Review of Hamilton the film

Hamilton, the Tony award-winning musical, went from stage to screen on July 3, 2020, with a filmed recording of the live show released onto the popular streaming platform, Disney+. The musical took Broadway by storm in 2015 with sold-out houses for months. This summer, it quickly regained popularity with people talking about the release of the filmed original cast, including Lin Manuel Miranda, who wrote, composed, produced and starred as Alexander Hamilton. The filmed version of Hamilton has a run time of 2 hours 40 minutes; grab some popcorn because it will fill an evening.

Hamilton gained much of its popularity through it’s catchy and unique hip hop and rap songs about the founding father. The musical tells real history with a modern twist. Hamilton, An American Musical, follows the story of Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the Caribbean and “the ten-dollar, founding father.” The first act shows Hamilton’s involvement in the revolution, and the second depicts the challenges he faced in creating a new government. The cast’s diversity plays an essential role in the show because all of the principal actors are people of color, which is the exact opposite of their historical counterparts. Lin included this when making the show to point out that founding fathers are not always people to idolize. In an interview, Miranda described Hamilton as “America then, as told by America now.” By acknowledging the past and the issues with the founding fathers, the show manages to tell their stories without overly glorifying them. Instead of simply telling their story as heroes Miranda includes lines that point out the major problems characters had. For example, in the song “What Did I Miss,” Jefferson says, “Sally be a lamb, darlin’, won’tcha open it?” which brings attention to the relationship he had in his forties with his teenage slave.

Because of the show’s popularity, it became rather challenging to get tickets, and the prices went through the roof. Although many people saw the show live, on Broadway or on tour, millions more worldwide streamed the film on Disney+. This accessibility was incredibly crucial in spreading the magic of theatre to those who could not afford it and let people who prefer movies over live theatre enjoy the story.

For many theatre kids and theatre lovers, seeing Hamilton on Disney+ was incredibly exciting. There is a large group of extreme fans of the show, some of which had the opportunity to see it live, and others who had simply listened to the soundtrack hundreds of times. CHS junior Kathryn Davis has seen the show in person and on Disney+. She described her different experiences.

“Obviously, it is amazing to see the show in person and to be right there with the actors, but watching the film allows you to focus on the intricate details,” Davis said.

While Davis was able to focus on the details she missed, for others, such as junior Max Hagemeister, this was their first time seeing the show.

“After hearing the songs for years, it was interesting to put faces to the voices,” Hagemeister said. He may not have been a superfan, but he enjoyed finally seeing the show just as much.

Overall, Disney+’s Hamilton is a fantastic filmed version of the musical which has rightfully earned its popularity. If you have not seen the show yet, consider checking it out. The actors did a phenomenal job, and by seeing it on your screen, you can enjoy the fabulous performance from the comfort of your home.