Hamiltons groundbreaking success
The American Revolution lasted from 1775 to 1783. The Broadway show “Hamilton” has now officially surpassed it. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s much-loved musical opened on Broadway a decade ago, ushering in a new era of casting, audience outreach, and even stardom. It also sparked a revolution of its own. Ever since “Hamilton” opened on Aug. 6, 2015, it has sold over four million tickets and earned more than $1 billion — not counting tours, international productions, and the 2020 movie.
And though some predictions about “the ‘Hamilton’ effect” developed, the predictions that did have changed musical theater, affecting casting, content, marketing, pricing, and outreach tremendously. After all, as “Hamilton” says, “History has its eyes on you”.
When people made movies about our founding fathers, it was usually an “unceasing parade of white men”. “Hamilton” took another approach. “Hamilton” made the musical a hip-hop narrative and made a place in the show for the likes of Miranda and friends and collaborators like Daveed Diggs and Christopher Jackson.
The music was also one of a kind.The songs certainly include hip-hop beats and rap-style lyrics, along with hat tips to stars like Jay-Z and the Notorious B.I.G.
It’s hard to imagine the lengths the people were willing to go to grab some tickets to “Hamilton”. During the show’s peak in 2016, ticket prices were crazy. For Miranda’s final Broadway performance, in July 2016, scalpers were asking an average of $10,900 for a single seat.
Even if you have never seen a musical, “Hamilton” was impossible to ignore, from Broadway to the rest of the country. Celebrities flew around the country and paid huge sums of money just to watch the show. Some include the Obamas, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah, Emma Watson, Alicia Keys, and Lena Dunham.
Tickets were incredibly expensive from the start, having hundreds of fans lining up outside theaters each day to enter a live lottery for $10 seats. To keep the hopefuls from going crazy while waiting, and to thank them for their support, Miranda started Ham4Ham, an entertainment system that turned him into a kind of showman for the people.
Sources:
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