It’s been almost a year since the release of the musical concept album, “Warriors”, and yet it still hasn’t reached nearly the amount of notoriety as other musical projects like “In the Heights” and “Hamilton”.

The comparison to those two projects in particular is because both of them were created by the one and only Lin-Manuel Miranda, and “Warriors” is a collaborative project led by Miranda and Eisa Davis released on Oct. 18, 2024, adapting the 1979 movie “The Warriors”. It features names like Lauryn Hill, Marc Anthony and Busta Rhymes, along with James Remar and David Patrick Kelly from the cast of the 1979 film.

Despite its cast of stars and the prestige of its creators, it still remains underappreciated, even in the theatre space, even though it’s just as good as Miranda’s other works with the characters, the experimentation of different genres in musical theatre and the clever lyrics.

The musical is good at making the audience connect with the characters. For example, the character Ajax bickers about using “x” in names with the rest of the Warriors when talking about the Bronx, and it’s a fun moment that shows the chemistry between her and the rest of the characters. At the same time, though, she hates how much she and the Warriors have to run away, a struggle that invests the audience in her character.

Miranda and Davis used their collaboration with stars to bring multiple different genres to life in one album, from an inspiring speech turned to R&B, a boy band KPop ballad, a metal villain song and so much more. Even if it makes the musical an acquired taste for musical theatre fans, it’s great at showcasing the diversity of New York, and is an excellent show of creative expression from Miranda and Davis.

The lyrics are great within the story, which is Miranda’s specialty. For example, in the character Luther’s song “Going Down”, he sings, “Some kids build with blocks. More fun to knock them over.” It’s a fun rhyme, but it has an unusual composition, as the actual rhyme itself comes before the end of the line, highlighting Luther’s chaotic personality. The line itself also highlights how Luther acts more like a childish bully than a gang leader.

“Warriors” is underrated, plain and simple. Those who can appreciate the blending of genres will get an amazing story with investing characters and excellent music.