Hamilton: Das Musical!

[zainmax]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 12:34am

It looks like Hamilton will be heading to Hamburg.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/marchershberg/2019/02/28/springtime-for-hamilton-as-hit-show-heads-to-hamburg/#38a659752228

I'm v curious to see how the rap translates into German! Aren't there multiple German words for each English word??

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 1:39am

If Wicked can't do well over there, that doesn't give me much hope for this. The story is so American (everyone here knows Washington, Jefferson, etc)...when the London production eventually closes, the NYC production will be going strong. There's no flashy spectacle, and it would be a nightmare with subtitles! But I guess the same could be said of Les Mis? 

Also, looking at German grosses, LMM's two Disney projects (Moana and Poppins) haven't done great biz compared to other recent blockbusters, so his name isn't necessarily the draw.

but this show has continued to surprise everyone, so who the heck knows??

[Fan123]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 2:40am

Possibly time to repurpose that #Ham4Ham hashtag.

I don't know if the American-ness of the story will be an issue? The show has, to some extent, become a topic of interest worldwide despite that. It will be interesting to see, anyway.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 3:47am

For the record, HAMILTON is a massive huge hit in London. You sort of insinuate that it isn’t as popular there as it is in the states and that’s not true at all.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 3:55am

I didn’t think Hamilton would be as popular in London and it seems to be doing just fine. I think American politics have become more of a hot topic around the world thanks in no small part to the current administration.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 9:45am

Aren't there multiple German words for each English word??

Not really.  They do have a lot of compound nouns and long words, but they've made German translations of English lyrics work for a very long time.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 10:12am

QueenAlice said: "For the record, HAMILTON is a massive huge hit in London. You sort of insinuate that it isn’t as popular there as it is in the states and that’s not true at all."

I worded it poorly –– I was implying that I don't think it will have the same staying power over there as it will here. (A reverse Billy Elliot, though Ham will probably do better there than Billy did here.) But that could still mean it runs 10 years in the UK.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 1:24pm

Something Peculiar, I think you misread the article. You said Wicked wasn’t successful in Germany, when in fact it ran for years. The article was said it was successful, just not for the same reason as it is in the US. In the US wicked is mostly a success due to its relationship with the wizard of oz. in Germany it was a success for different reasons. I believe that’s what the article is predicting will happen with Hamilton.

[Princeton2]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 1:31pm

QueenAlice said: "For the record, HAMILTON is a massive huge hit in London. You sort of insinuate that it isn’t as popular there as it is in the states and that’s not true at all. "

 

That's not quite true. Yes Hamilton is a big hit in London, but you can't compare it to the phenomenon it is in America. it hasn't punctured the wider UK conscious like it has in the states. I think its pretty accurate to say London would close before Broadway 

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 1:43pm

As I'm surprised as I am at the success it has in London, I guess it shouldn't be. The U.S. and England do have some shared history and the a major focus of Hamilton is the American Revolutionary War fighting against the British and seeking independence from them, so it's not like the Brits aren't involved in the story in some capacity. I thought they'd be offended by the King George depiction, but I guess they're ok with it as they make fun of their own monarchs and political figures all the time and have done so historically (at least since the Georgian era). 

I don't think it'd be that big in Germany. Maybe if instead of rap Hamilton had music you'd hear at their discotheques maybe.

Updated On: 3/1/19 at 01:43 PM

[Janaenae]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 1:55pm

The British have a very self-deprecating sense of humor- they don't take themselves to seriously, unlike many Americans I suppose. But moreover I don't think it's fair to credit our brief shared history 200 years ago (which most British students don't even really study in any grand detail) with the show's success. It might have a small impact, but when looking at reviews and responses from audiences that's not what I get. It's the story, the way it's told, the classic 'underdog' narrative, the dance and movement, the lyrics that tends to charm overseas audience with few stakes in historical importance. As a result, I think these will the factors that decide whether or not it will be a hit in Hamburg. I think certainly it will have buzz going in, after all the show is fairly well-known. 

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 1:56pm

I think there may also be enough relationship drama between Hamilton, Eliza and Angelica and the love/hate friendship between Hamilton and Burr, outside of the Revolutionary War aspects of the story, to potentially keep audiences interested who aren't as familiar with U.S. history. It may work in the same way the article describes Wicked appealing to German audiences but for different reasons than it does here.

