10/19/2016 HamiltonsAmericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappenedSalon.

com

HamiltonsAmericatakesusintothe
roomswhereithappened
MELANIEMCFARLAND Follow

2
Share 31

LinManuelMirandain"HamiltonsAmerica"(Credit:PBS/JoanMarcus)

Pullingoffaworkablemusicalrequiresakindofartisticskillfewpossess.
Creatingalegendarymusical,though,isachievedonlybyhittingthe
tiniestbullseyecreatedatthecrossroadsoftalent,determination,
originalityandluck.Noneofthosefactorscanbediscounted,aswesee
inHamiltonsAmerica,whichpremiersFridayat9p.m.onPBSmember
stations.

IttookLinManuelMirandasvisionandimaginationtoseethepotential
forgreatnessinthestoryofaFoundingFatherwhoselifewasforthe
mostpartunsungthatis,beforehepulledRonChernowsAlexander
Hamiltonbiographyofftheshelfduringavacation.Mirandaoriginally

conceptualizedaspectsofthestoryasahiphopprojectinitiallyknownas
TheHamiltonMixtape.

ButevenMirandasperseverancetoseethroughtothefinishwhat
soundedlikeanimprobableprojectmightnothaveamountedtomuchif
hehadnttakenuptheWhiteHouseonaninvitationtoperformasong
theonlyMixtapesonginexistenceatthatpointinfrontofthe
Obamas.Someonerecordedhisperformance,shareditonlineand
Mirandawatcheditgoviral.Andthatstrokeofgoodfortunehelpedfuel
http://www.salon.com/2016/10/19/hamiltonsamericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappened/ 1/6
10/19/2016 HamiltonsAmericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappenedSalon.com
Mirandawatcheditgoviral.Andthatstrokeofgoodfortunehelpedfuel
thehalfdecadejourneythatresultedinaculturalphenomenon.

Likethemusicalitprofiles,HamiltonsAmericaalsowasbornoutofa
luckyhunch.DirectorAlexHorwitz,oneofMirandasroommatesat
WesleyanUniversity,decidedthathiscollegebuddyshalfbakedidea
mightgrowintosomethingbiganddecidedtofollowMirandaforthree
years.

Inthatspanoftimethedirectorcapturedthedevelopmentofwhatwould
eventuallybecomeHamiltonfromitsnascentstagesthroughtoits
openingnightoffBroadway,addinginlaterfootageoftheplaysrunaway
successattheTonyAwardsshowandonBroadway.

ToMirandascredit,themusicalscreatormadeHorwitzstaskeasierby
throwinghimselfintothetaskofhoninghisstagecraftandgettingthe
minutiaeofHamiltonsstoryright.Inthedocumentary,footageofMiranda
weavinglyricsinAaronBurrsbedroomwithhisheadphones,onor
visitinghistoricsiteswithothercastmembers,includingLeslieOdom,Jr.,
DaveedDiggsandChristopherJackson,makeshisartisticefforttangible.

VIDEO Get'DrunkonYourLove'withBrett
Eldredge

Mirandadidmorethansimplymakeanoverlookedhistoricalfigure
dynamicandcompellingincreatingHamilton.Hebirthedavibrant,fresh
wayofsharingamostAmericantaleonethatspeakstowhoweareas
anation,ourconceptofownershipoverourfoundationalstructuresand
http://www.salon.com/2016/10/19/hamiltonsamericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappened/ 2/6
10/19/2016 HamiltonsAmericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappenedSalon.com

values,ourlegacyandourhistory.

Inadditiontothoselocationshots,beautifullyfilmedmusicalsegments
fromtheBroadwaystageandthecastsWhiteHouseappearances,
HamiltonsAmericafeaturesinterviewsofpoliticianssuchasHouse
SpeakerPaulRyan,formerpresidentGeorgeW.Bush,Sen.Elizabeth
WarrenandPresidentBarackObamaaswellasanassortmentofartistic
luminariesandhistorians,whotalkaboutthe18thcenturyleadersimpact
onourhistoryaswellastheimportanceofthemusical.

Suchcontentisparforthecourseinaprojectlikethis.Onlyhere,the
overwhelmingaffectionAmericanshaveforMirandasmusicalinfectsthe
toneoftheirobservations,furtheraugmentingtheswellofcuriosityand
wonderpropellingthedocumentaryalong.Noteveryonehasglowing
thingstosayaboutHamiltonhimselfWarrensobservationabouthis
creationofourcountryscapitaliststructureissobering,andhistorian
JoanneFreemanpointsouthislessthansavoryqualities.

ThisispartofthewayHamiltonsAmericadispelsthemythabout
Hamilton,humanizinghimbylookingathisflawswhilealsoappreciating
hishustlethesoulofrapculture.Thusinchoosingtotellastoryofa
FoundingFatherwiththeswaggerandemotionalityofhiphop,Miranda
conveysHamiltonssignificanceonmultiplelevels.

HamiltonsAmericaalsosmoothlymarriestheverypersonalnatureof
themusicalsstorywithHamiltonsimpactonthenationandtheworld,
adoptingMirandasiconoclasticflavorintheprocess.Inoneofthefilms
mostaffectingmoments,Mirandadrawsparallelsbetweenhisrendering
ofHamiltononthestageandhisfamilybyhavinghisfathersharehis
storyofcomingtoNewYorkfromPuertoRico.

