Hamilton is the greatest musical since RENT?

[Hamish3]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 12:29am

Will Hamilton become the first musical since Rent to win the TONYfor best musical and Pulitzer

[binau]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 12:33am

Umm. Did you forget next to normal?

 

oh, nvm

Updated On: 4/16/16 at 12:33 AM

[xxdrewboy85xx]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 2:41am

I assume I'm wrong since no one has mentioned it, but is Hamilton eligible this year? Wouldn't it have been up for the Pulitzer in 2015? I was also going to mention that the Pulitzer typically goes to a completely original piece not based on a previous source material, but I know that hasn't always been the case. 

 

And Jordan..... I disagree but that was a rare year when I thought both shows were worthy. But I personally think I would have been disappointed had BIlly Elliot not won. But that's just me

[Broadway_Boy]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 2:45am

I think I've read quite a bit about Hamilton being an obvious strong contender this year.  I also agree about Billy Elliot. :)

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 5:09am

So many words in that thread title are wrong

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 6:03am

Awards do not prove greatness. Nor do they confer it. Far from it. The two titles you cite offer proof positive of that.

 

Actually, had you substituted "worst" for "greatest," you would have been closer to the mark.

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 6:04am

I can't think about Billy Elliot winning the Tony over Next to Normal without getting a liiiiittle bit annoyed. Even now. It winning the Pulitzer made things a little better though.

Hamilton is eligible this year as the Pulitzer goes off the calendar year before (so everything done in 2015).

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like they'd probably be more lenient over it being based on a biography rather than a fictional film or novel.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 7:59am

"I can't think about Billy Elliot winning the Tony over Next to Normal without getting a liiiiittle bit annoyed. Even now. It winning the Pulitzer made things a little better though."

 

That is funny, my oldest daughter feels the same way - lol

[pupscotch]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 8:20am

Yes, Billy Elliot winning over Next To Normal was a little bit ridiculous in my opinion. However, Hamilton is definitely not the best musical since RENT (maybe it's because I'm not particularly a fan of RENT), but there are other fantastic new musicals from the past 20 years.

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 9:23am

I have seen "rent" a few times. Have not seen "Hamilton". I have listened to both and prefer rent's score over Hamilton's. Hamilton's has some wonderful songs in it but can't listen to it straight through like rent. And I can't just listen to "next to normal" at all. That score worked while seeing it, for me, but not just to listen to. Of the three, rent is my favorite. JMO

[TNick926]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 9:37am

I've been saying lately that I feel HAMILTON is the best musical I have seen since A CHORUS LINE (in 1976)...I've loved many, many shows in between, but RENT was not one of them...Chorus Line won the Pulitzer, of course...now I'm curious to look up the list to see what else has won over the years, besides Next to Normal...

[HogansHero]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 9:41am

"Awards do not prove greatness."

To suggest that the Pulitzer does not signify greatness is culturally depraved. It is the artistic equivalent of being a climate change denier. 

You do not have to like something because it has won the Pulitzer, indeed you shouldn't, but to suggest what you do is both fundamentally flawed as to the principal point and preposterous as to that "worst" nonsense. 

[NJGUY]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 2:26pm

I agree that HAMILTON is the best musical since A CHORUS LINE.  Therefore it is the best musical I have ever seen, since I came in COLD without knowing the Hamilton score, unlike ACL where I had known all the music, prior to seeing it for the first time.  The former experience made more of an impact for me and the story is more dense. The only musical that could come close to either of those two is SWEENEY TODD IMHO.  And yes, RENT would not make it to my top 25 list of the 400+ musicals I have seen.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 2:42pm

There have been several musicals since Rent that would qualify as the "best since Rent". Ragtime, Caroline or Change, Light in the Piazza...

 

[uncageg]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 3:01pm

Jordan Catalano said: "There have been several musicals since Rent that would qualify as the "best since Rent". Ragtime, Caroline or Change, Light in the Piazza..."

Agree

 

[Pootie2]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 3:29pm

I'd rather say that Hamilton is the first/greatest (YMMV) musical since RENT to make solid inroads into national mass media and the public consciousness. At least I can't think of any other musical to have done that since RENT, at least to the extent that any of my friends might have heard of it.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 3:31pm

Well there's those other shows like WICKED and BOOK OF MORMON that have done that, as well. 

[artscallion]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 4:15pm

And The Producers.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 4:28pm

Exactly. To say that in 20 years, no other Broadway show has become known to "non theater-goers" is ridiculous.

[pupscotch]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 4:28pm

artscallion said: "And The Producers.

 

"

Yes, everyone seems to forget about this show. This show was selling out houses and winning every Tony, and though I get it wasn't the cultural masterpiece Hamilton and RENT were, it was still a huge hit.

Anyway, I don't think it's fair to say Hamilton is the greatest musical since RENT because it takes so much credit away from other fantastic musicals (Next to Normal, Light in the Piazza, Spring Awakening, Ragtime, Avenue Q, The Color Purple, etc.). 

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 5:19pm

I agree there have been better musicals than Rent in the past 20 years. There have also been shows like Wicked and Mormon that have entered public consciousness. However, I do think there is a link with Rent and Hamilton that hasn't been seen in 20 years. I think it's hard to put into words. It's a combination of the 'I haven't seen something like this on Broadway before' factor, the music that is unexpectedly appealing to theatre audiences, the emotions that it's bringing out in people, the passion of the fans, and the commercial and critical success. Let's not forget that the demand for Rent tickets was what introduced the lotto system that is now so popular with Hamilton fans. Lin himself has said that if it wasn't for Rent, he doesn't know if he would have ever become a composer. 

I guess I would say Hamilton is the most impactful musical since Rent, not to me in particular, but in general terms.

Updated On: 4/16/16 at 05:19 PM

[sarahb22]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 5:30pm

Hamilton is getting huge numbers of young people interested in theater. They're thinking creatively and getting inspired. When was the last time that happened because of a Broadway musical?

It's also getting them into American history, and teachers are thrilled about that.  Two years ago most kids couldn't even tell you who Hamilton was. Now they're reading the Federalist Papers VOLUNTARILY.  They can tell you about the Battle of Yorktown and why we have a two-party system.  That's huge.  Speaking as someone who was indifferent to American history until I saw 1776 on TV one summer, I think that's great.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 6:29pm

So from now on, Yitzhak should wear a Hamilton sweatshirt?

[Hamish3]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 6:32pm

delete

Updated On: 4/16/16 at 06:32 PM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/16/16 at 6:55pm

Updated On: 4/16/16 at 06:55 PM