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In 1787, a bunch of rich white men spent their summer in unbearable heat, locked away in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, to write the US Constitution. They put blood, sweat, and tears into perfecting the document that would ensure the nation’s security for consequent centuries. Now unfortunately, you’re lucky if you can find an American who can list more than two amendments of the Bill of Rights, or who can even recite more than nine words of the Constitution. It’s an age where the “informed voter” bases his or her opinions on candidates from headlines of articles shared on social media and is more interested in how politicians are portrayed rather than their stances. Nowadays, a presidential election is more like an 18-month season of reality TV and we need to form a vote based on who we hate a little bit less. It seems we’ve lost the country our founding fathers spent four months slaving over 200 years ago. So why then is Hamilton the largest Broadway hit since the 1980s? And why does its fan-base extend so far past the typical theater-nerd demographic? As the entire world knows by now, Hamilton spans the decades of the American Revolution, founding of the country, and the beginning of the nation’s existence, centered on the doings of our first secretary of the treasury. History buffs would probably agree that Alexander Hamilton’s story needed to be popularized— Washington, Jefferson, Madison, and Adams have always been household names, but Hamilton died early and never held elected federal office, so mainstream history tends to overlook his contributions a bit. Now everyone knows exactly what Hamilton added to the making of America; thanks for that, Lin-Manuel Miranda. There is no doubt that the musical is one of the best the Great White Way has ever seen. The show has had a massive celebrity and social media following, as really only the elite can get tickets. The big celebrities, like Oprah, Beyoncé, Tom Hanks, etc., have seen Hamilton, the lesser mainstream Marc Jacobs, Mariska Hargitay, Mark Hoppus celebrities have seen Hamilton, the politicians, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Dick Cheney have seen Hamilton. The celebrity interest led to increased social media attention, which then allowed the show to gain popularity amongst audiences who aren’t typically “theater people.” But something about Hamilton itself has held that attention. The musical’s contemporary music has allowed the concept of musical theater to become more accessible, even to those who never had an interest before. As everyone who has listened to the soundtrack will support, Miranda’s lyrics and wordplay come from a place of astute thought and crafty planning. Stephanie Klemons’s choreography stands out from all else; the pieces of the story that the words don’t describe are carried on by the performers’ movements. And Paul Tazewell’s accurate and somewhat slight costume design paired with David Korins’s minimal set design allow for the audience’s undisturbed focus to be wholly on the performers. The performers are a story all their own, both the original cast and the current. With no exceptions, they display pure human talent. When so many shows today rely on digital effects or showy techniques, Hamilton lets its actors carry the show. They multitask, spitting out words while contorting in ways we mortals could never move, all with an air of ease. Hamilton serves as a reminder of what America stands for, beyond “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Hamilton was a self-made man and an immigrant, as so many Americans are. He climbed social ladders and got himself into the presidential cabinet, taking a leading role in the fight for our freedom on his way. Isn’t this the beauty of America? Anyone can be anything. The musical reminds us that the notion of America is a beautiful one. We see Laurens give his life for the country, Mulligan and Lafayette risk theirs, much like Enjolras and Marius in Les Miserables. The difference here is that in this case, Hamilton is a story of triumph and its war is over our freedom; Hamilton is personal. We see Washington putting the Constitution and future of the country ahead of all else, acting with no interest in personal gain. Hamilton shows us a bunch of young, inspirational men who risked everything and invested anything into giving us our country. Makes us want to take care of it better, doesn’t it? So maybe the real reason Hamilton has held the hearts of so many so quickly is because it’s helping us restore faith in America. It has helped awaken an interest in American history, American politics, and America itself. Regardless of political preference, most Americans would probably agree that there hasn’t been a strong, iconic leader to bring hope for our nation in a few decades. And if there isn’t an American leader to do that, the arts have to bring those feelings of hope and pride forward. We’re in an era of less-than-perfect politicians and role models. Hamilton is all we have.