Hamilton: The Revolution

It’s 1789, and Burr asks again how someone like Hamilton became the president’s treasury secretary. Thomas Jefferson enters with flair, as the ensemble buzzes around Monticello (his Virginia estate) to serve him. During the revolution, Jefferson was enjoying himself as the ambassador to France. After helping Lafayette to draft a declaration of revolution, Jefferson decided to come home and help create the country. Cheerfully glib, Jefferson sings, “What did I miss?” (152). Jefferson sends “Sally” to fetch a letter he’s expecting (a reference to Sally Hemmings) from Washington asking him to be secretary of state. When Jefferson arrives in New York, an angry James Madison greets him, confiding, “Thomas, we are engaged in a battle for our nation’s very soul,” describing Hamilton’s financial plan as “nothing less than governmental control” (153). Jefferson is welcomed to his first cabinet meeting.

Hamilton’s Off-Broadway opening was massively successful and critically acclaimed as tickets sold out. Still, Miranda was nervous to perform for the hundreds of teenagers with a program that brought students from underfunded high schools (with large populations of BIPOC students) to see plays—for many, their first. Teachers prepared their students with historical context, and the kids were surprised to discover that this Hamilton was the same buttoned-up, white-wigged man on the 10-dollar bill they learned about in school. The students engaged raucously with the performance, thrilled to see people who looked like them performing in a musical language that they understood. Miranda started to look forward to student matinees the most. When one teacher asked how students felt about the multiracial casting, they explained, “It just made me really proud, and feel good about being American. Like I belong here” (159). The program expanded to allow 20,000 high school students to buy 10-dollar tickets to Hamilton on Broadway. Exposing young audiences took Hamilton to a new level of potential impact. The creators look forward to the next phase of influence when the musical will become available for student and amateur productions, allowing students to embody these powerful figures themselves.

In the cabinet meeting, Washington moderates a rap battle between Jefferson and Hamilton about Hamilton’s plan to create a national bank and absorb states’ debts. Jefferson argues that assuming state debt would especially benefit Hamilton’s state, New York, and why should Virginia have to pay New York’s debt, when the south has financed their debts through agriculture? Hamilton asserts that a clean slate and line of credit for the Union would “gives it a boost” (161). Additionally, the agriculture industry is only financing the south because they have enslaved people to do the work. Hamilton jabs Jefferson for having fun in France instead of fighting the war. Hamilton calls Jefferson and Madison useless, offering to kick them. Washington declares a break, pulling Hamilton aside. As Jefferson and Madison exit, they taunt Hamilton that he doesn’t have the votes. Alone, Washington tells Hamilton to compose himself, and he does need votes to succeed, urging Hamilton to persuade those who are being stubborn. Hamilton questions what happens if he fails, and Washington replies, “I imagine they’ll call for your removal,” telling Hamilton to “figure it out” (163).

Hamilton had an affair with Maria Reynolds, but the musical’s audiences can’t agree whether he also had an affair with Angelica. Hamilton is ambiguous, and historical evidence isn’t conclusive, but it was a topic of hot gossip. John Adams used the rumor to attack Hamilton’s reputation, and notably, one of Hamilton’s sons destroyed parts of their letters. As actors, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Miranda had to determine the answers to these questions for themselves, agreeing that they had an emotional and intellectual affair through their witty, flirty letters. “Take a Break” dramatizes their letters, emphasizing both Angelica’s intelligence and social limitations on women. The real Angelica was married before she met Hamilton, but their fabricated almost-romance contextualizes their close relationship, regardless of whether it was innocent. Both actors agree that Hamilton married the right woman, further evidenced by the eight children they produced. According to Goldsberry, Angelica loves her sister more than anyone else.

