Hamilton

"Yes, it really is that good...I am loath to tell people to mortgage their houses and lease their children to acquire tickets to a hit Broadway show. But 'Hamilton,' directed by Thomas Kail and starring Mr. Miranda, might just about be worth it — at least to anyone who wants proof that the American musical is not only surviving but also evolving in ways that should allow it to thrive and transmogrify in years to come." Full Review

"Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 'In the Heights' may have been a hit — but his 'Hamilton' is a phenomenon...But “revolutionary” the show is not. Truly radical art is divisive, and under its brash exterior, 'Hamilton' is warmly reassuring — a love letter to a land of opportunity where 'The 10-dollar founding father without a father/Got a lot farther by working a lot harder/By being a lot smarter/By being a self-starter.'” Full Review

"Yes, it's as incredible as everyone says....With his new musical, 'Hamilton,' Lin-Manuel Miranda has an eye on both. He's created a work sure to be enjoyed by generations to come, proudly drawing on America's past as a guiding light to the future. It unequivocally asserts that the revolutionary ideals of 1776 are still valid in 2015. It is nothing short of a masterpiece, destined to change Broadway forever." Full Review

"As with 'In The Heights', Miranda's ear-popping material kinetically fuses with the exemplary work of director Thomas Kail to explosively tell the story of a man considered one of the first quintessential New Yorkers - a poor immigrant with radical ideas who pushed his way to prominence for the betterment of society." Full Review

"This innovative show is shaping up to be just as much of a phenomenon uptown, playing in a Broadway house with four times the seating capacity, and to a more traditional but no less enthusiastic audience. That universal appeal to crossover audiences is one unmistakable sign of a groundbreaking show...Like any true landmark, 'Hamilton' stands up to repeated viewings. After six months, the show’s initial impact hasn’t dulled a bit; in fact, the qualities that made it so extraordinary the first... Full Review

"Having already become a cultural phenomenon in its off-Broadway premiere run earlier this year at the Public Theater, 'Hamilton' — written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, who previously made a name for himself on Broadway with 'In the Heights' — seems a shoo-in for smash hit status and a slew of awards attention...The musical is a triumph." Full Review

"What is left to say? After every critic in town (including me) praised the Public Theater world premiere to high heaven; and after seeing this language-drunk, rhyme-crazy dynamo a second time, I can only marvel: They used up all the damn words. Wait, here are three stragglers, straight from the heart: I love 'Hamilton.' I love it like I love New York, or Broadway when it gets it right. And this is so right." Full Review

"A second look suggests that something even more significant is going on. The breakthrough isn’t so much the incorporation of those contemporary genres; after all, Miranda already did that, throwing in Latin music to boot, in the charming 'In the Heights.' But 'Hamilton' not only incorporates newish-to-Broadway song forms; it requires and advances them, in the process opening up new territory for exploitation. It’s the musical theater, not just American history, that gets refurbished. And per... Full Review

"'Hamilton' is not just an excellent and rousing musical; it brings something new to the musical theatre, and does it so very compellingly that superlatives are in order. I--and I expect just about all my critical colleagues--would tell you to stop reading right now and get yer tickets, except there aren't likely many to be had for the next year or three." Full Review

"When Hamilton opened Off-Broadway in February, I called it groundbreaking and breathtaking – and I was trying not to gush...Analyzing the importance of 'Hamilton' misses the main takeaway from the musical: It’s thrilling to watch. It seems always in motion, thanks to a creative team including director Thomas Kail, and especially choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, who keeps the sexy ensemble very busy. They help enhance what are some terrific performances." Full Review

"'Hamilton' is the best and most important Broadway musical of the past decade. Why important? Because it sounds as though it had been written last week instead of a half-century ago...So do whatever you have to do short of grand larceny to score a ticket to 'Hamilton.' It’ll make you want to stand on your seat and yell with delight." Full Review

"I must confess that I gave one of the less enthusiastic reviews of 'Hamilton' back in February, finding the plot to be too dense (it is, after all, a biography) and the hip-hop sound to be monotonous. On second viewing, I was determined to accept the show on its own terms, and I ended up being absolutely entranced by Miranda's inventive writing, Thomas Kail's masterful direction and Andy Blankenbuehler's nonstop movement. I may be the last critic to join the 'Hamilton' fan club, but better l... Full Review

"'Hamilton' joins the ranks of great American musicals...Considered as an American musical dealing directly with Americana an argument could eventually be made for 'Hamilton' as the nation’s greatest musical...If a musical even close in quality to this one emerges this season, we’re lucky. If a musical even close in quality emerges in the next 10 years, we’d better count our lucky stars." Full Review

