Hamilton

 Now streaming on Disney Plus "Hamilton" is a film recording of the Broadway smash musical. Directed by Tommy Kail, who directed the musical on Broadway.

In watching interviews from the Original Broadway Cast, the film was made over 3 performances on Broadway; the company even performed the show once without an audience, to film close up shots of performers.

I have listened to the soundtrack about 100 times over the five years that Hamilton has been out. It has played on Broadway, Chicago, San Francisco, London, even Puerto Rico. When it finally came to my city over the Christmas holidays, I had a choice-mortgage payment or Hamilton tickets. I decided to see Hamilton another time.

I was over the moon excited to learn that Disney Plus would get the film and stream it with a pad subscription. I knew the film version existed, and that it was slated for release in theaters in 2021. That was the plan, and then a pandemic happened. As Disney was in need of new content, they went to Lin-Manuel Miranda, the writer of Hamilton, and asked if they could stream the movie. $75 million later, the rest is history.

I am thankful that my first viewing of the musical was with the Original Broadway Cast. I am also thankful that all it cost me was a $7 subscription to Disney Plus. The cast is incredible, and formidable. Stellar performances are given by all cast members:

Lin-Manuel Miranda-Hamilton

Leslie Odom Jr.-Aaron Burr

Phillipa Soo-Eliza Schuyler Hamilton

Renee Elise Goldsberry-Angelica Schuyler Church

Christopher Jackson-George Washington

Daveed Diggs-the Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson

Okieriete Onaodowan-Hercules Mulligan/James Madison

Anthony Ramos-John Laurens/Philip Hamilton

Jasmine Cephas Jones-Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds

Jonathan Groff-King George III

Every time that I watched the film I noticed more details. I also watched a video on the symbolism shared in the show, all of which would not make any sense without having seen it first. It is a rich tapestry of a show, on the scale of an opera. 

In fact, I've heard "Hamilton" as a rap opera, and I concur. It is a game changer in the world of musical theater, just like "Rent" was before it. Upon viewing the film for the first time I am forever changed. I will never be the same.

If you haven't watched the film, I highly advise turning on the closed captions to catch every word. After listening to the show 100 times or more, I still learned lyrics I didn't know.

When this show is released on Blu Ray I will buy it. It is a benchmark of American theater, and the world will never be the same.

Now streaming on Disney Plus, ten stars.