Perspectives on “Hamilton”

Hamilton is one the most popular and most celebrated musicals in American history. It has essentially redefined the American musical by drawing on the language and rhythms of hip-hop and R & B, genres that are underrepresented in the musical theater tradition. Last year Allyson Hobbs, associate professor of history in the School of the Humanities and Sciences, taught a one-unit interdisciplinary undergraduate course “Hamilton: An American Musical” that explored why Alexander Hamilton and the contemporary musical based on his life resonate so profoundly with the American public. Hobbs co-taught the course with faculty in the departments of English, history, music, theater and performance studies, and writing and rhetoric, each providing a different perspective on the man and the musical. Hobbs and her co-teachers share a taste of the popular course with perspectives on history, casting and music in this eight-minute video.