In 2015, Hamilton opened on Broadway and took the modern world by storm. Young people all over the world listened to the musical and lines were long outside of the theatre. Critics seemed to agree with the fans as the show quickly became all anyone in the theatre world could talk about.
Hamilton swept the Tony Awards, receiving 11 titles including Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Performance by an Actor (Leslie Odom Jr.).
In July 2020, Disney+ added the show to be available to stream on demand—sparking the obsession once again.
Unlike so-called “bootlegs,” which are illegal filmings of Broadway shows from the audience that are often poor quality, Hamilton on Disney+ is filmed professionally. Back in 2016, when the show was at its most popular, the performance was filmed over a few days.
I am a lover of theatre and have been a Hamilton fan since 2016. While I have been lucky enough to see the show live, I got something new out of watching it digitally. The filming included wide shots and close-ups, so I was able to watch the expressions of the actors for the first time.
Backstory
In case you have been living under a rock—or block out anything to do with musical theatre—Hamilton is a musical about the man on the United States’ $10 bill.
Alexander Hamilton was the United States’ first treasury secretary and he was a close friend of George Washington during the Revolutionary War.
The first act of the show consists of the war and the second involves stakeholders trying to create the United States’ first government. Characters include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Eliza Schuyler, and Aaron Burr—who *spoiler alert* ultimately killed Hamilton.
Representation matters
The musical created such a stir because the music is not typical theatre music. Hamilton’s music consists mainly of rap with aspects of jazz, R&B, and some regular show tunes mixed in.
This is one of the things that makes the show so interesting. The story is about founding fathers, but presents them in a modern way.
Another reason why the show created such a stir is that the original Broadway cast was made almost entirely of people of colour.
As Broadway has been traditionally white, it is refreshing and groundbreaking to see a cast where actors are able to play whichever character they are best suited for without racial biases holding them back. Hamilton made a statement back in 2015, and it is still making one today.
The image of watching people of colour represent the white people who wrote the United States’ constitution is quite striking, especially during this time with the Black Lives Matter movement so prevalent in the media.
This was something I was aware of when I listened to the soundtrack, but didn’t appreciate fully. Now that I can see the actors’ faces, I can see why it created quite a stir when they were on stage.
Accessibility of streaming
The ability to stream Hamilton online raises the discussion of streaming and accessibility of theatre itself.
Prior to this, the only way to see theatre performed was to go and see the show or watch a movie—if there was even one made.
This leaves very few options to people that can’t travel to New York or London and don’t have the income to pay for a ticket, which ranges from $250 to $1,550 for a show when it is on tour.
A subscription to Disney+—$8.99 per month—is certainly less expensive than a trip to New York and a ticket to a Broadway musical. While some people may not be able to subscribe to Disney+ for long, there is always a free trial option so viewers can watch Hamilton at least once.
I believe that this is the right move for theatre going forward. There have been complaints for years that it needs to be more accessible and streaming could be the answer.
Hamilton is proof that there doesn’t need to be large scale, expensive movie productions. Simply filming a Broadway cast performing as they do eight times a week is enough for fans.
Highlights and lowlights
The biggest highlight of Hamilton for me was Leslie Odom Jr. who played Aaron Burr.
While I have always loved Burr’s character and songs, Odom brought Burr to life in an exciting way that I had never seen before. While other actors were good vocally, Odom looked like he felt the pain of Burr’s life. His expressions made it seem like he’s lived through all of this tragedy and it was very moving.
When his songs come on while listening to the soundtrack, I’m now even more excited by them than I used to be. Mostly because I can pretend that I’m as talented as he is by using as much expression as possible when I sing along.
Surprisingly, my biggest lowlight was the man who wrote the musical—Lin-Manuel Miranda.
While I could never take away his genius or musicality, which is displayed in the way that the show is written, his acting left me with a lot to be desired. He played Hamilton a lot more emotionally than I have seen him played in the past and I wasn’t a fan of it.
I cannot imagine that a man who fought for everything he had would cry as often as Miranda’s Hamilton does.
Final thoughts
Hamilton on Disney+ comes to the world at a fantastic time. The play brings up discussions of race, history, accessibility, and brings theatre to people when they cannot experience it due to lockdown.
With a combination of wide angles so you can see the choreography, and close ups to show the actors’ expressions, it is a unique experience for the viewer.
I hope this is the start of a new era for theatre. An era where roles are not decided by race, but are given based on talent—an era in which representation will not be a problem, shows contain a wide range of music, and where shows are more accessible for anyone to experience—no matter how much money they make.
Whatever happens, I know I’m excited to watch Hamilton again and sing at the top of my lungs.
Featured image provided by Disney Media Relations.
