Don’t throw away your shot!

The much-anticipated release of Hamilton on Disney+ arrived at midnight on July 3, 2020. The theatrical performance was recorded over three shows in June 2016 before the original principal cast started to leave the show.

Hamilton was scheduled for an October 2021 movie theatre release; however, the release was pushed up to streaming in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and the stay at home orders. Brook and Sherri watched the production on the morning of July 3rd and here are their thoughts:

Sherri:

As the credits rolled, my first thought was that there is no review to write, as anything I would say would be a review of the play itself. As a spoken word artist and a history major, I loved how Miranda played with history to bring forth this fantastic piece of art. I was compelled to research some of the people included in the show, which I hope others that watch this production will do.

RadicalMedia did a brilliant job capturing the production. The cameras were always in the midst of the action without feeling obtrusive. Though I have never seen this show live after watching this today, I believe I have. 

Brook:

Watching Hamilton made me reflect on previous attempts at live versions of musicals recently.

When they try and do a brand new cast, starring famous musicians or actors, it usually falters. Peter Pan, Rent, The Sound of Music, Jesus Christ Superstar; these live, television productions had questionable casting, crappy sound, and looked like an MTV Music Video Awards.

When they air the actual musical, however, often with the original cast? The performance is like being there, and it’s a resounding success; Cats (1998), The Sponge Bob Musical, and now Hamilton. I had only heard parts of the soundtrack, but seeing Miranda’s masterpiece showed just how powerful theater could be and how live-recordings should be done.

Like the original musical, which this is merely a recording of, Hamilton is an astounding, powerful experience that nobody should miss. Thanks to Disney+, many more people won’t have to and can enjoy the theater from home.

Not to mention the creative genius that is Lin-Manuel Miranda.

To paraphrase, don’t miss your shot to see Hamilton on Disney+. It’s well worth the $6.99 subscription price for one month.