Eliza teaches Philip (double-cast as Laurens) to play piano, counting the notes in French. The stilting melody matches the beginning of “Ten Duel Commandments.” Hamilton writes to Angelica, comparing himself to Macbeth against Jefferson, Madison, and congress. Hamilton laments that Angelica is far away. Eliza insists that Hamilton “take a break” (168) because it’s their son’s ninth birthday, and Philip wants to show him something. Philip, proud, starts to rap for his dad. Hamilton cheers, impressed with their son. Eliza wants Hamilton to come with the family and her father for the summer. Hamilton hedges that he’s too busy, but promises to try. Angelica writes back, telling him to compromise with Jefferson. In his last letter, a comma inserted in his greeting: “My dearest, Angelica” gives the phrase a more intimate meaning. She also plans to spend the summer with the family. Time passes, and Angelica arrives. They greet each other happily, but Angelica is disappointed that Hamilton isn’t coming. Both women wheedle but Hamilton remains firm, asserting, “I can’t stop ’til I get my plan through Congress” (170).

With Hamilton, Miranda, a life-long musical theater fan, received input from some master musical theater writers. Composer John Kander attended early workshops of Hamilton. Miranda was inspired by Kander’s encouragement as well as his ability to explore the darker aspects of humanity as an artist while maintaining a well-adjusted life. Another significant artist who influenced Miranda was John Weidman, who wrote librettos for three Stephen Sondheim musicals. Miranda was a high school classmate of Weidman’s daughter and connected to ask for advice on Hamilton. Two of his scripts, Pacific Overtures and Assassins, were historical, and Miranda was struggling to condense so much history into an evening. Weidman suggested that he isn’t writing a documentary, and to focus first on the moments that are most significant to the story he wants to tell. Then, find what’s missing about what made Hamilton compelling to him.

In 2008, Miranda had the chance to work with Stephen Sondheim himself on a revival of West Side Story (1961). Sondheim wrote musicals that were both musically and linguistically clever and complex, and Miranda saw his works as the closest thing to hip-hop in musical theater. Sondheim appreciated the way rap lent itself to storytelling in Hamilton, but he advised Miranda to avoid monotony. One song that reflected this advice was “Say No to This.” Jasmine Cephas Jones, who played Maria (as well as Peggy Schuyler in the first act) was excited to showcase her natural R&B vocal quality. Miranda had also revised “The Schuyler Sisters” to show off the women’s voices after hearing them singing harmonies backstage. Miranda was always listening and absorbing feedback from castmates and mentors without ego.

Maria Reynolds (double-cast as Peggy) enters. Hamilton works, exhausted and missing Eliza and Angelica. Maria apologizes for disturbing him, but she’s desperate, abandoned by her abusive husband. Hamilton gives her money and escorts her home. She invites him in, and Hamilton prays for the strength to “say no to this” (175). Maria kisses him. Hamilton admits that he continued the affair for a month. Then he receives a letter from James Reynolds, Maria’s husband, who blackmails Hamilton, demanding money for his silence and to continue the affair. Hamilton confronts Maria, who claims pitifully to know nothing, begging him to stay with her. Hamilton replies that he doesn’t want her. He pays James, singing, “Nobody needs to know” (179), a musical/lyrical reference to Jason Robert Brown’s The Last Five Years (2002).

Hamilton ran Off-Broadway in the Public’s Newman Theater, where another genre-shifting musical, A Chorus Line premiered in 1975. A Chorus Line was groundbreaking because it was structurally unique and focused on how the chorus worked and struggled in anonymity. On the 40th anniversary of A Chorus Line’s opening, the cast of Hamilton remained onstage afterward to perform a tribute. Then, the 19 original cast members in attendance joined them onstage. Hamilton draws from A Chorus Line’s legacy by distinguishing each ensemble member as an individual. Jeffrey Seller and Oskar Eustis announced that Hamilton would finish its Off-Broadway run rather than transferring to Broadway early, which meant time for the team to revise and refine. The sound design, by Nevin Steinberg, for instance, was challenging because a rap musical needed absolute clarity for audiences to understand the lyrics. When Miranda first heard his music through Broadway speakers, he exclaimed with stunned excitement, “Oh fuck everybody!” (185).

