Before it was even completed, the buzz surrounding the musical Hamilton was already deafening. Now, after an extremely successful run at New York’s Public Theater, Hamilton has moved to Broadway, where it’s already sold out through the end of the year. So how does a musical about the first Secretary of the Treasury become so beloved? Kurt Andersen talks to David Cote, theater editor and critic for Time Out New York, who gave the show a five-star review.
Kurt Andersen: What’s the short answer for why Hamilton is so very good?
David Cote: It creates cognitive dissonance, in a good way. You’re watching the events of the 18th century through the lens of 21st century hip hop, acted by a cast of people of color.
Everyone from Barack Obama to Dick Cheney seems to love this musical.
What are the politics of Hamilton? It’s something you can project upon. A conservative commentator can say they’re refreshing the iconography of the colonial era for a new generation; they’re making young kids of color care about Jefferson and Washington. Or you can say that they are creating a metaphor about how people of color have to take back American history.
The premise sounds terrible on paper. So what is it about the book and the music that’s so exceptionally good?
It’s exceptionally witty and dense. You go to see a Broadway musical and the lyrics are spoon-fed to the audience and the music is often derivative pop or show tunes. Here you have a really fresh sound. The language is incredibly dense. Only in a Shakespearean history play would you find that level of information density.