STRAIGHT OUTTA STEVENSTON
Scottish links to show about US founding father
As an 18th century American merican statesman, he may seem eem an unlikely subject matter for a hip hop musical. .
But Hamilton, the story off one of the US’s lesser known foundinging fathers, has taken Broadwayy by storm, with Michelle Obamaa calling it “the best piece of art in anyy form I have ever seen in my life”.
It opens in London’s West End thiss week and anyone luckyucky or wealthy enoughnough to get a tickett will be left in no doubt about Alexandernder Hamilton’s Scottish heritagetage within secondsds of the curtain rising.sing.
The openingng lines of the showhow reveal how thehe man who helpedped America win independencece from Britain was a “bastard, orphan,phan, son of a whorere and a Scotsman”.
US historian and author Michael E Newton said: “Hamilton lived a very dramatic life from his birth to fighting in the American Revolution to his death by a duel.
“I am not a Broadway person, so in that respect I’m surprised that any musical would have such a following and touch people so much.
“On the other hand, I’ve seen the musical, and it’s fantastic. I understand its success but it’s still surprising.”
Hamilton, whose face appearspp on the $10 bill, was the grandsondson of the laird of Grange in Stevenston, Ayrshire, also called Alexander.
His son James, fourth in line to the title, emigrated to the West Indies, where he met Frenchwoman Rachel Lavien, who was estranged from her husband.
They had two sons but never married. Alexander, born in 1755 on the island of Nevis, was just 10 years old when his father ran off and d 13 when his mother died from gastric fever.
He fought in the American an Revolutionary War and as an advisor to George Washington. gton.
After the war and Washington ngton being elected president in 1789, he became the first US Treasury easury secretary and created the financial system the country uses too this day.
Hamilton’s story is told in rap and hihip hop in the mmumusical by LiLin-in-Manuel MMiranda.ira Tickets for the production chachanged hands for as mmuch as $10,000. Newton,Ne author of AlexanderAlexa Hamilton: The FormativeFo Years, said:s “Hamilton was proudpro he descended from ScottishSco aristocracy but whetwhether that was becausebeca they were aristaristocrats of Scottish, oro both, is hard to determindetermine. “He also wrote to his cousins in Scotland and helped one who came to the United States. I would say he was proud of his Scottish ancestry but never explicitly wrote it.”
History professor Joanne Freeman has been studying Hamilton for over 40 years.
The Yale University professor of History and American Studies said: “Hamilton was very aware of his Scottish heritage.
“He belonged to the St Andrew’s Society here in America, for instance.
“Hamilton is an amazing piece of musical theatre and unlike anything I had ever seen before. There is a lot of drama to Hamilton.”