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 1:57pm

Jorge, you're right, my apologies! Perhaps I was half-asleep..... :)

[zainmax]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 7:04pm

SomethingPeculiar said: "IfWickedcan't do well over there, that doesn't give me much hope for this.The story is so American (everyone here knows Washington, Jefferson, etc)...when the London production eventually closes, the NYC production will be going strong.There's no flashy spectacle, and it would be a nightmare with subtitles! But I guess the same could be said ofLes Mis?

Also, looking at Germangrosses,LMM's two Disney projects (MoanaandPoppins) haven't done great biz compared to other recent blockbusters, so his name isn't necessarily the draw.

but this show has continued to surprise everyone, so who the heck knows??"

Those other LMM projects weren't as good as Hamilton, and I guess that they aren't drawn to his name until they see his best work.

[zainmax]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 7:04pm

ScottyDoesn'tKnow2 said: "As I'm surprised as I am at the success it has in London, I guess it shouldn't be. The U.S. and England do have some shared history and the a major focus ofHamiltonis the American Revolutionary War fighting against the British and seeking independence from them, so it's not like the Brits aren't involved in the story in some capacity. I thought they'd be offended by the King George depiction, but I guess they're ok with it as they make fun of their own monarchs and political figures all the time and have done so historically (at least since the Georgian era).

I don't think it'd be that big in Germany. Maybe if instead of rap Hamilton had music you'd hear at their discotheques maybe."

I thought the same thing!

[zainmax]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 7:05pm

Janaenae said: "The British have a very self-deprecating sense of humor- they don't take themselves to seriously, unlike many Americans I suppose. But moreover I don't think it's fair to credit our brief shared history 200 years ago (which most British students don't even really study in any grand detail) with the show's success. It might have a small impact, but when looking at reviews and responses from audiences that's not what I get. It's the story, the way it's told, the classic 'underdog' narrative, the dance and movement, the lyrics that tends to charm overseas audience with few stakes in historical importance. As a result, I think these will the factors that decide whether or not it will be a hit in Hamburg. I think certainly it will have buzz going in, after all the show is fairly well-known."

I think a lot of this will rise and fall on the success of the translations. How well can it be done?

[zainmax]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 7:05pm

Princeton2 said: "QueenAlice said: "For the record, HAMILTON is a massive huge hit in London. You sort of insinuate that it isn’t as popular there as it is in the states and that’s not true at all. "



That's not quite true. Yes Hamilton is a big hit in London, but you can't compare it to the phenomenon it is in America. it hasn't punctured the wider UK conscious like it has in the states. I think its pretty accurate to say London would close before Broadway"

London is probably cheaper to run, for what it's worth.

[zainmax]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 7:06pm

I also think that an issue will be on how big rap is in Germany. Would the Germans like the music?

The article says that Wicked sold because of the visual spectacle and people sort of missed the story. Same with Tarzan. Hamilton is really all story/music/staging.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 8:50pm

Germany has a thriving hip hop scene that's been gaining popularity since the early 90s. And their musical theater doesn't sound like what you'd hear in the clubs.

[Impossible2]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 9:01pm

Who goes to see Hamilton because it's about American politics ffs?

It's no different to any other successful show.

You think people who go to see Wicked are interested in witchcraft? Or only people interested in food go and see Waitress?

They go because it's a great show not because of the subject matter.

Updated On: 3/1/19 at 09:01 PM

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/1/19 at 9:11pm

I think the concern has to do with the general interest that will drive ticket sales. Will it be relatable enough to foreign audiences? As insanely popular Elisabeth has been in Europe and Asia, it's never been seen on Broadway or the West End because of the fear that audiences wouldn't be familiar with the historical subjects and it would be an uphill battle, which is a legitimate concern. But you never know what will hit or miss in foreign countries. Hair has been consistently successful in Germany and across Europe, but so has Starlight Express, which flopped on Broadway. I'll be in Berlin in a little over a week to see Tanz der Vampire again, but Broadway producers decided they could improve on it and it was an embarrassment. We'll see what happens.