How Hamilton seamlessly blends the worlds of hip hop and theatre

Hamilton debuted on Broadway in January 2015 and since then, theatre and pop culture have not been the same. 

Creator Lin-Manual Miranda has become a rock star of sorts, gracing the covers of Rolling Stone and Time, and the hip-hop musical itself has become so popular that snatching a ticket is near-impossible. 

Our new theatre correspondent Weyni Mengesha talked to host Tom Power today to discuss the phenomenon that is Hamilton and just why it is such a game-changer.

"Given the political climate right now with some of the anti-immigrant rhetoric going around, it's just great to have the reminder that the country was built and defended by immigrants," Mengesha explains. (Miranda himself has been very vocally against presidential candidate Donald Trump this year.) "I really think people are really hungry for these stories."

She goes on to add that the success of this musical is positive for theatre in the long run, especially for creatives of colour. While many are led to believe playwrights of colour don't rake in the same revenue as their white counterparts, Mengesha points out, "Hamilton is a big example that it's not true."

WEB EXTRA | Watch the cast of Hamilton perform at the 70th annual Tony Awards.