When people talk about a trending Broadway musical, more often than not, the title Hamilton is heard. But as of July, fans of the musical need not be anywhere near a theater to take in the show.  It’s now available on Disney+.

Hamilton first premiered Off-Broadway in January of 2015 and premiered on Broadway the following August. Ever since then, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s show has taken the musical world by storm. Hamilton is a rap-based musical of American history, which tells the story of our nation’s constitution through the eyes of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

The the Broadway is suspended due to COVID-19 through the end of the year, Hamilton was known for having extremely pricey tickets, and no one is expecting that to change once the show resumes. Performances sold out weeks in advance since the show premiered.

Hamilton was introduced to Disney+ in early July due to COVID-19. Usually, Broadway hits would not do this. But in March, like many other things, Broadway and all live tours were canceled, resulting in no entertainment or shows in the theatre world. A video recording of a live performance was filmed before members of the original cast left the show. This video was later released by the streaming platform, so fans could still enjoy the show from home. It gave the world of Broadway the buzz it had before everything shut down. 

Hamilton has been a huge move for Disney+. The streaming platform gained much popularity when it first launched last November. Releasing Hamilton, however, has arguably been its greatest accomplishment yet. Broadway hits like Hamilton rarely have recordings released to the public for free. While there are many illegal and free bootlegs on the internet, the recordings are often bad quality, with bad audio that is adjusted to avoid copyright. For years, one would have to watch it live in order to experience the show—until now.

Personally, I am a huge fan of musicals, or a “nerd,” as some may say. While I have never seen Hamilton live in the theatre, it is on my bucket list. Back in 2018, my parents and many of my friends saw it when the national tour came to Pittsburgh. Ever since then, I have looked forward to the day that I, too, get to see it. 

However, when I heard the news that Hamilton was coming to Disney+, I was confused. I originally thought that they had made a movie based on the show with the original cast. I was shocked to find out that they had simply released a recording of the live show. The performance gives fans the opportunity to finally match faces to the voices they have been listening to for years.

When watching it, I recognized the care that the producers put into it in order to help the audience feel as if they were there in person. Every once in a while, they pan the camera, allowing viewers to see a bit of the audience. I could hear them laughing, clapping, and cheering. In that aspect, they nailed it.

As far as the actual show goes, it is definitely one of the best musicals that I have ever seen. The music is indisputably unique. Most music in the show is rap-based, which is unusual for musicals. All of the well-known songs in the show, such as “My Shot” and “Alexander Hamilton,” are included. The camera work is also amazing, covering every inch of the stage.

While nothing can beat a live theater experience, Hamilton on Disney+ is a great alternative. I still look forward to the day that I get to see it live, but I think the video version great. In fact, I do not think that they could have done it any better.