SPONSOREDSTORIES
Recommendedby

TheLeastIntelligent These25FrenchBaby GigiHadidStunsin

Presidents NamesAreTrending NewReebok
InsideGov|ByGraphiq AcrosstheU.S. Campaign
MooseRoots|ByGraphiq Muscle&Fitness

Today,scoringticketstoaliveproductionHamiltonisnearlyimpossible.
http://www.salon.com/2016/10/19/hamiltonsamericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappened/ 3/6
10/19/2016 HamiltonsAmericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappenedSalon.com

Evencatchingthetouringversionisagamble,whichisamazingtothink
of,giventhatthesubjectisAlexanderHamilton,themanmostpeople
knowastheguyonthe$10bill.

Becauseofthis,anumberofviewerswilltuneintoHamiltonsAmerica
mistakenlyhopingtoviewenoughofthemusicaltoeasethepainof
waitingfortheirshotataseatinaroomwhereithappens.The
documentaryincludesglimpsesofmusicalnumbers,addingcontextby
discussingelementsofHamiltonslifethatinspiredeachsongandits
themes.ButwhilethedocumentaryairsaspartofPBSGreat
Performancesseries,theactualperformanceisshowninonlysmall
slices.

Whatwegetinsteadisanenthralling,uplifting90minuteexaminationof
thecreativeprocessthatwentintomakingHamiltonwhileleadingus
thoughthelifeofitsstatesmansubjectandtheimpacthehadonthe
world.Thisisararebalancingacttopulloff,bothintherealmof
nonfictionfilmmakingandonthestage.

HamiltonsAmericaisoneoftwomusicalofferingshittingtelevisionthis
week.TheotherFoxsTheRockyHorrorPictureShow:LetsDothe
TimeWarpAgain!isademonstrationofwhathappenswhenstage
magicistransformedintoa1975filmthatflops,onlytomorphintoacult
phenomenonofparticipatoryart.Yearslaterthisweird,thewildtradition
hasbeenexsanguinatedofitsdelightfulfreakishnessbyindustrytrend
chasing,courtesyofprimetimetelevision.

ThereimaginingofRockyHorrordebutingThursdayat8p.m.the
familyhour!isthelatestentryinthetrendofmountingmusicalevents
ontelevision,onlyitwasafilmpresentationasopposedtoalive
broadcast.FoxsdecisiontodoRockyHorrorasatelefilmhasacertain
logictoit,ifyouconsiderthepotentialunwieldinessofrecreatingthe
midnightfilmcultureexperienceviaaliveTVevent.

Torunamoviebehindacastofaudiencemembersreplicatingtheaction

infrontofitwouldbeavisualmess.Yetthatmetaconstructmakes
midnightshowingsofRockyHorrorsuchoddculturaltreasures.Take
awaytheaudienceparticipation,withallitssingingalongandmessy
toiletpapertossing,andyousimplyhaveastrangemovieostensibly
inspiredbyclassichorrorandscififilmsthatotherwisemakesverylittle
senseatall.

ADVERTISEMENT
http://www.salon.com/2016/10/19/hamiltonsamericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappened/ 4/6
10/19/2016 HamiltonsAmericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappenedSalon.com
ADVERTISEMENT

AsdirectedbyKennyOrtega,thisRockyHorrorisbasicallyaninvitation
tostareatagothinspiredsnowglobefortwohours.Itgetspointsfor
style,andcastingLaverneCoxasDr.FrankNFurter(aroleoriginatedby
TimCurry,appearinghereastheCriminologistNarrator)isastrokeof
somethingclosetogenius.

Oncewegetpasthergrandentrance,however,thethrilldiesquickly.
TheresmuchtoadoreinCox,butherFrankNFurtersbizarreelocution
growsincreasinglyirritatingasthestoryprogresses,andhercostars,
includingAmericanIdolrunnerupAdamLambert(Eddie)andVictoria
Justice(JanetWeiss),dontlendmuchinthewayofsupportor
distraction.OnecantexpectJusticetocompetewithSusanSarandon,of
course,butisgivingusamemorableupdateforJanettoomuchtoask?

AlackoforiginalityisthisRockHorrorreduxsfatalerror,butknowing
thatmaygiveviewersmoreappreciationforthecreativityexploredand
celebratedinHamiltonsAmerica.

Besides,itsremarkabletothinkthatmusicaltheaterhasriseninthe
mainstreamaudiencesestimationsogreatlythatbroadcasttelevision
hastwoprimetimeofferingstochoosefrominthesameweek.
RegardlessofanysingleopinionaboutFoxsRockyHorrorspecialor

FridaysGreatPerformancespresentation,thefactthatnetworkssawfit
topresentthemisahopefulstatementaboutthepotentallureofcreativity
inthesefraughttimes.

InHamiltonsAmericaMirandaacknowledgedthatidea.Iamaware
thatmusicaltheaterdoesnotgetofftheartspageoften,hesaid.And
hereweare.

http://www.salon.com/2016/10/19/hamiltonsamericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappened/ 5/6
10/19/2016 HamiltonsAmericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappenedSalon.com

MelanieMcFarlandisSalon'sTVcritic.Followheron
Twitter:@McTelevision

http://www.salon.com/2016/10/19/hamiltonsamericatakesusintotheroomswhereithappened/ 6/6