Hamilton

                                           Hamilton :

About Alexander Hamilton :

Alexander Hamilton was born January 11 1755/57 in the British West Indies and died in July 12 1804 ( in a duel with Aaron Burr) was a New York delegate to the constitutional convection (1787), the major author of the Federalist Papers and first secretary of the treasure of the Untied States. He was known for convincing New Yorkers to agree to ratify the U.S Constitution as one of America's Founding Fathers. Hamilton has several achievements he's accomplished he was an American statesman, Politician, legal scholar, military commander, banker and economist.


In addition to his accomplishments as a U.S statesman, Alexander Hamilton is remembered for his death in a duel with Aaron Burr, who was the U.S Vice president at the time. Hamilton received renewed attention in the 21st century with the enormous popularity of the Tony Award-winning Musical Hamilton, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Ratification : The action of signing and giving formal consent to a treaty. ( Helping America).

Hamilton served his country in many ways, he fought in the American Revolution against the British, led the efforts to reform the inadequate articles of confederation; helped design the American government as outlined in the constitution; and even secured ratification by writing the Federal Papers. Hamilton is seen as an important figure especially when he was around. He was the first secretary of the treasury, Hamilton was the main author of the economic policies of George Washington's administrations. He took the lead in the Federal Governments funding of the states debts, as well as establishing a national bank, a system of tariffs and friendly trade relations with Britain.

Main Characters In Hamilton :

In total there where 20 main characters who played in Hamilton, these were Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, James Maddison, Charles Lee, Maria Reynolds, James Reynolds, John Laurens, Samuel Seabury, Hercules Mulligan, Doctor, Philip Schuyler, Peggy Schuyler, Thomas Jefferson, Philip Hamilton, Angelica Schuyler, George Eaker, King George 111, George Washington, Eliza Hamilton, Marquis de Lafayette.


Hamilton fought in a duel against Aaron Burr in Weehawken. They each fired a shot from a 56 calibre duelling pistol Hamilton fell to the ground wounded. He died the next day (July 11). 
Different themes were explored in Hamilton war and conflict being one of them, the conflict we saw was the duel between Hamilton and Aaron Burr.

                                             Themes :

War & Conflict :

The American Revolution gave Hamilton his fame and success in the American government. Hamilton not only believes that war will help the country earn independence but that it'll help him stand out in history and help him prove himself. At a point he quotes "I wish there was a war, then we could prove we're worth more than anyone bargained for"

Running Out Of Time :

This theme affects everyone differently. Hamilton is constantly afraid that he will run out of time to become a fiercely hard worker and influence his country whilst Burr is the complete opposite. He feels he should always be careful and take his time to succeed.

Honour :

The point of the duel was about protecting one's honour, it was about standing up to another man to stand up for one's self. Throughout the duel Hamilton wanted to defend his honour against the people who would rather he had less power. This is why honour is a theme for the characters in Hamilton.

Forgiveness :

Although Hamilton has many disagreements with Burr, he tries to be forgiving and to make way for them both to get along. The theme forgiveness is mostly important with Hamilton and his wife Eliza after he has an affair and revealing it publicly, in retaliation Eliza burns all his letters for her mistreatment. After the death of their son, Hamilton begs her for forgiveness and promises his loyalty to her in the future. Eliza accepts Hamilton back in her life and they are reconciled.

Taking Action :

Hamilton and Burr both have different approaches to taking action. Whilst Hamilton is eager to act and does nothing but wanting to get his hands dirty, Burr prefers to sit back and wait for the right time to act.

Writing:

One of Hamilton's gifts is his language which is represented through his ability of rapping, he had a gift in writing and was the foremost writer of the Federalist Papers, his ability to write and be persuasive through text is one of his main attributes of enduring legacy of the American Government, this is a very important theme in the musical

                                         Music Styles :

As a whole, Hamilton is about immigrants and the musical has helped it all come together by bringing the conversation to the spotlight. The youthful music helps bring the conversation to a younger audience which is a challenge as the younger audience tend to look for a more entertaining performance. It has always ben a challenge in the theatre. There are a different range of music styles which are included into the play as a whole, the main one being hip hop. An example of a hip hop song would be My Shot. Many other styles such as R&B, pop and soul are also included. An R&B song played in the musical would be Hopeless following the pop song satisfied. Lastly an example of a soul song would be Charlene.

