'Hamilton' is Headed to the Grammy's: Music’s Biggest Night will Feature Broadway’s Biggest Musical

Mary Olsen ’17/ Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

Hamilton will perform at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. Photo Credit: The Grammys
Hamilton will perform at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards. Photo Credit: The Grammys
The musical theatre sensation that is Hamilton will finally cross over to TV with a live performance during the 58th annual Grammy Awards.  It was announced yesterday that the cast of Hamilton will live stream their opening number during the awards show. They will be performing on their stage at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City, but their performance will reach millions of homes across the country.  
For all those who have unsuccessfully tried to get a ticket or have accepted that a ticket is financially out of reach, the world of Hamilton will come to them.  Without having to make the trek to the Big Apple, the original cast of this Broadway phenomenon will be accessible to all those with a television.
Hamilton has already made history through astounding ticket sales, an incredible online presence, and a soundtrack that reached number one on the cast album Billboard chart and number 3 on the Billboard Rap chart.
Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Jasmine Cephas Jones in Hamilton. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus/Broadway.com
Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry and Jasmine Cephas Jones in Hamilton. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus/Broadway.com
Now the opening number of this show will be the first ever live stream from a Broadway stage.  The soundtrack itself (music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and produced by members of The Roots) is nominated for a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. The album was released on September 25 and was shortly after put on Spotify so people could enjoy it free of charge.  Miranda has frequently stated that he grew up listening to cast albums since he could not afford tickets to musicals on Broadway, so he wanted to release the album in order that the public could enjoy it since tickets are so hard to acquire.
Miranda’s desire to have public accessibility to the show also shows through the “Ham4Ham” performances for the lottery crowd outside of the Richard Rodgers Theater.  He coordinates the cast and special guests to perform for the crowd that awaits their chance to win $10 tickets to the hottest show on Broadway. All of these performances are released online, and the lottery itself has been moved to solely online due to the sheer volume of people who attend these “Ham4Ham”s as well as the dangers of the cold weather.  These performances and the social media presence of Miranda (along with the rest of the cast) have created a memorable experience for thousands of Hamilton fans even if they have not had the chance to actually see the show.
The Grammy nomination and the live stream performance of the song “Alexander Hamilton” for this show is a huge step in bringing musical theatre into pop culture.  Hamilton as a show has transcended Broadway and has become a household topic across the country.  Lin-Manuel Miranda has taken the story of the founding fathers and made a hip-hop theatrical event that just about everyone aspires to attend.  

Catch this historical performance at the Grammy Awards on CBS February 15th at 8 pm ET.

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