'I am not throwing away my shot': Hamilton memes for all theater kids who are also history nerds

Giuliana Tiscioni • Writer

Sep 4, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

This is the moment you've been waiting for!

For all Theater kids, discovering Hamilton was a one-way ticket to obsession. For all history nerds, it was one of the most wonderful and bizarre experiences ever. Who would have thought that one could write an entire musical play about some lawyer from the 1800s and have all the characters singing rap music? So far, Lin-Manuel Miranda has been the only one.

It seems that part of its success is due to its originality. Hamilton is one of a kind. Most musicals set in the past feature a more operatic style of music, and rapping is rarely found in musical theater at all, even in more modern plays. The contrast of having a story set in the past and the characters singing a modern genre of music makes it really eye-catching and memorable. It's one of those things that leave you totally confused and amazed the first time you watch it. It's like: "What did I just see, and why did I love it so much?"

Other than that, the story is interesting enough by itself. What do you mean by saying that a poor kid with no family ended up being one of the most important people in the country? What do you mean by the fact that he had an affair that nearly ended his career? What was that about being married to a wonderful woman, but he was still hanging up on her sister? The drama, the tea! It never ends, and we're totally here for it. If it were set in modern times, his face would be all over the tabloids. He would never escape the paparazzi again.

We all became loyal fans after one watch. And after all the hundreds of rewatches, we learned the whole thing by heart. Seriously, just press play on a karaoke version, and we'll sing the entire musical with no breaks in the middle and no sips of water. If you don't believe it, just watch. Or if you prefer, just watch this ensemble of musical memes to laugh at our own Hamilton obsession.