Hamilton is one of the hottest tickets in the musical world. You can see the story of the founding father, Alexander Hamilton. Unfortunately, it’s not the best show.
Why is Hamilton bad? What are the factors that make this show less appealing to an audience? Is it awful, or do people hate it to hate something they don’t get?
Why Hamilton Is Bad?
1. It’s Inaccurate
Hamilton is a gorgeous depiction of American history, complete with dancing and rapping. Unfortunately, not all the information in the show is accurate.
Alexander Hamilton appears as more of a hero than he was. There are also inaccurate depictions of many of the founding fathers and the actions they took.
Slavery is one of the places where the real people vary wildly from the musical. While many founding fathers opposed it, many were owners themselves.
This choice has made many mad over the years. It’s like erasing a critical aspect of the founding fathers, which erases the lives of enslaved people back in the day.
2. Lin Manuel-Miranda’s Acting
Lin Manuel-Miranda is the creator of Hamilton. He’s an excellent writer, but not a great singer or dancer. He chose to star in the original show, which was recorded for Disney Plus.
It hurts to listen to Lin Manuel-Miranda as he sings. It’s not that he can’t sing, but other choices might have been better in the original casting.
The cast chose to include Lin Manuel-Miranda on the original cast recording for Hamilton. Unfortunately, his sub-par performance lives forever in Hamilton’s history.
3. Minimal Speaking
There isn’t much speaking in Hamilton. There are a few lines here and there, but most songs transition into another number. People who like spoken words will hate the production.
Some people don’t like singing and need a talking break before the next song. In that case, Hamilton is awful because it lacks that break for consumers to enjoy.
The singing is excellent. However, it can be trickier to understand than the spoken word. Singing is also trickier for emotion, especially if the musical works with rap for most parts.
Hamilton manages to pull it off in an understandable manner to most audiences. However, it’s not as effective in many cases as talking. Hamilton lacks that aspect.
4. Odd Music Combinations
There are several types of music in Hamilton. Most of it is rap, but there are also ballads and songs more in the style of traditional British pop. It can be a wonky combination to hear.
For some, the combination provides something unique in the musical arena. For others, it’s a chaotic grouping that takes the viewer out of the story as they focus on songs.
With a little more work, the music could have been worked to fit together better. However, as it stands, the multiple combinations are jarring to the human ear.
5. Rap
Rap in a musical is a strange thing to hear. People go to musicals to hear good singers belt gorgeous notes, and Hamilton is the opposite. It can make the musical bad.
It’s unique to listen to rap in a musical, but it doesn’t necessarily work in Hamilton. It’s tricky for live performers to perfect the fast-paced lyrics as they move across the stage in character.
Rap can work to convey emotions, but there are parts in Hamilton where it may have been better to sing. The rap contrasts with the moments in the show meant to pack a punch.
6. It’s Expensive
Hamilton is one of the most popular shows in the musical world today, but that comes at a cost. You will spend a ton of money on tickets for a single performance.
You can expect to pay as much as $100 for a seat in the back of the theater. The closer options range closer to $1,000 if you land on one of the most popular seats.
Hamilton doesn’t seem as good when you pay a fortune to sit in a seat for two hours. It’s overpriced, and most of the general public can’t afford it.
There is a Hamilton lottery. However, quality productions should be available for all to see at a minimal charge. Hamilton is unaffordable.
7. Boring Set
The set never changes in Hamilton. Everything takes place on one central stage, surrounded by railings and props that shift throughout the show.
The coolest part about the set is the rotating platform in the middle. However, this piece isn’t new. Plenty of musicals took advantage of the rotating platform before this one.
There is something unique about a set that barely changes, but people like a spectacle. Hamilton lacks in the performing area it offers to those actions onstage.
8. Confusing Characters
The characters are confusing in Hamilton. For some reason, they decided to cast characters in multiple parts. It’s tricky to keep up with the transitions in the musical in characters.
The switch happens after the first act. For many audience members, it can take well through the second act to understand that the same actors have turned into different people.
Hamilton should have taken more time to clarify the switch in characters. It would allow even the slowest of audience members to keep up and enjoy the story unfurling before their eyes.
9. Bad Performance
Hamilton might be good or bad based on the performance you attend. Some actors are better than others. It’s normal for an actor to have a bad show every once in a while.
Unfortunately, bad performances can ruin a musical experience. A bad performance in Hamilton can mess up the rest of the show for everyone involved in the cast.
Every character needs to stay on top of their cues in Hamilton. If one falls behind, the pace of the scene is off. Everything snowballs from that point into a mess that can’t be made up.
10. Difference In Taste
Hamilton is awful depending on who you talk to in the world. Some people might hate it when they see it, while others fall in love with the show. It depends on you and your preferences.
People who love traditional musicals will not like Hamilton. Those on the hunt for a historically accurate telling of Hamilton’s life may not enjoy it as much as others.
11. Odd Costumes
The costumes actors wear in Hamilton are odd. They look like traditional American revolution garb, but they are simplified. It makes the actors look bland on the stage.
The plain garb of the dancers works to make the fancier clothes of the main characters stand out. However, it often makes the background actors blend in and not in a good way.
A little color may have gone well with the Hamilton costumes. Between the set and the current attire, there are a lot of awful colors on the stage.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on why jazz music is so good, why music is so bad now, and why musicians smash their instruments.
Conclusion
Some people like Hamilton, but many think it is a low-quality production. The story isn’t historically accurate, it has odd music combinations, and shows are expensive.
Whether you like Hamilton or hate the show, it’s tricky to dispute that it is one of the most popular shows of all time. Even if it’s awful, there are reasons for its success.