Members of the cast of “Hamilton” performing at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York.
Related Article Credit SaraKrulwich/The New York Times
Adapted from the NYT "The Learning Network
Many artistic works are purely fictional, but others are based or inspired by real people. Have you ever seen a play or movie about someone who lived or is living now?
Who do you think would make a good subject for a play or movie? Why?
In the theater review “ ‘Hamilton,’ Young Rebels Changing History and Theater,” Ben Brantley writes:
A show about young rebels grabbing and shaping the future of an unformed country, “Hamilton” is making its own resonant history by changing the language of musicals. And it does so by insisting that the forms of song most frequently heard on pop radio stations in recent years — rap, hip-hop, R&B ballads — have both the narrative force and the emotional interiority to propel a hefty musical about long-dead white men whose solemn faces glower from the green bills in our wallets.
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.
But these guys don’t exactly look like the marble statues of the men they’re portraying. For one thing, they’re black or Hispanic. And when they open their mouths, the words that tumble out are a fervid mix of contemporary street talk, wild and florid declarations of ambition and, oh yes, elegant phrases from momentous political documents you studied in school, like Washington’s Farewell Address.
And you never doubt for a second that these eclectic words don’t belong in proximity to one another. In mixing a broad range of references and rhythms in one percolating style, Mr. Miranda — who wrote the book, music and lyrics of “Hamilton,” which was inspired by Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography — does what rap artists have been doing for years. It’s the immoderate language of youth, ravenous and ambitious, wanting to claim and initial everything in reach as their own.
Which turns out to be the perfect voice for expressing the thoughts and drives of the diverse immigrants in the American colonies who came together to forge their own contentious, contradictory nation. To quote from an oft-repeated phrase in this almost entirely sung-through show: “Hey, yo, I’m just like my country, I’m young, scrappy and hungry, and I am not throwing away my shot.”
Students: Read the entire review, then write a comment that addresses the following questions. Be sure to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation when crafting your response.
— Have you seen or would you like to see “Hamilton”? Why or why not?
— What do you think about the casting and music choices for the play?
— What other historical figures do you think would make interesting subject matter for a play?
— What about other subjects? Are there literary works, scientific theories or even math formulas that you can imagine as the subject of a play or other creation like a movie or television show?
— What kind of music would you use? What about the costumes, sets, lighting and casting? Explain.
Related Article Credit SaraKrulwich/The New York Times
Adapted from the NYT "The Learning Network
Many artistic works are purely fictional, but others are based or inspired by real people. Have you ever seen a play or movie about someone who lived or is living now?
Who do you think would make a good subject for a play or movie? Why?
In the theater review “ ‘Hamilton,’ Young Rebels Changing History and Theater,” Ben Brantley writes:
A show about young rebels grabbing and shaping the future of an unformed country, “Hamilton” is making its own resonant history by changing the language of musicals. And it does so by insisting that the forms of song most frequently heard on pop radio stations in recent years — rap, hip-hop, R&B ballads — have both the narrative force and the emotional interiority to propel a hefty musical about long-dead white men whose solemn faces glower from the green bills in our wallets.
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.
But these guys don’t exactly look like the marble statues of the men they’re portraying. For one thing, they’re black or Hispanic. And when they open their mouths, the words that tumble out are a fervid mix of contemporary street talk, wild and florid declarations of ambition and, oh yes, elegant phrases from momentous political documents you studied in school, like Washington’s Farewell Address.
And you never doubt for a second that these eclectic words don’t belong in proximity to one another. In mixing a broad range of references and rhythms in one percolating style, Mr. Miranda — who wrote the book, music and lyrics of “Hamilton,” which was inspired by Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography — does what rap artists have been doing for years. It’s the immoderate language of youth, ravenous and ambitious, wanting to claim and initial everything in reach as their own.
Which turns out to be the perfect voice for expressing the thoughts and drives of the diverse immigrants in the American colonies who came together to forge their own contentious, contradictory nation. To quote from an oft-repeated phrase in this almost entirely sung-through show: “Hey, yo, I’m just like my country, I’m young, scrappy and hungry, and I am not throwing away my shot.”
Students: Read the entire review, then write a comment that addresses the following questions. Be sure to use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation when crafting your response.
— Have you seen or would you like to see “Hamilton”? Why or why not?
— What do you think about the casting and music choices for the play?
— What other historical figures do you think would make interesting subject matter for a play?
— What about other subjects? Are there literary works, scientific theories or even math formulas that you can imagine as the subject of a play or other creation like a movie or television show?
— What kind of music would you use? What about the costumes, sets, lighting and casting? Explain.