Hamilton: An American Musical, simply known as Hamilton, is a musical with music, lyrics, and book by Lin-Manuel Miranda. It tells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, the show’s music draws heavily from hip hop, as well as R&B, pop, soul, and traditional-style show tunes; the show also casts non-white actors as the Founding Fathers and other historical figures. Through this use of modern storytelling methods, Hamilton has been described as being about “America then, as told by America now.”

From its first opening, Hamilton received critical acclaim. The show premiered at the Public Theater, Off-Broadway on February 17, 2015, where its engagement was sold out; it won eight Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical. It then transferred to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, opening on August 6, 2015, where it received uniformly positive reviews and strikingly high box office sales. At the 2016 Tony Awards, Hamilton received a record-setting 16 nominations, eventually winning 11 awards, including Best Musical. It received the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.