| Description |
Many media commentators often remark that today's political climate is unhealthy and divisive. They speak of better days when people used to sit down in the same room, listen to each other, and find common ground. I believe that art, in the form of ‘music theater,' can achieve this goal. I note that John Adams's opera Nixon in China and Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton: An American Musical are two works that tackle mythic, historical, and politicized people and events in America. The composers provide their own views of Richard Nixon and Alexander Hamilton, and they invite the audience to observe. I compare Adams's and Miranda's portrayals of their characters, their musical styles, and the backgrounds and sizes of their audiences. Adams attempts to depoliticize Nixon and portray him as a typical opera protagonist, whereas Miranda writes Hamilton as a great American immigrant hero. I then track audience reception of both works from inception to the present-day. |