      How Is Hamilton Different/Similar To Other Musicals?

 Depending on which musical it is whether it's Hamilton, Wicked or Billy Elliot there will always be a difference as they all have a different story line. For example Hamilton's main theme is building a legacy that will stand for the rest of time, during the war Hamilton is willing to put his life on the line as long as its for a cause that means something to him, Wicked encourages people to look at things from a different perspective by exploring the themes of friendship, trust and tolerance. However despite all the differences the thing they all have in common is the fact that each one tells a story through music which is certainly more captivating to watch.

How Successful Were The Performances In The Production-Were There Any     'stand out' Characters? What Made Their Performances Special? 

As a whole the performance was a huge success, each character played their role incredibly well and as a person in the audience I didn't think anything could have gone better. During the play the audience reacted most to King George. He wasn't the main character however the audience were amused by his character, he sang and made jokes which some people found hilarious. In my opinion I think Alexander Hamilton's character stood out more, this is because not only was he one of the main characters but I found his part in the play very intriguing, his acting skills looked very professional like all the other performers. The part that made the performance special I think was the light production, the lights were in sink with all the movements in the play which made the musical look magical, the singing and dancing were amazing however the lights made the whole play look even more surreal, also the timings were on point, for example when Alexander Hamilton dropped the book down to the floor the stage went red immediately and their were red lights flashing all over. Another thing that made the performance special were the songs, as it's a musical the story has to be told through music, each song that was sung showed both the emotions and story behind it, an example would be the song Alexander Hamilton, it was a song which introduced who he was and his story.

       How Did The Audience Respond To The Work At Different Points ?

When the lights went off we all knew the performance was about to start, the audience went crazy and everyone was cheering in excitement, During the performance the audience were mostly quiet as they were all watching a performance however when certain characters were on stage the audience would laugh, for example when 'King George's' part came on. After the first half there was a 20 minutes interval during this time the audience took a brake. For the rest of the performance everybody just sat watching and enjoyed the play.

  In The Q & A, What Did You Learn About The Skills Required To Be Part Of The Production?

In the Q & A the cast were answering all of our questions, one of them being how did you get where you are today? one of the cast members replied with always auditioning even if you feel like you wont get the part. When you audition and put yourself out there more opportunity's will come your way even if you get declined most of the time. Another cast member replied with always showing up, whether it showing up to a volunteering acting class or anything else you always have to involve yourself that way you will get recognised. I have learnt that being apart of a production consists of a very hard work ethic, you have to be fully committed in order to be the best at what you do. Being apart of Hamilton requires a substantial amount a patience and motivation, when rehearsing you will have to go over everything until it is perfect. 

   

  What Did You Find Out About The Challenges Of Working As A Performer          In The Industry?

By working as a performer in the industry you will have to overcome a lot of rejections, not all parts you audition for you will receive, that is why you have to be prepared, however just because you weren't accepted does not mean you will never have a chance. Secondly, working as a performer I found out that you always have to keep the performance fresh, whether you have to perform it 5 times a day, each time you do it has to be like the first because there will always be a new audience looking for the same energy you provided the first time round. Being a performer is not easy, you have to memorise all the lines and sometimes you have a very short amount of time to do so that is why you have to always be prepared. Lastly a challenge in the performing industry is improvising, if something goes wrong on stage you cant mess up you have to think of a way to carry on without making it obvious there was a mistake. 

       What Else Did I find Out About Being In The Hamilton Production ?

One more thing I have learnt is never giving up, if you audition and get rejected several times you should never stop trying, because if you don't try to get a role you will never accomplish what you have once dreamed of.

What Was The Message/Messages That Hamilton Left The Audience Thinking   About ?

The main message the play portrays is the fact that Hamilton came from nothing and eventually worked his way up even though he had major obstacles to overcome. Another message is fighting for what you think is right, after Hamilton had an affair he still managed to go back to his wife although they had lost their son, he tried and tried and after grieving together for their lost Hamilton fought for what he wanted most and that was the love of his life.

How Can This Inform Your Own Approach To Your Training ?

 By watching Hamilton live in theatres I have learnt to always put hard work in training because everything they've had to do in order to have a successful production/play came from hard work and dedication which is the same thing I must do, also to always have a positive mindset so when I have an obstacle to overcome I will always find a solution to a problem.