Hamilfilm Review: the Original Cast of Hamilton on Disney +

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/disney/

I will try and put my feelings into words, especially as I have talked about this juggernaut before, but easy it is not, so please bear with me. 

Back in 2016, at the absolute top of it's hype, Hamilton was filmed with the original Broadway cast before some of them left not long after the Tony Awards that year. What has now been dubbed as the Hamilfilm, it was picked up by Disney, and aiming for a 2021 release. 

However, one good thing Ms Rona has given us, is this filmed performance over a year early, streaming on Disney's new streaming service, Disney +. 

Now I have seen the show before, with the original London cast, so trying not to repeat myself along with my feelings about the show have made this particularly hard to write. 

I think the best place to start is by reminding you that it is with the ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST, many of whom have become mainstream celebs in their own right! 

You get to see Lin Manuel-Miranda himself pour his heart and soul into Alexander Hamilton: you see Leslie Odom Jr's Tony winning turn as cynical Aaron Burr: Renee Elise Goldsberry break your heart AND bring the sass as Angelica Schuyler: you see Chris Jackson's passion as George Washington: even King George aka Jonathon Groff (Frozen 2 also now available on Disney + from this weekend!) literally foaming at the mouth! 

That is one big reason alone why it is worth to see this musical. 

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/whatsonstage/

I have talked about Andy Blankenbueler's choreography before for this show; with the camera angles they use, you get reminded of how not just detailed it is, but also how Non Stop (haha) the ensemble is - oh can I also mention that EVERY SINGLE ensemble cast member gets a featured mention in the credits! 

This show is nothing without its ensemble and swings who get almost no breaks, even if it is just a few moves from the balcony section so I would like to thank Disney for doing that!

The final big thing to mention is how the camera worked to capture the "live performance" aspect. It never forgot that it was live theatre first and foremost, and felt more like one of the National Theatre Live screenings! 

But it did this without losing the epicness of it all. The reason I bring this up is think back to the filmed performance of Miss Saigon - as much as I love it, I think looking back it can sometimes lose the essence of "live theatre" as Cam Mac made it so cinematic. 

Credit: https://www.instagram.com/whatsonstage/

What else can I really say. 

If you have (somehow) never heard of Hamilton, go and watch this. 

If you haven't had the chance to see it live, but have listened to the cast recording before, whether it be once or a million times, go and watch this. 

If you have seen it live before many times (you lucky so and so), go and watch this!!!

I made a big Saturday 4th July out of it and watched it with my parents. We had popcorn, chocolate, a make-shift gin bar with the very limited gin selection we have! We made a very special thing out of it. My parents hadn't seen it before, and hadn't heard any of the material before (aside from You'll Be Back), and often had to ask me exactly what was going on. But it didn't matter one bit. 

It's best watching it on the biggest screen you have - thank goodness our Fire stick can get Disney +!