Disney Plus started advertising the release of the musical several weeks back. The buzz around the announced date was immediate and loud. Subscribers were able to watch the movie starting at midnight, July 3rd-right in time for Independence Day.
“Hamilton” has been on Broadway since 2015. The premise may have seemed ridiculous at the time to people so used to seeing more traditional Broadway storytelling. Here was a musical about a founding father with rap, hip hop, and R&B music, and a diverse cast representative of today, not 200 plus years ago. But what seemed unusual turned out to be a winning formula for such a drama-rich and important story. Many referred to the musical as “America then as told by Americans now.” The show received immediate critical acclaim and 11 Tony Awards in 2016.
The Musical is based on the 2004 biography, Alexander Hamilton,” by Ron Chernow. Lin-Manuel Miranada, who plays Hamilton, also wrote a book, the music, and the lyrics for the show. Many historians have long believed Hamilton’s achievements have been overlooked. A Founding Father, Hamilton was an American statesman, politician, legal scholar, military commander, lawyer, banker, and economist. He was an influential interpreter and promoter of the U.S. Constitution, as well as the founder of the financial system, the Federalist Party, the United States Coast Guard, and the New York Post newspaper. Unlike Jefferson or Washington, most Americans are only vaguely familiar with Hamilton’s contributions.
The musical dives headfirst into Hamilton’s character traits with Burr first questioning Hamilton: “Why do you write like you’re running out of time?” Burr tells young Hamilton, “Talk less, smile more.” These first moments with Hamilton and Burr demonstrate the famous qualities of the founding father: passionate, outspoken, and hard working. They also highlight the philosophical and personal differences between the two-leading to Hamilton’s untimely and dramatic death.
The production serves as a two-and-a-half-hour history lesson hidden in the most amazing musical performances Broadway has had in years. The cast included Leslie Odom Jr as Aaron Burr, Anthony Ramos playing the dual roles of John Laurens and Phillip Hamilton, Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton, and the creator of the musical, Lin-Manual Maranda, as Alexander Hamilton. Maranda is electrifying. Perhaps Maranda’s very own passion and endless energy attracted him to Hamilton’s story: a Founding Father that penned 51 of the 85 articles and essays in the Federalist Papers. These promoted the ratification of the constitution.
“Hamilton” was the topic of discussion over the Holiday Weekend. Social media was full of insight and accolades. There was, however, an interesting criticism that was tweeted about pertaining to Jonathon Groff’s performance of King George. During his first solo in the show, he spit quite visibly. It was running down the side of his face as he sang. Jokes and gifs spread on twitter, although no one suggested it took away from his brilliant performance. On the contrary, Groff stole the spotlight in every scene he had as the stuffy, sarcastic, and cruel King with a contagious smile and amazing voice.
As a college graduate and someone that reads often, I felt like I learned a lot about Hamilton that was never in my history books. I came away from watching the musical wanting to know more about this man that did so much for our Country yet was overshadowed by so many other Founding Fathers. More importantly, I came away with this idea that we all can identify in some way with Hamilton, an immigrant, an orphan, and an underdog. But just like the United States, Hamilton overcame all the obstacles through perseverance. Hamilton sings “I am not throwing away my shot, I am not throwing away my shot, Hey yo, I’m just like my country, I’m young, scrappy, and hungry, And I’m not throwing away my shot.”
Written by Michelle Haab