"Does 'Hamilton' live up to all — any — of this hype? And does it need to? From my perspective, the answers are, respectively, a definite no and a solid yes...Though much has been made of the myriad musical and lyrical references that pockmark the evening, they're more about calling attention to themselves than contributing to a consistent texture or sensible narrative. To my reckoning they brand 'Hamilton,' even in its slightly altered, more precise uptown incarnation, as unsatisfying and un... Full Review

"The Founding Father never had a friend so loyal and true as Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose audaciously ambitious and supremely executed new musical is surely the most entertaining, provocative and moving civics lesson in Broadway history...Many of the songs are quite staggeringly beautiful — richly melodic and passionately performed ballads of fear, hope, determination and pain. They feel traditional and revolutionary at the same time." Full Review

"With 'Hamilton,' Broadway is officially the coolest place on the planet. And the smartest. And most exhilarating. Yes, composer, lyricist, author and leading man Lin-Manuel Miranda’s magical musical tour of the life of the '10-dollar Founding Father,' Alexander Hamilton, is that great. It’s even richer and more eloquent since its run earlier this year at the Public Theater." Full Review

"Every great musical improves on second (and third, and fourth) hearing; 'Hamilton' is no exception. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s magnificent adaptation is not, to use that tired cliché, a game-changer. It is, in truth, the quintessence of a Broadway musical destined for the record books...Like 'Rent' 20 years ago and 'A Chorus Line' 40 years so, 'Hamilton' is accessible without pandering and inspirational in sneaky ways that permeate a skeptic’s shell." Full Review

"With a refreshing book, profoundly innovative music that includes hip-hop, jazz, blues, R&B, and Broadway, and scintillating lyrics, 'Hamilton' exceeds all expectations of theatergoers and rocks the stage with engaging performances and exhilarating choreography...The diverse cast is uniformly outstanding and brilliant...Andy Blankenbuehler’s choreography is innovative and precise." Full Review

"I was intoxicated by 'Hamilton', exquisitely directed by Thomas Kail...It has an energy, a beat, a rhythm, and a rebelliousness that swept me up and kept me thoroughly engaged and enchanted. It’s a powerhouse three-hour telling of this pushy historical figure...Act One is an adrenaline-fueled history lesson in politics, war, revolution and love but Act Two is the clincher, which gives this show its emotional core and depth. It is truly amazing what Miranda has done here." Full Review

“‘Hamilton’ does for the American Revolution what ‘Les Miserables’ does for French 19th century history. However, its contemporary sound turns ‘Hamilton’ into a theatrical revolution that is just short of titanic. From the expert cast to the impeccable design team to the splendid score and text, ‘Hamilton’ makes musical theater history. Just a warning: don’t come tired! ‘Hamilton’ is fast moving and jam-packed with information. You will want all your faculties about you.” Full Review

"Revolutions are messy, sudden, often brutal things. They're not meant to mature gracefully. Thankfully, no one told the creators of the pulsating 'Hamilton,' which arrives on Broadway sharper, tighter and cleaner than just a few months ago....It's all like nothing you've ever heard or seen before. In one song, the main ladies sing euphorically, 'Look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now! History is happening in Manhattan.' We couldn't agree more." Full Review

"With the delirious praise swirling around 'Hamilton' since its Public Theater run, there was danger that Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop masterwork would seem anticlimactic - or at least overhyped - at its Broadway premiere. Instead, the show is even more nuanced, more cohesive in individual performances and its more focused finale. Most important, Miranda and director Thomas Kail have fine-tuned it without losing a shiver of its audacity and thrill." Full Review

"This ambitious, inventive show remains strong across the board: the entertaining, informative and emotionally involving book is filled with moments of humor and pathos, the characters are vividly drawn, the lyrics are extremely clever, the choreography supports the action brilliantly, the cast is uniformly strong and the direction is fluid and assured...The good news is that the newcomers to the cast are generally fine and the production is as sharp as ever." Full Review

"It’s the question most asked of theater critics these days: 'Is ‘Hamilton’ really that good?' Yes, 'Hamilton' is that good, and the still youthful Lin-Manuel Miranda can be mentioned in the same sentence with Sondheim and even Cole Porter." Full Review

"The show creates a swirling intellectual and emotional portrait of one individual that matches, if not bests, any we’ve previously seen on stage. To accomplish this rare feat, Miranda is aided by the seamless direction of Thomas Kail, the extraordinary, and the stirring orchestrations of Alex Lacamoire, who finds the precisely right sounds for Miranda’s wonderfully wide musical vocabulary…Its inventiveness is practically unparalleled. Miranda’s book is a marvel, as well." Full Review