Ho Chi Minh City students recreate renowned musical of American founding father on stage

Earlier this week, a musical performance was staged at the Youth Theater of Ho Chi Minh City University of Theater and Cinema, bringing an artistic performance to an academic conference.

The show was part of an international conference marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, organized by Fulbright University Vietnam.

Students from various majors at Fulbright University Vietnam performed excerpts from Hamilton, the globally acclaimed musical that has captivated audiences worldwide.

Premiering in 2015, Hamilton was created by composer and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. It tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the key figures in the founding of the United States.

The musical stands out for its fusion of hip-hop and R&B with traditional musical theatre to bring historical events from centuries ago to life.

Rather than relying on classical music to tell a historical story, the production uses contemporary sounds to portray events ranging from wars and the formation of the government to financial policies and debates over the Constitution.

This approach also gives Vietnamese audiences an opportunity to experience a celebrated Broadway production while offering an alternative way of engaging with history beyond conventional classroom lessons.

It is also what makes Hamilton an interesting educational tool in a university setting.

History can be explored not only through reading and memorizing events, but also through music, theatre, and embodying historical figures. 

By bringing these characters to life on stage, students actively engage with historical knowledge and deepen their understanding of the past.

To bring the production to life, the students received guidance and support from experts and lecturers at Ho Chi Minh City University of Theater and Cinema, director Tony Tong, and the professional team at Honey Musical Vietnam.

The collaboration between students from diverse academic backgrounds and experienced performing arts professionals helped ensure a more structured and polished production. 

Interestingly, audiences do not need prior in-depth knowledge of American history to follow the musical.

Music and acting make the story more accessible, weaving historical details into the lyrics, debates and relationships between characters.

The performance was part of the conference's seventh session, which explored the adaptation of biography into musical theatre through Hamilton.

Eleven songs from Miranda's Hamilton were performed alongside 11 excerpts from American author Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton. 

The session also featured a closing discussion with Pham Thuan Hai Thao and Nguyen Thanh Thuong from the University of Theater and Cinema, Vu Minh Hoang from Fulbright University Vietnam, and director Tony Tong of Honey Musical Vietnam.

Hamilton's story on a university stage illustrates how history can become more engaging when students find a compelling way to spark their curiosity, with the arts serving as one such bridge.