Back at work, Burr asks Hamilton how he will get his debt plan approved. Hamilton replies that he’s finally taking Burr’s advice to “talk less. Smile more” (186). Burr is skeptical, but when Jefferson and Madison enter, he watches, surprised, as they go off to dinner. Burr narrates that the three had gone into the room and made historical decisions. In exchange for supporting his debt proposal, Hamilton offers moving the capitol to Virginia. Burr adds, “No one else was in the room where it happened” (186). By Jefferson’s account, Hamilton begged Jefferson for help, and Jefferson had brought Madison on board and orchestrated the dinner. Making contentious decisions via Congress was proving to be impossible with so many self-interested voices. Burr challenges Hamilton about giving away the capitol, then realizes that the capitol doesn’t matter since the banks are still in New York. Hamilton explains that he got what he wanted, which was more than he gave, to secure his legacy. The company asks Burr what he wants. Burr replies, “I wanna be in the room where it happens” (189) because those in secret rooms are actually building the country.

Philip exclaims to Eliza that his grandfather, Philip Schuyler, is in the newspaper, having lost his senate seat to Burr. Hamilton confronts Burr for switching parties: “No one knows who you are or what you do,” to which Burr responds, “They don’t need to know me. They don’t like you” (191). Burr claims that outside of Hamilton’s financial institutions, people think he’s dishonest. Hamilton says that he considered Burr a friend, and Burr doesn’t understand why that would change. He simply grabbed an opportunity, criticizing Hamilton’s pride.

In a second rap battle, Washington introduces the topic: whether the US should join the French Revolution, which is ultimately Washington’s decision. Jefferson argues for joining reminding them France’s help in the American Revolution and the treaty they signed promising to help. Jefferson accuses Hamilton of having only self-interest and no loyalty, which is unamerican. Hamilton replies that their treaty was with a now-decapitated king, and France is leaderless. Washington stops the battle, agreeing with Hamilton that their country is too new and fragile to intercede in other nations, and he’ll reconsider when they choose a leader. Jefferson counters that the citizens are leading, but Washington says they’re just rioting. Washington tells Hamilton to draft a neutrality statement and exits. Jefferson confronts Hamilton for forgetting Lafayette. Hamilton says that Lafayette will understand. Jefferson spits, “You’re nothing without Washington behind you” (193). Before Hamilton can respond, Washington reenters and beckons Hamilton. Jefferson smirks, “Daddy’s calling” (193).

Questlove, a hip-hop legend, has seen proposals for hip-hop musicals, but they’ve all been full of cliches. When he saw Hamilton at the Public, he asked, “Is this the most revolutionary thing to happen to Broadway, or the most revolutionary thing to happen to hip-hop?” (196). Questlove explained that since the 1980s, hip-hop has been riding on its original brilliance. Hamilton showed that it was still brilliant. Miranda wanted to not only introduce hip-hop to Broadway, but prove that hip-hop was a worthwhile dramatic form. In 2015, the BET Hip-Hop Awards invited Miranda, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Daveed Diggs to take part in a “cypher, trading freestyle rhymes” (197) with Questlove and Black Thought (of Roots). Diggs, a rap artist in his own right, was amazed that musical theater was the helped him to meet his hip-hop role models. Questlove brought new guests to see the show repeatedly, remarking that Hamilton was like Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”—people of all ages and backgrounds loved it.

Questlove and Black Thought also produced the cast album. The chemistry of the cast from performing eight times a week made the recording of “My Shot,” sound like a real rap group. When Leslie Odom recorded “Wait for It,” someone in the room was so astounded that they threw their shoe. The favorite of most hip-hop artists was “Washington on Your Side,” which Questlove called “a ‘tug-of-war’ song” (198).. Miranda’s wanted a cast recording that doubled as a pop album. Thus, recording was more meticulous than most musical theater albums. It took two weeks rather than the usual three or four, and performers were recorded separately for group numbers. The sound balance was also nearly even between instrumentation and vocals, whereas most musical theater recordings skewed heavily toward vocals. Hamilton’s recording revived a long-faded tradition of musical theater songs being popularized like pop songs, and the album even won Billboard’s 2015 rap album of the year.

Burr sings, “It must be nice to have Washington on your side” (199), which repeats as a refrain throughout. Jefferson raps that Hamilton has divided the cabinet, and his Wall Street is getting rich from the poorest citizens. Jefferson just needs the right gossip to destroy Hamilton. Madison joins, and the three conspire. Jefferson realizes that he will have to resign because, “If there’s a fire you’re trying to douse, you can’t put it out from inside the house” (199). They are certain that Hamilton is doing something wrong, and they just need evidence.

