Recommended Reading
Hamilton: The Revolution
by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter
Unless you're been living under a rock for the last five years, you've heard of the Tony-award-winning musical "Hamilton." Based on the biography by Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Chernow, the innovative production took the theater world by storm, spawning standing productions and touring companies, plus the recent release of a filmed version on the Disney+ streaming service.
I was fortunate enough to see one of the touring companies. The live performances are stunning, well worth the price I paid for my ticket - enough so that I made an out-of-state trip to see it a second time.
The recommended reading, however, isn't the musical itself, or even the Chernow biography. Brilliant though they are, and as much as I recommend both of them, what I really want to bring to your attention is the book written by Lin-Manuel Miranda (the creator of the musical) and Jeremy McCarter, whose creative resume includes New York magazine, and New York's Public Theater (the off-Broadway home of "Hamilton").
This book is a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the hit musical. The full libretto is included, with a series of footnotes detailing Miranda's work on specific lines or references. There are interviews with people involved with the production, tracing the development from Miranda's first improbable appearance at the White House in 2009 to the stunning Broadway opening night July 13, 2015.
Along the way Miranda and his team explored new and exciting ways to bring this story to the stage. Throughout the book Miranda discusses his creative choices, his musical influences, and the personal history than informs and illuminates his creation.
The book is lavishly illustrated, and this is one book I highly recommend you get it hardcover.
If you have seen and loved the play, or watched the filmed version, or listened to the original cast recording or The Hamilton Mixtape or even Weird Al's Hamilton Polka, this book will offer insights into the creative process that brought this phenomenon to life.
While the book may resonate more fully with fans of "Hamilton" I believe the exploration of its creation will offer insights into the creative process for everyone.
Hamilton: The Revolution, by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter
Grand Central Publishing (April 12, 2016) 288 pages
ISBN 978-1455539741
Also available in ebook and audio
{The above is an Amazon link. I am not currently an Amazon affiliate and I do not benefit in any way from this link.)