Musicals! The combination of convincing acting, moving singing, an interesting plot and great music has been a Broadway staple so much so that both terms have become synonyms. Come join us this week to chat about this exceptional way to entertain ourselves while practicing English.
Hamilton is the first musical that I like, and it has made me a musical fan. Granted, Hamilton is a little different from other Broadway musicals. It has a solid political plot, based on Alexander Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the United States. Its cast is multiethnic, representing different groups of recent immigrants; for example the playwright and composer, Lin-Manuel Miranda, is of Puerto Rican ancestry, and he insists on casting non-white actors. Moreover, the musical score is a mix of hip hop, R&B, britpop and typical broadway larger-than-life sing-along songs. It’s revolutionary in a field full of classics, cannons and standards.
Hamilton has been an enormous commercial and critical success, and although I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing it in a theater, I have listened to the Original Broadway Cast Recording and it won me over. If you haven’t heard it you should try this or this or this very early version of the project. Did you like it? Do you like musicals? Do you have a favorite Musical (theatre or film)? Do you know any song taken from a Musical? Come next Wednesday to the Conversation Club and let’s have a chat about it.