Disney Plus has released a musical film depicting the 2015 Broadway musical: Hamilton. It was inspired by a 2004 biography on Alexander Hamilton. The show was a huge hit and sold out at its premiere. Lin-Manuel Miranda worked as the composer, lead cast member, and the writer for the musical.
The main cast included all star performers, Jonathan Groff (as King George III), Daveed Diggs (as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson), Lin-Manuel Miranda (as Alexander Hamilton), Christopher Jackson (as George Washington), Jasmine Cephas Jones (as Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds), Leslie Odom Jr. (as Aaron Burrs), Phillipa Soo (as Eliza Hamilton), and Anthony Ramos (as Phillip Hamilton and John Laurens).
The music consists mainly of R&B and Hip-Hop. The musical is known for its diverse cast, primarily African Americans and Hispanic. The cast portrayed characters that were originally Caucasian.
The historical musical tells the story of founding father: Alexander Hamilton. He was an orphaned immigrant from the Caribbean who traveled to New York City in 1776. Hamilton worked as an aide to General George Washington during after the American Revolution, who later became the first President of the United States. Hamilton married Eliza Schuyler, who he eventually fathered eight children with.
When George Washington became President, he made Hamilton his Treasury Secretary. Hamilton established a trading relationship with Britain, opposed slavery, and started a bank in New York.
That same year, Hamilton had an affair with Maria Reynolds, whose own husband encouraged the affair so that he could blackmail Hamilton. Hamilton decided to let the public know about the affair to prevent the blackmail for money.
Hamilton made enemies with George Eaker, a critic who enjoyed insulting Hamilton. Because of this, Hamiltons’ 19-year-old son, Phillip challenged Eaker to a duel. The duel resulted in Phillip’s death.
Before Hamilton turned 50, he made an enemy of former Attorney General Aaron Burr. Burr believed Hamilton had ruined Burr’s chances of being Governor of New York. Hamilton refused to apologize, so the two men ended up in a duel. Hamilton stated that he would not fire at Burr. Hamilton’s bullet hit a tree, and Burr’s shot hit Hamilton in the stomach.
Hamilton died the next afternoon.
The movie on Disney+ has received a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes and 9.1/10 on IMDb. It has been called captivating, inspirational, a must-watch, touching, and memorable. The strong acting from the cast, and the amazing music and set designs have also been praised.
The release of this film has gotten viewers excited to see the live musical on Broadway once the current pandemic ends. Disney+ has given viewers and fans of the story the opportunity to experience the magic that is Hamilton.
