Being a theater kid in 2015 meant being there for the start of the “Hamilton” craze. The soundtrack of Alexander Hamilton’s life became that of many people’s pre-teen years. Now, it’s in movie theaters for the 10th anniversary of the beloved show.
“Hamilton” tells the story of the early days of America during the American Revolution, while also telling the story of a founding father that the show’s author Lin Manuel Miranda felt was “overlooked,” as was stated in an article by the New York Times.
The show was an absolute hit, and in 2016, Miranda decided he wanted to bring the show to the silver screen one day. So, the original cast of “Hamilton” recorded two runs of their show. When the pandemic hit in 2020, Miranda decided it was the perfect time to release the final recording of the show for fans to watch while stuck at home.
After being on Disney+ for about five years, Miranda announced that the movie would be coming to theaters as it was originally planned for the 10th anniversary of the show.
To put it plainly, “Hamilton” is an exciting way to learn American history. But it goes deeper than its clever raps. There is so much intentionality in the way Miranda wrote the show, every chord, every music choice has a meaning. The first five chords are repeated all throughout the show, giving the show a cohesive theme. The music in the show is catchy and listeners can find themselves listening to it on the daily.
This show also can be used as an educational tool. High school students have been known to use clips and reference lines from the show in government or history classes. It can be a very helpful tool for students learning about the early days of America during history class.
The one all-around complaint, though, has actually nothing to do with the show. It has everything to do with the audiences at the show.
Lots of audiences show up in large groups. Some with kids, some with friends, some with people who have never even seen the show before. Expectations are high. When people don’t get up to sing or dance, lots of “Hamilton” fans have been known to get really upset. In the documentary-style clip played before the show, the cast of “Hamilton” encourages audiences to get up and sing or dance, to “feel the music.” Sadly, many audiences haven’t been listening to that. Having a crowd that is engaged and having a good time adds to the magic of the show and brings fans together. People become disappointed when audiences aren’t engaged.
Many clips on the internet of audiences doing huge choir-like sing-a-longs and dance parties have gone viral which makes up for the lame energy audiences complain about.
“Hamilton” is an incredibly important piece of art to so many people across the country. More people should go and appreciate this musical in movie theaters while it lasts, on Broadway or tour, or even in the comfort of their homes on Disney+. As the original cast of “Hamilton” stated before, fans should not be shy about singing their hearts out, so don’t wait for it!
