behind the scenes pictures, extras and things that were left out of the musical are all in the book. I highly recommend it to everyone who loves the musical Hamilton! You or the person you buy it for will not be disappointed.

My daughter absolutely loved this. She was so excited about all of the information it has about the musical and characters. It's nice quality and looks nice too. I would recommend this for any Hamilton fan!

To read this book or see the show or listen to the music? The decision is a difficult one, but fortunately, is one we don't have to make. The answer, then, becomes, "All three!" This is one of those rare situations where each enhances the other. First, I listened to the album to familiarize myself with the songs before seeing the show on Broadway. I immediately realized that the album was not comprised of "songs," but it told a story. I then read this book. I then could appreciate more what the story was telling us--what was being said between the lines, and how it made me think about choices that we make as we pontificate about life's major decision points, what we believe in, and how we communicate that to others. The book is really three books in one, beautifully interwoven into a masterpiece. Between nearly every song, Lin-Manuel Miranda writes a chapter describing something related to the upcoming song. It could be about what was going through his head; it could be about a different song that he was thinking about at that time; or it could be about an actor or production person who had something to do with the song. In all cases, the story was compelling. In other words, in between all the stories that manifested themselves as songs, there were more stories! Then came the libretto, presenting the words from each song (plus one that wasn't on the album). I listened to them and found so much more meaning in them than I had received by just listening to the album. Some of this came from the chapter of narrative that preceded each, but much came from just being able to appreciate the subtleties and genius of each word -- yes, I had the feeling that each word was chosen for a reason, and taking the time to understand that reason made the song that much more meaningful. The third part of the book includes notes in the margins on each page. These explain either what was going through Miranda's head when he was writing that line, or where the idea for the line came from, or what he was considering instead of that line, or just an interesting anecdote related to that line. What I did for the fully immersive experience with the book was to read a chapter until I came to a song; I then listened to the song while reading its libretto in the book; and then, while the song was fresh in my head, I went back and read the notes for that song. Yes, it takes a lot longer to read the book this way, but it also makes it amazingly enjoyable. What it also does is enhance the show "beyond words," turning it into a total experience. And for the gift that keeps on giving, if you are lucky enough to see the show for a second time, I recommend you read the book again. I've done this only twice (so far), but I keep finding more each time I go through the cycle, and now, should the show and I happen to be in the same city at the same time, would do it all again. In other words, while the book, show and music are phenomenal, the whole (show + book + music) is far greater than the sum of its parts. One more thing about the book. It is rare that an author is able to capture so perfectly what was in his/her head when creating a masterpiece, putting it into words to share with others. Miranda has done that in exemplary fashion. Usually, one is either a genius at 'creating' or at 'describing how and why a work was created,' but not both. I have seen that done only one other time, by Stephen Sondheim in his duology, Finishing the Hat: Collected Lyrics (1954-1981) with Attendant Comments, Principles, Heresies, Grudges, Whines and Anecdotes and Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) with Attendant Comments, Amplifications, Dogmas, Harangues, Digressions, Anecdotes and Miscellany -- the difference here is that Miranda's work was about one play, while Sondheim's was about all his plays. Miranda is a true genius, and this book enables us not only to realize it, but allows him to share it with us for a short while.

Do I really need to say anything ... its Hamilton!!! It's absolutely beautiful, great pictures, lyrics, etc . Have college student who is obsessed with all things Hamilton and gets to see Leslie Odum in person at college in January. Theater kids getting intimate show. Guess what book she's bringing for him to sign! GET THIS BOOK if you are/have a Hamilton fan.

Can't believe I got this for $16 (about $22 with shipping and tax). Mine came in perfect condition. The pages are kind fo lightweight, but that doesn't bother me. Really beautiful and interesting book!

My granddaughter was vert happy to receive this book as a Christmas gift. She loved it the smile was worth the purchase.