How a Blockbuster Musical is Restaging America’s Past

In the Past Lane The History Podcast
Edward T. O’Donnell

Each week at In the Past Lane, the American history podcast, host and Historian-at-Large, Edward T. O’Donnell, brings you news, stories, interviews, and special features on all things U.S. history. His aim is to be both engaging and thought-provoking, inspired by the notion that history explains the world we live in and provides insights into how to achieve a more prosperous, peaceful, and just future. So come along with us as we journey In the Past Lane.

Episode Seventy-One –

This week at In the Past Lane, the history podcast, I speak to two historians about their new book on Hamilton: The Musical. Claire Bond Potter and Renee Romano’s book, Historians on Hamilton: How a Blockbuster Musical is Restaging America’s Past, features 15 essays by historians that examine many aspects of the Broadway sensation. For example, historian Joanne Freeman – some of you know her from the Backstory podcast – has written an essay, “Can We Get Back to Politics? Please? Hamilton’s Missing Politics in Hamilton.” Patricia Herrera’s essay is titled, “Reckoning with America’s Racial Past, Present, and Future in Hamilton.” Jim Cullen’s essay, “Mind the Gap: Teaching Hamilton,” focuses on the challenges and opportunities of using Hamilton in the classroom. Twelve additional essays, including one each by Claire Potter and Renee Romano, examine the blockbuster musical from many angles, including gender, social media, and the business of Broadway.