Hamilton: An American Musical has been a huge success since it hit Broadway in 2015. Portraying historical moments and telling the stories of major players in US history through hip hop was a stroke of genius on the part of composer, song writer and performer Lin-Manuel Miranda. Not only is it an inspired way to get the story across, but the appeal to an audience that wouldn’t necessarily be interested in musicals or history is undeniable. 

I had the opportunity to see Hamilton over the weekend. I’d already listened to the soundtrack, so I knew what to expect as far as the music. But it really does make a difference to see the full performance – there’s an energy that you only feel seeing the performers singing and dancing and acting in front of you. The singing was fantastic, as you would expect from a touring Broadway show, but the level of skill of the performers who rapped was impressive.

The story is ostensibly about Alexander Hamilton, his rise to fame and what he did for America as it was coming into its own. But midway through the production you realize that this is not actually his story. The Hamilton truly at the heart of the story is his wife, Eliza – she is the hero of the plot. She may not have been involved in forming the government, but it is because of her that we know so much about those times now. She was involved in Alexander’s writing of The Federalist Papers and, after his death, ensured he was credited as author of George Washington’s Farewell Address. She organized all of her husband’s papers and petitioned Congress to get them published. She was also co-founder of the first orphanage in New York and, in her nineties, she helped Dolley Madison raise the necessary funds for the construction of the Washington Monument.

By the end of the musical, this is a celebration of an unsung hero, the woman behind the man – and it’s incredibly refreshing to witness such recognition. Sure, a lot of people will still come out of a performance and see it as the story of Alexander Hamilton. But even if they don’t realize the subtle switch of protagonist, they know Eliza Hamilton’s name and her important place in history.