Warning an excessive amount of “Hamilton” puns is headed your way. Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton”, the musical lets me know he is the exact definition of a “Mind at Work.” He is a genius with so much passion and creativity to anything he touches, writes and acts in etc. “Hamilton”, the new musical is not only a smash it, it’s educational while at the same time it’s perfectly aligned with Lin Manuel Miranda’s signature flavor. Seriously, I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when Lin Manuel Miranda pitched this idea also known as “I want to be in the room where it happened.” At first glance a melodious- musical underscored with beats of gritty hip-hop with a multi-ethnic casting sounds way out of left field with Broadway’s track record and all. Yet, once you get to know Alexander Hamilton over the course of the musical this genre sounds completely perfect not only for the stage but perfect for portraying the life of such an intriguing person.

Lin Manuel Miranda was intrigued about the life of Alexander Hamilton after reading Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. He envisioned Alexander Hamilton’s life in musical form and he began research whether or not that had already been done. In fact a play of Alexander Hamilton’s life has been done on Broadway in 1917 but never to the heights of which Lin Manuel Miranda would take it to. Lin Manuel Miranda saw this as his opportunity and he thought “I am not throwing away my shot!” to bring to Broadway a masterpiece that leave everyone one “Satisfied.”

Lin Manuel Miranda began work on a project called “The Hamilton Mixtape” which he worked on during his spare time from his other smash hit “In The Heights” and he was invited to perform some music from his creation at the 2009 White House Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word. Instead, he performed what would later become the song titled “Alexander Hamilton”, Hamilton’s opening number accompanied by Alex Lacamoire on the piano. Lin Manuel Miranda spent another year from that very first performance of any “Hamilton” material creating another song titled “My Shot.” Lin Manuel Miranda also performed in workshop production of what later become what “Hamilton” yet was known at the time as “The Hamilton Mixtape” at the Vassar Reading Festival in July 27^th, 2013. This workshop was directed by Thomas Kail and was musically directed by Alex Lacamoire and at this time “Hamilton” only had its entire first act and three songs from the second act.

It’s amazing to see the transformation “Hamilton” took from just an idea in Lin Manuel Miranda’s head to being shown to audiences albeit a rough showing in 2009 at the White House to being produced on Broadway. “I really wanted the hip-hop community to embrace Hamilton because it’s such a love letter to them”, Lin Manuel Miranda says. “Hamilton”, the musical is an epic adaptation that strings together the life of Alexander Hamilton in a way that embodies the beat and rhythm of hip-hop and R&B while at the same time showcasing Alexander Hamilton’s ambitious spirit in spectacular fashion.

Broadway.com gives this synopsis of “Hamilton.” “Lin-Manuel Miranda takes the stage as the unlikely founding father determined to make his mark on the new nation as hungry and ambitious as he is. From illegitimate, orphan to Washington’s right hand man, rebel to war hero, a loving husband caught in the country’s first sex scandal, to the Treasury head who made an untrusting world believe in the American economy. George Washington, Eliza Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and Hamilton’s lifelong friend/foil Aaron Burr all make their mark in this astonishing new musical exploration of a political mastermind.” Audiences and any fans has this to say about this musical “We Know”, that’s why he love listening to the score and we would gladly starve for a ticket to the show.

Yet, “Wait For It”, music is central to story of “Hamilton” and Lin Manuel Miranda doesn’t use the rhythm and beat of hip-hop as a crutch “rather he’s crafted the form specifically for the stage and for this story.” Alex Lacamoire who could be considered Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Right Hand Man” in the musical venture has this to say about Miranda’s style.  “A lot of people try to write rap for theatre, and it ends up being really kind of square rhymes and square rhythm. “But here is Lin-Manuel rapping over the bar line, telling stories and doing stuff that is more rhythmically complex than any other writer I have ever heard before. Something about Lin’s music and the way he writes—it percolates. There’s always an undercurrent of rhythm underneath everything that he does.” It’s no wonder that “Hamilton” is popular and a smash hit because it was made for as Lin Manuel Miranda says “the show to be the star, it really is an ensemble piece.” Bravo!