BY EVAN CAIN
VICE-PRESIDENT/ CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF/ ARTS AND CULTURE HEAD
(All image sources linked to images)
Pictured: Lin Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton in Hamilton.
Hamilton!
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2015 smash hit, Hamilton, explores the life of one of America’s most interesting founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. This monumental show, set in the 18th century, is changing the language of musicals today by pulling from various forms of music, specifically rap, hip-hop, and R&B to outline the group of young rebels that moulded the future of their unformed country. Lin-Manuel sampled from artists including Mobb Deep, The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z to create a fusion of modern music and traditional theatrical elements that create riveting numbers. The show also encompasses a diverse cast of young Asian, African-American, and Latino actors who portray the old, white founding fathers of America. Hamilton is not only remarkably faithful to its historical premise, but it also does an incredible job of incorporating phrases from the famous documents of America’s creators, vivid and contemporary street-talk, and beautifully written yet vocally taxing musical pieces. While it delves into the accomplishments and regrets of Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Thomas Jefferson, and many other famous figures, the star of the show is the history itself. Hamilton is a once-in-a-lifetime Broadway production that shifts the way the public views the bright lights of Broadway and inspires a new generation of artists and fans around the world.
Graphics by Evan Cain; quotes from Broadway World.
Bridging the Gap: From Stage to Screen
The idea for this production was first showcased to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House’s 2009 Poetry Jam and while many were sceptical of the concept at the start, the audience turned out to love the MixTape that Lin-Manuel performed. The show officially premiered on January 20th, 2015 at the Public Theatre, Off-Broadway and soon after made its Broadway debut on August 6th, 2015 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City, where it would run until the announcement of Broadway’s shut down. Lin-Manuel led the piece to 16 Tony nominations and 11 Tony Awards in 2016 alone, which pushed the rating for this annual award show to its highest level in 15 years! Hamilton was also touring in parts Texas, Canada, Georgia, DC, Minneapolis, Nevada, Ohio, and Missouri. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic in America, Broadway’s shutdown has taken a toll on theatre companies and shows around the globe because without profit from ticket sales, snack booth sales, and other earned income, theatres are left struggling to stay open. It is still uncertain when or how Broadway will reopen, but it’s predicted to remain this way until at least early 2021 and hard to say which shows will continue to run after the crisis. Lucky for all the Hamilton fans of the world, the smash hit will premiere on Disney+ on July 3rd, 2020!
Pictured: A tweet from Walt Disney Studios on February 3rd, 2020, announcing Disney’s initial plan for the live production of Hamilton.
Walt Disney Studios reportedly bought the total rights to Lin-Manuel’s show for 75 million dollars and was planning to release it on Disney’s streaming network (Disney+) on October 15th, 2021 after a bidding war with other streaming networks such as Netflix and Hulu. The theatrical release will now be featured as a Disney+ Exclusive because the production of new shows has come to a halt due to the pandemic. In short, Disney+ is hungry for new content to help obtain the $6.99 monthly profit they gain from subscribers. It can also be assumed that theatre-lovers everywhere are actively trying to find new content to feed their theatrical desires for live performances (I know I am)! Not to mention, the show encompasses the lives of America’s founding fathers and will arrive just in time for America’s Independence Day celebration on July 4th.
Pictured: A tweet from Lin-Manuel Miranda on May 12th, 2020, announcing the official release date of Hamilton live on Disney+.
Considering the incredible rates of ticket sales for major Broadway productions and the varying locations of many attendees, the Disney+ version will most likely be the first-ever Hamilton experience for most fans. How exciting!? It also is unique in that it is not another big-budget adaptation of a play as a film, like Les Miserables or Cats. It is rather a professionally filmed piece of the original Broadway version put together from three live recording shots, featuring the initial 2016 cast such as Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hamilton, Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, and others pictured below.
This could very well be the first of many more online theatrical productions to come during the COVID-era, considering no tv shows or movies are currently being shot or produced.
Other Live Theatrical Film Adaptations
While Lin-Manuel’s Hamilton will be the most recent and probably one of the most, if not the most successful Broadway-to-film adaptations, there are other monumental shows that are available to stream from the comfort of your own home. Rent: Filmed Live On Broadway was the first-ever major Broadway show to hit the screen back in 2008. This award-winning production, by Jonathan Larson, ran for 12 years and 5,123 performances, making it one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history. Similar to Hamilton, this is a unique show because it explores the lives of a group of New Yorkers during the 1990s, struggling with their love lives, careers, and the effects of the AIDS epidemic on their community and the world through a vivacious mix of classic theatrical aspects with various Rock & Roll elements.
Jesus Christ Superstar Live Arena Tour (2012) is another powerful piece of art, written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is a fusion of The Gospel, Opera, and Rock & Roll. The story made its Broadway debut in 1971 and follows Jesus and other characters of The Bible in their political and interpersonal struggles. In 2018, John Legend starred as Jesus in NBC’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, which is available on NBC.
One more famous show, originally premiered as a live theatre film on Netflix (but was recently taken down) is Newsies: The Broadway Musical (2017), written by Harvey Fierstein. This production is primarily dance-focused and explores the historical significance and journey of the Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City.
*A few quick fun facts: Hamilton recently conducted video auditions for fans all over the world to be apart of a virtual “Non-Stop” sing-a-long through social media using #HamAtHome. I was featured singing on the video they shared on Good Morning America and their Instagram! Check it out HERE. My timestamp is minute 4:03, but I suggest watching the whole thing… it is amazing!
The original Broadway cast of Hamilton was also featured on John Krasinky’s digital series in late March titled Some Good News. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, and the other talented actors of the show performed the opening number: "Alexander Hamilton"
References
“NORTH AMERICAN TOUR.” Hamilton Official Site, https://hamiltonmusical.com/us-
Gartenberg, Chaim. “Hamilton Is Coming to Theaters and Disney+, Thanks to Disney's
Endless Hunger for Content.” The Verge, The Verge, 3 Feb. 2020,
Miranda, Lin-Manuel. “1)So Far @USATODAY Is the Only One Not Burying the Lede:
We're Filming the Original Cast before I Go. WE GOT YOU. Https://T.co/O7Vo9LhF7O.”
Twitter, Twitter, 16 June 2016,
Ellis-Petersen, Hannah. “'This Isn't Colour-Blind Casting': Hamilton Makes Its Politically
Charged West End Debut.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 20 Dec. 2017,
“How Lin-Manuel Miranda Made Hamilton a Smash Hit: Leadership.” The Tobin
Company, 19 Jan. 2018, https://thetobincompany.com/lin-manuel-miranda-leadership
Smith, Craig. “By the Numbers: Amazing ‘Hamilton’ Statistics.” DMR, 2 Feb. 2020,
Comments