by Mossy Toes » Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:26 am
Something that might not be particularly aimed toward folks across the pond, but I finally dug into, and very much enjoyed, the hot hit new musical Hamilton--just the audio for it, but following along in the liner notes.
Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States--albeit somewhat forgotten, by comparison to the others, though one of the key federalists in establishing the central government in it: brilliant polymath, arrogant ass, and $10-bill face. For now. If Harriet Tubman doesn't replace him soon, when it should be the $20 Andrew Jackson (just plain arrogant ass, for those of you not caught up on US history--to say nothing of violent and genocidal) who ought to be replaced.
Anyways, excellent musical, though it does harp on the American Dream/Revolution at quite length. King George is delightfully snotty and abusive. Aaron Burr is an excellently realized in his role as the vacillating and uncommitted but empathetic antagonist. I also applaud Lin Manuel Miranda for throwing out the white male narrative, as historically accurate as that may have been, and casting multi-ethnic and gendered players in the roles, so that the cabinet rap battles feel damned genuine, with the slave-owning Thomas Jefferson being played by a black man, etc.
What sphinx of plascrete and adamantium bashed open their skulls and ate up their brains and imagination? Imperator!