Overview
From Tony Award-winning composer-lyricist-star Lin-Manuel Miranda comes a
backstage pass to his groundbreaking, hit musical Hamilton. Lin-Manuel
Miranda's groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its
subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British,
defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing
hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this
once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the
storytelling power of rap, and claims the origins of the United States
for a diverse new generation. HAMILTON: THE REVOLUTION gives readers an
unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able
to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic
and theater artist who was involved in the project from its earliest
stages - "since before this was even a show," according to Miranda -
traces its development from an improbable perfor-mance at the White
House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. In
addition, Miranda has written more than 200 funny, revealing footnotes
for his award-winning libretto, the full text of which is published
here.
Their account features photos by the renowned Frank Ockenfels and
veteran Broadway photographer, Joan Marcus; exclusive looks at notebooks
and emails; interviews with Questlove, Stephen Sond-heim, leading
political commentators, and more than 50 people involved with the
production; and multiple appearances by Presi-dent Obama himself. The
book does more than tell the surprising story of how a Broadway musical
became an international phenomenon: It demonstrates that America has
always been renewed by the brash upstarts and brilliant outsiders, the
men and women who don't throw away their shot.