Broadway's Hamilton survives its transition to Disney with passion intact, albeit minus an F-bomb or three
By Thom Ernst
Rating: A-minus
Unless you have been orbiting the moon or otherwise held up in a place distant from this planet, you are aware that Hamilton, a musical that tells the story of one of America’s founding fathers, is a phenomenon.
And for good reason. Hamilton is a dynamite lesson in history that twists traditional perspectives of America’s rise from under the tyranny of King George III. At its heart, it’s an immigrant story set in a time of rebellion and change, energized with a powerful hip-hop, rap, and R&B score and performed by a (mostly) non-white cast playing historic characters: Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson.
Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton and Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr in Hamilton
As a theatrical piece, Hamilton is a game-changer that redefines not only what Broadway offers, but how our stories are told and by who. (What’s more, hundreds of young people are going to grow up believing Aaron Burr and Thomas Jefferson to be of African descent, which seems only fair considering the years of having to assume that Jesus and Santa Claus are white.)
The question is not whether Hamilton is good or not; we already know it’s good. But does the passion, swagger, and strength of the Broadway musical successfully translate to the screen? Disney, which out-bid several major studios for the rights, is betting $75 million that it does.
There will be a glorified big-screen version of Hamilton eventually. For now, Disney, proposes an alternative option, to watch a televised live performance filmed at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in Broadway. Hamilton, which will play exclusively on Disney Plus, is directed by Thomas Kail (Fosse/Verdon) and offers the original cast performing the play’s full 2 hour, 40-minute run, with minor snips to some un-family-friendly dialogue (In case you’re wondering, three incidences of characters using the word ‘fuck’ have been edited out. There, now when you watch, you have the full story).
The performance is limited to one set—a backdrop of planks, and ropes circa 1776, resembling a New York city street that easily transforms into a pub or a home or a battlefield, with the addition or removal of a table or a chair. Kail, who is slated to direct a new version of Fiddler on the Roof, harnesses the energy and life that pours out of the performers, moving his cameras through the onstage characters and angling things to best capture the beat and flow of the music and drama. Of course, none of this would be possible were it not for the talents of Lin-Manuel Miranda who wrote the music and performs as Alexander Hamilton.
Miranda is the star of the show in almost every way. He infuses Hamilton, who history frequently dismisses as a philanderer and opportunist (neither is necessarily true) with an unfettered determination and empathy that makes it easy to side with him, despite his transgressions. But the success of Miranda’s musical story is not just the strength of its lead, but the strength of the supporting characters. This is evident in the female characters, particularly with the Schulyer Sisters (Renée Elise Goldsberry, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Phillipa Soo) who coyly flirt with notions of equality while nurturing traditional roles allocated to them at the time.
Daveed Diggs frequently steals the show, first as Marquis de Lafayette, and then again in the second act when he returns as a flamboyant Thomas Jefferson. His song, ‘What Did I Miss’ is a joyful blend of preening arrogance with dismissive ignorance. Perhaps the biggest surprise comes with Jonathan Groff’s (Mindhunter) performance as a foppish and contemptible King George. Groff shows off some astounding singing chops with his villainous but breezy and crowd-pleasing ditty, ‘You’ll Be Back’.
Then there is Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr, the man who kills Hamilton in a duel (Not a spoiler. It’s history, and Burr admits to the killing in the first scene of act one). Burr is to Hamilton what Judas is to Christ, what Salieri is to Mozart. Odom is required to do as much of the play’s heavy lifting as Miranda. Their duets together, “Burr, Sir” is a delight of timing and rhythm.
Watching a live film version of Hamilton on screen for the full 160 minutes might prove taxing for some viewers who want their costume-drama epics to have a broader scale. But Miranda’s play (based on Ron Chernow’s books) is strong enough to carry most viewers to the end.
Hamilton. Directed by Thomas Kall. Based on the books by Ron Chernow. Starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs and Leslie Odom Jr. Begins streaming on Disney Plus, Friday, July 3.