Hamilton (Hamilton?)

Like just about everyone in Murrka, I am aware that a recent and successful Broadway musical is based upon the life of Alexander Hamilton. I have no idea how well-known the musical is outside of Murrka. I don't know how well Broadway musicals in general travel, and I don't know whether this one's specifically American content might hinder the international spread of its fame.

I've known for a while that the music, lyrics and book of Hamilton were all written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also sang-rapped-played the title role in the original Broadway cast, making him the biggest big deal im American theatre, in, oh, I don't know, maybe ever? But at the least, one of the biggest deals since Cole Porter and George Gershwin and Noel Coward were kicking ass and taking names.

I don't know what to think of Hamilton. It's gotten huge rave reviews, and it's gotten some savagely terrible reviews, but the latter may be from people who don't like musical theatre, period, so I 'm not sure how much they count. I've heard some of the music from the show and it hasn't set my teeth on edge like RENT. I'm not completely crazy about it either, but then I'm not completely crazy about musical theatre. I'm not a hater, either, though.

Just recently, I learned that Hamilton is based on a biography of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernov. The exact term is: the play was "inspired" by Chernov's book. In addition, Chernov worked on the play as an historical consultant.

I was already familiar with Chernov via his books The House of Morgan, about JP Morgan Sr and Jr and their family, and Titan, a biography of John D Rockefeller. And I already didn't really know what to think of Chernov. He's a talented writer, but a bit more enthusiastic about capitalism than I am. Learning of Chernov's connection to The Greatest Broadway Smash of All Time has just deepened my confusion about him, and about Hamilton, and about Miranda.

I was surprised when I heard that Hamilton was being portrayed in this play as a hero of democracy. I had always thought he was more aristocratically-inclined than some of the other founders of the United States. I was surprised to learned that Chernov's book and Miranda's play portray Hamilton as a staunch and consistent opponent of slavery. I had never thought of Hamilton as the most anti-slavery of the founders of the US. I had never had the impression that he was even more anti-slavery than average among that group.

Ishmael Reed is somebody I had heard of and read and admired long before I ever heard of Chernov or Miranda.

I knew some of his brilliant poems. And after I learned about the Chernov-Miranda connection, I googled Hamilton Chernov, and found out that Reed is probably the most prominent critic of the play Hamilton, and a committed critic: He's written a play entitled The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda. According to Ishmael Reed, Alexander Hamilton owned slaves, and Chernov and Miranda have been whitewashing his biography. I haven't seen or read Reed's play yet. I read an interview in which Reed says that he doesn't blame Miranda as much as he blames Chernov, whom he describes as biographer who deifies monstrous rulers.

Did Hamilton own slaves? Chernov and Miranda say no, Reed says yes. Was Hamilton a champion of freedom? Chernov and Miranda say yes, Reed says no. Of course, many, many times more people have heard Chernov and Miranda's side of the story than have heard Reed's. I don't know what to think yet about Alexander Hamilton, or Chernov, or Miranda -- that's all awaiting further research -- but I do think it's a shame that a genius like Reed has trouble getting a play produced. And when Reed says somebody's got their history wrong, I take it seriously.