Hamilton: The Revolution Audiobook

A backstage pass to the groundbreaking, hit musical Hamilton, winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Eleven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, including the award-winning libretto, behind-the-scenes photos and interviews, and exclusive footnotes from composer-lyricist-star Lin-Manuel Miranda, now streaming on Disney+ with the original cast.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims our country's origins for a diverse new generation.

Hamilton: The Revolution gives readers an unprecedented view of both revolutions, from the only two writers able to provide it. Miranda, along with Jeremy McCarter, a cultural critic and theater artist who was involved in the project from its earliest stages -- "since before this was even a show," according to Miranda -- traces its development from an improbable performance at the White House to its landmark opening night on Broadway six years later. In addition, Miranda has written more than 200 funny, revealing footnotes for his award-winning libretto, the full text of which is published here.

Their account features photos by the renowned Frank Ockenfels and veteran Broadway photographer, Joan Marcus; exclusive looks at notebooks and emails; interviews with Questlove, Stephen Sondheim, leading political commentators, and more than 50 people involved with the production; and multiple appearances by President Obama himself. The book does more than tell the surprising story of how a Broadway musical became a national phenomenon: It demonstrates that America has always been renewed by the brash upstarts and brilliant outsiders, the men and women who don't throw away their shot.

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“Traces[s] the origins and progress of the show from loose ‘mixtape’ to Broadway production and cultural phenomenon. A deep dive into the world of conceiving, staging, and performing a live theater event…Audiobook listeners will want to keep the cast album close as the narrative touches on the history and evolution of individual songs, as well as gives background on the creative team both behind the scenes and on the stage. The audio edition includes the full libretto with annotations by Miranda in addition to color photographs and other bonus material. The bulk of the narration is earnestly performed by Mariska Hargitay, with McCarter reading his introduction and Miranda reading (and sometimes singing) his own annotations. Verdict: A must-have for Hamilton superfans and all public libraries.”

— Library Journal (starred audio review)