After the Public, Hamilton prepared for Broadway. They were in the rare position of knowing that the show would likely succeed. They tweaked and sharpened, adding to the cast, and Andy Blankenbuehler focused on turning “The Room Where It Happens” into a showstopper. Kail worked and experimented with the principals. One major change was revising a song called “One Last Ride” about the Whiskey Rebellion, occurring after Washington decides to retire. Miranda and the rest of the creative team decided to focus on Hamilton and the retirement of his friend and mentor rather than attempting to depict an accurate historical. Kail mentioned Washington’s favorite Bible verse, Micah 4:4, about everyone finding peace under their own vine and fig tree.

Inspired, Miranda wrote “One Last Time,” recognizing that Washington had quoted the verse to a group of immigrants, referring to the goal of peace and safety in America. Then, in the summer of 2015, a racist gunman killed nine Black people during a Bible study at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, South Carolina, and Washington’s farewell song took on an additional layer. Chris Jackson saw the brutal event as a reminder that in America, “the struggle continues. The idea is perfect, the execution is not” (208). From the start of the production process, Jackson struggled with the fact that the founding fathers chose not to end slavery. To play Washington, he tried to justify that he was an enslaver and decided eventually that he wouldn’t, but he could still find truth and humanity in Washington as a character. At the end, when Eliza states that Hamilton would have fought to end slavery, Jackson, as Washington, would lower his head in shame at their failure. The Charleston shooting spurred an outburst of activism, reminding the company of the power of Hamilton to be their protest.

In Washington’s office, Hamilton is defensive, certain he has been summoned for something that Jefferson said and ready to destroy Jefferson. Washington informs him that Jefferson has resigned to run for president, and that he is retiring rather than running. He wants Hamilton to write his farewell address, asking him have a drink with him. Hamilton resists, trying to persuade Washington to change his mind. Unruffled, Washington tells Hamilton to sit and take notes as he passes on his wisdom. He needs to retire so the country learns how to move on to the next leader so it lives on after him. Washington sings, “Like the Scripture says: ‘Everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree, and no one will make them afraid.’ They’ll be safe in the nation we’ve made” (210). Washington wants to enjoy their country before he dies. Hamilton writes while Washington delivers his words. Although he has made mistakes, he hopes that the country will review his life’s work generously. He looks forward to living in a free country. Washington sings about going home, reminding Hamilton, “History has its eyes on you” (211).

Before the chapter, the book includes the cut “Cabinet Battle #3,” which is a rap battle about abolishing slavery, moderated by Washington. Jefferson argues on behalf of the southern states, claiming that they will secede if their property is confiscated. Hamilton calls it a “stain on human decency” (213), accusing Jefferson of the affair with Sally Hemings, although Jefferson quickly convinces Hamilton to close the subject of affairs. Madison interjects that enslavers will expect to be compensated, and Washington decides that the issue is too contentious. The chapter begins during dinner break at the Richard Rodgers, four days before their Broadway opening. The creative team was idly discussing which major musicals are reflected in Hamilton, and Jonathan Groff came onstage and gave an elaborate bow. Ironically, Groff was the most famous actor in the company, yet he played the minor but memorable King George III, singing three variations of the same song over nine minutes of stage time. The actor who opened at the Public in the role, Broadway veteran Brian d’Arcy James, had only been available for a few weeks of the run. When Groff heard the king’s songs, he was on board. After seeing the show, he was speechless, realizing that he had signed on to do something important. Kail comments that what makes Groff so compelling as villainous King George is his likeability. Groff would presumably stay for six weeks and then return to filming the HBO show Looking, but when Looking was suddenly cancelled, Groff didn’t hesitate to commit to a year with Hamilton, stating, “A show like this comes along once in a generation” (217).

King George enters, singing that he has heard that Washington is stepping down. He finds it confusing that someone can just stop leading. King George wonders who will replace such a giant figure. A sentinel whispers in his ear, and the king is amused learn that John Adams is the next president. He met Adams in 1785—a reference to Miranda’s favorite scene in the Adams HBO miniseries. King George laughs, certain that “they’re gonna eat him alive!” (218). Excited to watch the country fall apart, he sarcastically wishes Adams good luck.