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Hamilton
A hip-hop musical about one of America’s more obscure Founding Fathers may not have been an obvious hit, but Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical project Hamilton has stormed Broadway and the West End – and also changed attitudes to racial casting, showing the way in the wake of #OscarsSoWhite. In 2016, one year after Hamilton opened, 14 of the available 40 Tony Award nominations for Broadway performances went to actors of colour, with seven going to Hamilton stars. Addressing themes of immigration, slavery, feminism and self-determination, Hamilton speaks to today just as much as it reflects on the past.
“It’s about inspiring, and it’s about seeing diversity on stage” – Jasmine Cephas Jones, original cast member