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History Has Its Eyes On You: A Belated Analysis of the Musical Hamilton
What can be said of perhaps the best musical phenomenon to hit since Phantom of the Opera?
What can be said of the 2015 phenomenon known as Hamilton: An American Musical? The musical took America by storm, and to say it deserves its acclaim is an understatement.
But I’m not here to gush. Or, well, not too much. I don’t want to give anyone a big head.
I could go into details about themes, about politics, about the mirror-like relationship between Alexander Hamilton and his frenemy Aaron Burr — but I won’t. People smarter than me have delved into heavy analysis of Hamilton and its multi-layered, complex storytelling giving a voice to the fraught early beginnings of America as a country.
Instead, first I’m here to talk about the much-beloved chosen family trope. The musical thrives on this theme as people waft in and out of Hamilton’s life, and he’s able to find people to trust and love him despite his faults, his arrogance, and his obsession with forming a legacy for himself. As someone who experienced great trauma at an early age, Hamilton finds his people to lift him up over the course of the musical — and he’s able to flourish because of the kindness of others. What a story to tell, no?
