UMD TDPS goes to "Hamilton" on Broadway

On Wednesday, February 24, about 20 UMD TDPS undergraduate and graduate students took a field trip up to New York City to see the highly acclaimed new musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

On Wednesday, February 24, about 20 UMD TDPS undergraduate and graduate students took a field trip up to New York City to see the highly acclaimed new musical Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda. The immensely popular show is unique because of its use of hip hop, rap, and R&B music/dance to tell the story of Alexander Hamilton and our Founding Fathers. Described as "An American Musical," the cast is comprised of primarily African American and Latino actors, setting a new precedent in Broadway musicals.

Tickets are almost impossible to find, and the run is sold out until 2017, but TDPS was able to go on the generosity of supporters Michelle Smith and Shelley Mulitz. The students were thrilled to be there: some were seeing a Broadway show for the first time, and others were reinspired to pursue a professional acting career when they saw "themselves" on stage. One graduate student, Leticia Ridley, plans to write her MA thesis on the implications of race and gender in Hamilton, so having the opportunity to see the show firsthand was invaluable to her research.

Some reactions from students after the trip:

"Hamilton was a fascinating and thoroughly entertaining experience at the theatre. The entire show was an abundance of riches with an overwhelming amount of creative excellence on display. Of course, the score by creator and star Lin Manual-Miranda was just as great as everyone who listened to the cast album will tell you it was, but it was the complete package, the production as a whole, that I found most impressive. The staging's consistent integration of dance, movement, and spoken word completely opened my eyes to a whole new world of how it is possible for a musical to behave. It broke all the rules of the art form whilst still honoring it, and in doing that it was an inspiring testament to how taking risks and creating something original can lead to the the ultimate artistic fulfillment and success. I am not only a scenic designer but also a huge musical theatre fanatic, so Hamilton's effective use of staging, scenery, music, and dance through a celebration of contemporary and classical American values and culture was an absolutely thrilling artistic achievement to behold."

"One of the most exciting things to see was actors of color playing the roles of figures who were historically white. We often see white actors playing characters from Africa like in the movie Gods of Egypt, but having actors of color was so exciting to see because, as a black actor, it's nice to see yourself represented on stage. Not only that, but it is not as if having actors of color made them unbelievable. It just made the musical about the story of these characters and not about anything else."

Waiting outside in the cold rain for Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre

TDPS students excitedly in their seats before Hamilton begins

Happy TDPS students after the emotional rollercoaster that was Hamilton

TDPS MA Theatre & Performance Studies student Leticia Ridley meets actor Anthony Ramos

by Kate Spanos