Guest Blog: Brooke Bekoff and Sara Shmueli on Meme Me Inside

"There's a million things I haven't done, but just you wait."

We remember hearing these words for the first time almost two years ago when a friend recommended that we listen to the soundtrack for "the best musical on Broadway". These words, illustrative of Hamilton's journey from orphan immigrant to George Washington's most trusted advisor and creator of America's financial system, inspire us in every aspect of our lives.

Shortly after hearing these words, we created what has become Broadway's most popular Instagram meme account, Meme Me Inside. Over the past year and a half, our account has gathered a following of over 90,000 dedicated fans from all over the globe (including Chris Jackson and Mandy Gonzalez), and our memes have flourished into a merchandise store and business venture.

We use Hamilton's genius lyrics to create relatable and comedic memes. While we have moved past the days of duels in the 18th century, many of Hamilton's central themes translate to present day. Topics like immigration, high-profile extramarital affairs and ambition have been transcribed into hip-hop and serve as the perfect avenue through which we can create modern, comedic commentary.

We pull inspiration for our content from the world around us, whether it's trending images online or news articles that trigger fitting lyrics. However, our inspiration from Hamilton goes beyond its brilliant lyrics.

We also feed off Alexander Hamilton's tenacity and relentlessness. Much of Hamilton's success is rooted in pursuing what he believed in, and we have used this mentality to open doors and to grow our account.

When we first started Meme Me Inside, we never thought that we would have the ability to impact such a wide audience. The opportunity to reach thousands within seconds of posting empowers us everyday to continue to innovate and create. Our fans and their interests inspire new ideas, like our new holiday line for our online store.

We have also started collaborating with cast members from Hamilton for Instagram story takeovers. Cast members share a day in their lives and give a behind the scenes look into the productions of Hamilton across the globe.

As we have watched our business grow, we have also witnessed the growth of the musical itself. When we started our account, the only place to see Hamilton was Richard Rogers. Since then, Hamilton has grown to multiple cities across America and is now opening in London today.

As Hamilton crosses the pond, we are excited to see how its message will translate to a British audience. In fact, we know Hamilton's London production includes a few lyric adaptations to clarify American references.

From an American perspective, part of our amazement with Hamilton's story lies in the fact that it has been hiding in plain sight throughout our entire lives.

In the opening song, the cast sings, "America forgot him". When we learned about the history of the United States, Alexander Hamilton was mentioned as a footnote in the larger narrative of American "heroes" like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. This aspect of Hamilton is less likely to translate to a British audience.

However, aside from the chillingly brilliant lyrics, tear-worthy choreography, and genius rendition of an 18th-century story, the most incredible part of Hamilton is that it calls upon each and every person in the theatre to ask themselves, 'What am I doing with my life?'

A man so persistent that he came to America without a penny to his name, but created a banking system that stands today, is an inspiration to us all. From the US to the UK, we know this universal message will translate to any audience.

Both Lin-Manuel Miranda's fresh take on American history and our socially relevant memes present ways for the public to grapple with the past. History escapes the confines of the classroom and comes to life in new, accessible forms. We are excited to see what the future holds for both our account and for Hamilton. Just you wait!

Brooke Bekoff and Sara Shmueli are American university students from Boca Raton, Florida - in their third year at the University of North Carolina and Duke University, respectively.

Hamilton is now playing at London's Victoria Palace Theatre.

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