Happy 250th birthday to the United States of America! 250 years ago, you became independent from us Brits. We're the King George III in this relationship, and we know it.
Alexander Hamilton. You know the name, but you probably didn't before the musical debuted in 2016. On 3rd July 2020, as America protested the murder of George Floyd, and locked itself indoors simultaneously, Disney+ dropped something that made the world look again at the ten-dollar founding father, his story, and the country he helped build.
As the United States turns 250, it seems a good opportunity to tell the full story behind the Hamilton phenomenon; from Lin-Manuel Miranda reading Ron Chernow's biography on a Mexican holiday and realising that he was not throwing away his shot to adapt it, to the Broadway explosion that made tickets worth more than a month's rent; from the non-stop creative engine of a show that rewrote what musical theatre could be, to the $75 million Disney deal that brought it to homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What does it mean that a show about America's founding myths, performed by the people that founding excluded, has become the defining cultural text of the American anniversary. A history of immigrants controlling the narrative, to a modern America where immigrants are persecuted. Who lives, who dies, who tells your story? In 2026, that question has never been more important.
History has its eyes on you, America.
Support Verbal Diorama
Loved this episode? Here's how you can help:
⭐ Leave a 5-star review on your podcast app
💰 Join the Patreon for bonus content and early access
☕ Send a tip to support the show
📱 Share this episode with fellow film lovers
Get In Touch
I would love to hear your thoughts on Hamilton (2020)
About Verbal Diorama
Ear Worthy 2024 Best Movie Podcast Winner | Golden Lobes 2025 Earworm Award Nominee | Ear Worthy 2025 Best Movie Podcast Nominee | Golden Lobes 2025 Earworm Award Nominee
Verbal Diorama is hosted, produced, edited, researched, recorded and marketed by me, Em.
Theme Music: Verbal Diorama Theme Song
Music by Chloe Enticott - Compositions by Chloe
Lyrics by Chloe Enticott (and me!)
Production by Ellis Powell-Bevan of Ewenique Studio
Thank You to Our Patreon Supporters
Current Patrons: Simon, Laurel, Derek, Cat, Andy, Mike, Luke, Michael, Scott, Brendan, Ian, Lisa, Sam, Jack, Stuart, Nicholas, Zo, Kev, Danny, Stu, Brett, Xenos, Sean, Ryno, Philip, Adam, Elaine, Aaron and Steve.
Thank you for supporting Verbal Diorama.
Mentioned in this episode:
Please consider supporting this podcast on Patreon
Patreon
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy
OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy
