One of the big entertainment stories of the year is Disney\u2019s massive $75 million purchase of worldwide rights to the video version of the stage musical \u201cHamilton.\u201d The show was released onto Disney Plus this month. Can broadcasters in other mediums learn lessons from Lin-Manuel Miranda\u2019s work? Absolutely!<\/p>\n

Disney paid a record amount for a single film work, and this is a filmed version of a stage production<\/em>! Truly a first. \u201cHamilton\u201d opened in New York in 2015 and has been an impossible ticket to get, has won 11 Tony Awards, one Pulitzer and has grossed $500 million to date. What could a radio or TV personality learn from a musical<\/u><\/em>? We offer a few lessons here.<\/p>\n

Our team has been doing TV and radio research for decades, including content analysis, so we have a natural curiosity in learning \u201cbest practices\u201d from the best in every medium. Radio and TV hosts need well-developed characters to fuel familiarity and audience engagement. We know that strong personalities fuel usage and audience loyalty to not only the talent but the brand<\/u> they are on.<\/p>\n

Here is what we love about Hamilton:<\/p>\n

The whole show was a risk and an innovation.<\/strong> Lin-Manuel Miranda showed how you can have nearly an entire cast of color, a score full of Hip Hop and R&B and a historical story about the life of an immigrant AND see the show become a massive, mainstream success.<\/p>\n

\u201cHamilton\u201d also bends the rules of Broadway\u2019s typical storytelling when it features a five and half minute song \u201cSatisfied,\u201d which is complex and slightly psychedelic rewind by Angelica Schuyler when she retells the events of the previous song in the show from her own perspective. The scene literally rewinds around her and the set spins backwards! \u00a0Check out a taste of it here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

If the pandemic does nothing else, it should give you the freedom to try new things and take risks, considering ideas or tactics that you never would have in previous years. It is quite liberating when you don’t think about what you’ll lose or what others will think…you simply consider what is possible and what could be gained.<\/p>\n

The character definition is done in multiple ways. One of the most significant is in the creation of unique melodies for characters.<\/strong> The songs sung by King George have a common melody throughout the play, so you can hear his singing and know who the character is.<\/p>\n

Miranda weaves similar lyrics throughout each character\u2019s performance. Hamilton frequently sings about taking \u201chis shot\u201d and not missing \u201chis shot,\u201d while at the end he ends up getting shot.<\/p>\n

Are your hosts revealing enough about themselves \u2013 either subtly or expressly \u2013 that builds character depth?<\/p>\n

The choreography is unique to each character. The show has what theater people call a \u201cmovement vocabulary\u201d<\/strong> that is designed to coincide with the character and the spoken vocabulary. Hamilton walks in straight lines, in the same way that his character talks straight and blunt. Hamilton\u2019s character has clear definition by sight and sound. King George has his own distinctive walk that took thought and work to put together, and accentuates his traits of being genteel yet creepy and scary.<\/p>\n

Here is actor Jonathan Groff demonstrating King George\u2019s Walk:\u00a0 https:\/\/youtu.be\/03IpD4QWPgQ<\/a><\/p>\n

Do you have a character guide or style guide for your hosts or station?<\/p>\n

There are \u201chooks\u201d throughout the show. <\/strong>King George\u2019s \u201cda da da da da\u201d is unforgettable. Hamilton always takes his \u2018shot\u2019 and the show weaves that theme throughout many of the scenes he is in. What \u201chooks\u201d do YOU include in your show to keep your audience coming back and thinking of you? How about a daily feature? These are the types of \u201cbrand pillars\u201d that are so important under a brand strategy.<\/p>\n

The two main characters are perfect foils for one another.<\/strong> Hamilton and Aaron Burr are perfect contrasts to one another. Hamilton works nonstop for what he wants, but Burr is willing to \u201cwait for it\u201d as he sings. Hamilton moves forward; Burr waits. Burr is cautious, Hamilton is reckless.<\/p>\n

When we research a TV or radio program in a content analysis or Focus Blog\u2122 study, we very often ask respondents to list out traits of each personality and the \u201cjob\u201d that the person has on the show. If we hear crickets when we ask the question, we know there is development work to do on the show. If the list is long, it is a sign that the show and the personality are well-developed.<\/p>\n

One great example of this is the third mic on a radio show we work with. He has a very distinctive laugh and it was a key differentiation point for him. That laugh fueled his familiarity early on in the show.<\/p>\n

One of the local TV news shows we work with has a 6pm host who had an uptight, stiff image and didn\u2019t have a lot of character depth. As a result, the goal was to get him out on the street more and get him involved more in community events to show his \u201creal and relatable\u201d side. He ditched the jacket, rolled up his sleeves and it made a difference. His likability increased in those scenes.<\/p>\n

Character development is a long-term, day-by-day grind, but it is so worthwhile. Challenge yourself to work on it with your team as part of a well thought-out, conscious plan. We can help; drop us a note.<\/p>\n

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One of the big entertainment stories of the year is Disney\u2019s massive $75 million purchase of worldwide rights to the video version of the stage musical \u201cHamilton.\u201d The show was released onto Disney Plus this month. Can broadcasters in other mediums learn lessons from Lin-Manuel Miranda\u2019s work? Absolutely! Disney paid a record amount for a single film […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56,59],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n