Broadway is a place where emotion and lyric come together; major musicals such as “Phantom of the Opera,” “Wicked,” “Funny Girl,” and “Hamilton” premier on stage with thousands of eyes watching. Many fly from all over to indulge in prestige and comedic entertainment with friends and family. The Broadway Musical, “Hamilton” was created and directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, while on vacation, in 2009 after reading a biography about Alexander Hamilton. Ideas were born to create rap mixtapes all around the life of the Founding Father. With no expectation of a Broadway Show in the future, Miranda decided to begin experimenting with different tracks and lyrics. Journalist Lorraine Murray, communicates the process of the beloved and melodic performance.

“Miranda began creating a musical about the Founding Father. In the life of Hamilton—who rose from obscure origins on the small Caribbean island of Nevis to become a leading U.S. statesman and the first U.S. secretary of the treasury—Miranda saw a quintessential American story, one that he perceived as akin to the humble beginnings of rappers. The resulting Hamilton was energetic and infectious, and it featured a racially diverse cast, with Miranda starring in the title role,” Murray wrote in an article for Britannica.

Hamilton transcended into a sell-out and gained much popularity in 2015 when it debuted on Broadway. The deep dive of a political figure with a combination of song and dance intrigued so many from around the world and became the must see show. The performance left numerous audience members with the catchy tunes and clever lyrics in their heads for weeks. McKenzie Powell (12) shares how she was introduced to the Musical, “Hamilton”.

“I first watched ‘Hamilton’ when it was released on Disney+, but I had listened to the soundtrack my 7th grade year; I think that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s lyricism is something that will always impress people,” Powell says.

While a number of people dream of attending the well known production in person, the expenses of the trip to New York City and the price point of the show tickets can be a stopping point for some, so imagine the look on the faces of those when they found out that the Hamilton cast was hitting the road for a tour around the country. Hitting all the major cities and spreading the beloved and memorable story is something that kept Ticketmaster especially busy.

“I was so excited to see they were coming to Knoxville, but I was worried getting tickets would be difficult; luckily I was able to see the production last month at the Tennessee Theater,” Powell said. 

The national tour has been a massive success and will continue to grow as they will be traveling through the year 2024. What started as a silly and imaginative mixtape in the mind of Lin-Manuel Miranda, transcended into a sensation that is adored by many.