Everything You Need To Know About ‘Hamilton’ Ahead of Tomorrow’s Premiere
Tomorrow is the day Disney Friends! The Broadway phenomenon that is ‘Hamilton’ will make its official debut on Disney+ and here at MickeyBlog HQ we couldn’t be more excited! As Lin-Manuel Miranda says about tomorrow’s event, “This is the best-rehearsed movie in the history of movies, as each performer has performed their role hundreds of times. No one has had this seat in the house… it is better than the best seat in the house.”
Unlike any other musical in recent memory, Hamilton has absolutely blown away audiences and critics and one an incredible 11 Tony Awards along with a Grammy, Olivier Award and Pulitzer Prize. Miranda wrote the book, music and lyrics for the show offering an eclectic mix of hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway. In addition, he also played the title role in the show which is captured in the performance that will debut on Disney+ tomorrow (July 3rd!)
Prior to Miranda’s departure along with other members of the Original Broadway Cast, there was a real sense of import to preserve these moments. Thomas Kail, director of the film remembers, “There was something in the air and the cast knew it was coming to an end, so there was a kind of intensity and emotionality that were present in these performances that weren’t necessarily the same as it was when we first started doing the show,”
Kail directed the Broadway production and also the filmed version which transports the audience into the world of the Broadway show in a unique and intimate way. Just take a look at the trailer below:
Hamilton was filmed in June of 2016 and was edited to give fans a real sense of what it was like to experience the show as a member of the Broadway audience as well as from the stage. Kali explains, “The shows that we did with an audience we did non-stop. The cameras were positioned in the house or on the stage and we just ran the shows as we always did,”
Kali went on to add that when it came to the editing, it was all about striking a delicate balance between the choreography and the intimate close-ups of the actors.
The film features the entire Original Broadway Cast including Miranda, Daveed Diggs stars as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Jonathan Groff as King George; Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton; and Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton. Rounding out the ensemble are Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana DeBose, Hope Easterbrook, Sydney James Harcourt, Sasha Hutchings, Thayne Jasperson, Elizabeth Judd, Jon Rua, Austin Smith, Seth Stewart, and Ephraim Sykes.
Image Credit: Hamilton
The entire stage production was captured using multiple cameras. This included overhead cameras and a camera that was carefully hidden in a brick wall at the back of the stage! During one of the run-throughs for the filming, there was no audience and a Steadicam, crane and dolly were used to film a dozen of the musical performances included in the production. There are 46 musical numbers in total!
One of our favorite things about the film is that there were NO EDITS TO THE STORYLINE to create the movie. That means every moment of the Broadway show is included. Alex Lacamore, musical supervisor for the film said, “It’s basically what it would have been like had you been watching Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre that weekend in June with a live audience.” He adds,. “There are a couple of moments that happen in the live performance that weren’t recorded on the cast album, and you’ll be able to see those moments in the film.”
Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images
One of the things that makes Hamilton so significant is the profound impact the show has had on culture, politics and education. Miranda had this to say, “I think the show is different depending on where you are and when you see it. This is a show that premiered during the Obama administration, which is a very different White House than the one we have now. The words haven’t changed but the world has changed.”
Hamilton was fast-tracked to arrive on Disney+ during a time in which our country is facing much adversity and a time when theaters across the globe have done dark due to the global pandemic. “I’m incredibly grateful that the world will be able to see this,” Miranda says. “Theater is a communal artistic experience, and this film is a love letter to live theater.”
Don’t miss Hamilton on Disney+ tomorrow!
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Source: Disney
