By Aja Jane Lipkin
Hamilton is one of the most loved and unique musicals of all time. Written by Lin Manuel Miranda, it tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, an American founding father. According to businessinsider.com, “Playwright [Lin Manuel] Miranda saw it right away after reading Ron Chernow’s Alexander Hamilton. The biography inspired Miranda to create the hip-hop musical, Hamilton!”
Miranda stars as Alexander Hamilton alongside fellow thespian, Daveed Diggs, who plays Marquis de Lafayette. One of the big reasons that everyone loves Hamilton is that it combines historical facts and hip-hop music. It’s even been recorded that Diggs’ raps match up with the speed of Eminem’s raps. Wicked!
Last summer, as the coronavirus pandemic worsened, theaters in Manhattan started to shut down. This left the casts of musicals with limited options to showcase their performances. But Disney+ agreed to record the entire Hamilton play. Now, children and families from all over the world can watch not only Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars movies, but can also watch Hamilton. Since its virtual Disney+ release on July 3rd of last year, Hamilton has been watched by more than 2.7 million households!
Personally, when I first heard that Hamilton was coming to Disney+, I was ecstatic. But at the same time, I was a little worried. I thought since I wasn’t going to see it on Broadway or at Proctor’s Theater, I was afraid it would not be as good. But boy was I wrong. Me and my grandmother were stunned to see the amazing performance Mr. Miranda and his co-stars had developed. My grandmother said that this play is like no other. She wasn’t sure she’d like it, having grown up with The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof, and Oliver!
Overall, Hamilton is one of the best musicals ever performed and ever written. It’s won Miranda several awards, including the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. With the pandemic seemingly leveling down, let’s hope we’ll have more opportunities to see it in-person!