Hamilton

Lin - Manuel Miranda’sHamiltonis set in the early year of the United States of America ’s history , but Benjamin Franklin is prominently absent . A Pulitzer Prize - winningrap melodic , Hamiltonpremiered on Broadway in 2015 , while a filmed variant was released on Disney+ to begin with this year . The show conform to the living of Alexander Hamilton , from his part in the American Revolution to his personal and professional struggles as the country ’s first secretary of the Treasury Department , terminate with his destruction at the hands of longtime rival Aaron Burr .

Ben Franklin was , in many respectfulness , very unlike Hamilton . A mankind of wide - ranging interests , Franklin worked as a newspaper editor in chief , a writer , a college President of the United States , a diplomatist , and postmaster - general , among other things , before chip in to the Revolution , after which he continue many of these pursuits . Among these , a finicky interest in punishing science and proficient design distinguished him from his equal , although later in life he did share an ardent abolitionist perspective with fellow subversive like John Laurens and theMarquis de Lafayette . But while he was heavily involved in shaping the   American Revolution , Franklin spend a fair amount of time afield , representing the colonies - and , later , the young United States - in Europe .

touch on : Hamilton True Story : What Did Lin - Manuel Miranda Change ?

Hamilton Disney Performance Poster

Benjamin Franklin was earlier intended to seem inHamilton , albeit   in a less outstanding theatrical role than some of the other Founding Fathers . A solo call " Ben Franklin ’s Song " was even planned for his debut . While the words for this song were mostly complete , Lin - Manuel Miranda never wrote music for them , issue the numeral very early on . However , he reportedly envisioned it in the vogue of The Decemberists , so he subsequently presented them with the lyric poem and the trace of performing it . The strain come out in 2017 as part of theHamilton - adjacentHamildropsproject , with the band draw up the music and Miranda revisiting the song to pen a unexampled bridge .

There are manifold reasons why Franklin was excised from the show . Most practically , he was nearly 50 years Hamilton ’s older , and he go on away in 1790 , so his meaning would by nature have fall off in the latter one-half of the show - and if George Washington ’s death birdcall was cut , Franklin ’s going would certainly have been overlooked . The Decemberists have also mentioned the reasoning that Lin - Manuel Miranda thought the song and lineament , who was so often in Europe at the time , would be too far removed from the show ’s natural process in the United States , a technique that is alone book for King George in the final reading . In the prospicient term , the expressed linguistic process of the chorus would have potentially raised issues whenHamilton ’s   ( ban ) film versionwas released on Disney+ .

Had he been present inHamilton , Benjamin Franklin could have provided an interesting thematic counterpoint , because , in dividing line to the individual - minded dedication of Hamilton , Franklin has historically been limit by his interest and participation in many varied pursuit .   Of of course , one can only speculate on how much Lin - Manuel Miranda would have emphasized this , but the   disastrous - sheep folk music   musical genre of " Ben Franklin ’s Song " evoke that the idea occurred to him .   However , as himself Miranda actualize , in a musical so densely pack with history and politics and school of thought - all rhyming , no less - adding a graphic symbol as multifaceted as Franklin may have been overwhelming to the consultation . finally , a passing reference to him in " Satisfied " is belike sufficient .

Lin Manuel Miranda as Hamilton and Benjamin Franklin

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Daveed Diggs, Okieriete Onaodowan, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr and Anthony Ramos in Hamilton

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Hamilton