HogansHero said: "CarlosAlberto said: "n all fairness After Eight does have a point. HAMILTON is hardly ground breaking in it's racial diversity. TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA also had a racially diverse cast, and this was back in 1971."
That misapprehends the significance of what is happening in Hamilton. It is not about color blind casting. (The Public, if no one else, has been doing that for its entire existence.). Hamilton is a show in which the characters are WRITTEN as diverse as a part of the show's dramaturgy. One could cite to other writing of that nature, but not along these lines.
I agree HogansHero.
I was under the impression that people were attributing the color blind casting in HAMILTON as groundbreaking, so when After Eight brought up TWO GENTS I had to agree that the color blind casting aspect of HAMILTON isn't ground breaking per se.
I do agree however that casting real, historical figures in this way is something out of the norm and on that level, yes HAMILTON is a game changer.
That HAMILTON is using hip hop in this context and exposing it to a Broadway audience, I feel is groundbreaking.
Yes, hip hop has been used before on Broadway but usually when it's appropriate to the story. IN THE HEIGHTS takes place in Washington Heights so hip hop music easily lends itself to that kind of a setting. HOLLER IF YA HEAR ME also takes place in the inner city and again, the music was appropriate.
That hip hop is being used in a show where a racially diverse cast is playing real, historical characters - - - some of this country's founding fathers, now that's what I find truly groundbreaking.