Remember Hamilton? The smash hit musical that swept up accolades and landed ticket resale prices of up to $10,149? Well Disney+ has now paid a whopping $75 million to bring the original 2016 Broadway cast to our screens.
In arguably one of the biggest streaming events of the year, the original cast recording of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton has dropped on Disney+. Lovingly dubbed Hamilfilm, the movie was recorded over three days back in June 2016, right before the show’s creator left the musical’s title role.
Reaching the Richard Rodgers Theatre back in 2015, Hamilton made waves for its hip-hop take on the life of “the ten-dollar Founding Father.” Boasting a University-rivalling historical accuracy, a largely Black, Hispanic, and Asian-American cast, as well as over two hours of certified bangers, Miranda’s creation quickly became one of the decade’s biggest success stories.
Ever since its debut, Hamilton has been beloved by audiences across the globe. The show’s original Broadway soundtrack has gone platinum six-times over, setting its place as history’s best-selling cast album. The musical also dominated the Tonys, Grammys, and Laurence Olivier awards, as well as winning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It’s not so much a smash-hit as it is a cultural sensation.
Ever since performing his elusive Hamilton “mixtape” to the Obamas at a 2009 White House Poetry Jam, composer and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda dedicated his efforts towards a tale of America then, as told by America now. A first-generation Puerto Rican himself, Miranda’s historical adaptation quickly captured the world’s attention through its subversive celebration of perseverance, equality, and revolution. Many are arguing that Disney’s release could not have come at a better time.
Unfortunately, the film is only available to paying Disney+ members, however forking out $9 AUD for a month of access may be the cheapest opportunity to ever see the show in its full glory.
Check out the film here.
