There are those that can’t stop talking about Hamilton and then there are those that look at those people askance and say ‘it’s a stage play’, with a complete lack of understanding as to why it’s that big of a deal. Maybe those of us that don’t think it’s all that are uncultured or perhaps we just don’t see the same value in stage plays as we do in big budget movies, but that gap is being closed as least since Disney has made it clear that Hamilton is coming to the big screen eventually. It’s not going to be for a while yet however since the release date is set for October 2021, meaning that those who don’t know much about the Broadway play or why it’s such a sensational hit are bound to either go and see just why on their own or will be regaled with one explanation after another as to why it’s such a massive cultural phenomenon that people can’t stop talking about as they continue to push it over social media and anywhere else they can get others to listen. Robert Iger, the CEO of Disney had this to say per Jessica Fisher of GeekTyrant:
“Lin-Manuel Miranda created an unforgettable theater experience and a true cultural phenomenon, and it was for good reason that ‘Hamilton’ was hailed as an astonishing work of art. All who saw it with the original cast will never forget that singular experience. And we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to share this same Broadway experience with millions of people around the world.”
It’s already been made clear that this won’t be an adaptation of the play, but rather the live performance itself captured on the big screen for people to view so that they too can say that they managed to see the show in all its glory. Obviously it won’t be the same but it will close the gap between those that haven’t seen it yet and those that were on hand trying to get tickets when it first opened. This is an idea that’s come along before a the Shrek musical and even Les Miserables have done this before, but with Hamilton the movie is still fresh enough in memory that people are already starting to get excited about it as it’s a safe bet that ticket sales will be through the roof whenever they go on sale. Many people will still be likely to wonder why it’s deemed so important by so many people, but at least this option will make it easier for people to obtain a ticket and will be much more cost effective, since Broadway tickets can go from around $200 to $900 for one ticket. Even for a place like New York City that’s a hefty chunk of change to watch people go sing onstage in costume, no matter how culturally important it might be deemed. Gordon Cox of Variety can give more information on this subject.
Without trying to knock the tastes of those people that happen to love theater, there are simply some shows that feel appealing and some that beg the question ‘why?’, as many would likely agree. Set during the American War of Independence the story of course focuses on one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton, and showcases how he came from poverty and elevated himself to an important role that’s been lost on many people in this day and age as figures such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and many other historical figures have been focused on far more often. Alice Vincent of The Telegraph has something to say in her own opinion about this. Set to R&B, Hip Hop, and other musical elements that have been used to explain the story in a way that people enjoy, this musical is one that draws heavily on the history of America and what it took to build a nation, which when asking many people would come out very differently given the many perspectives that have been noted throughout the years. But people went nuts for this show as social media covered much of it and the newscasts were ablaze with Hamilton promos as so many individuals excitedly proclaimed that they’d purchased tickets and couldn’t wait to see the show. That was still while the rest of the populace sat back and asked “why?”. The theater is definitely an acquired taste since having been to a few plays in my life I can say that each show is fairly impressive, a lot of them are very well thought out, and some of them are even worthy of a huge amount of praise for being innovative and quite inspiring.
Hamilton has become a part of pop culture that many people fully enjoy at this time, and it’s hard to say that it’s not worth the experience when you’ve never seen it, so I’ll go on to say that if coming to the big screen is the current plan, lower ticket prices might surely make this a hit all over again.
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