Monday Movie Review: Hamilton on Disney Plus
Guuuuuuuyyyyyyys. Cue the actual sobbing tears. Unless you’ve been sleeping under a rock, you probably heard/saw/were inundated by social media posts about the release of Hamilton on Disney+ this weekend. I’ve never made my love for Hamilton a secret. I saw the Original Broadway Cast perform in New York and the experience was nothing short of magical. I saw it again when it came to LA. I know all the words. I am 100% a Hamilton fangirl. So when I heard it was coming to Disney+ I started a countdown. I’ve already watched it three times and I can only imagine I will watch it many, many more over the days/months/years to come. This post isn’t so much a review, but just some of the highlights from my first few viewings and why this production, being filmed in this manner is such a gift.
First, the production value here is fantastic. I love that is was clear you are watching a play, but with the added benefit of being able to zoom in on individual characters. You get the wide shots of big moments, and the close ups for small moments, and honestly, it’s incredible to see. I also liked that there was an audience, but it was an audience who wasn’t intrusive. You could hear the laughter and applause, but it never detracted from the show. Honestly one of my greatest wishes now that we have this is that every show will film like this because it’s wonderful to have these performances captured.
I have always loved Jonathan Groff as King George (hell, I’ve always loved Jonathan Groff). Matt and I were talking about him when we watched Hamilton together and I was like I just don’t understand why any singer of his caliber would ever do anything other than Broadway. And Matt was like I don’t know, Mindhunter is great and it’s cool to switch it up. Then we watched George’s first song and Matt turns to me and goes, “You’re right. Why would anyone who can do that choose to do something else?” It’s amazing what the man does with ten minutes of stage time. *chef’s kiss*
One of my favorite parts of watching the filmed version was getting to see close ups of the cast. Even when you’re in the front row of a production (which I never am because I want to be able to see the whole stage), it’s tough to really see the emotions the actors are portraying. Obviously I knew all these guys were talented actors, but I was blown away by some of these moments. Lin’s face during Quiet Uptown is gut-wrenching. Even having seen the show live before, that was something I missed and I loved being able to see those tiny moments.
Can we talk about the choreography for a minute please? I will be rewatching some of these numbers over and over and over because it is so brilliant and nuanced. The littlest movements, the wiggle of a finger or a roll of a hip have so much meaning. I feel like the choreo gets overlooked sometimes because everything else is so big, but this is a show with basically zero dialogue. Almost the entire show is choreographed. It’s huge and it’s brilliantly done and I know I will be finding new moments to love every time I watch.
And speaking of new moments and little details, I’ve already started finding cool new things to geek out over. Like how in Wait for It (Burr’s song in Act One) he’s extremely contained and compact. He mostly stands center stage and keeps his movement limited. Whereas in Room Where it Happens (Burr’s song in Act Two), we get to see the switch flip. This is the moment when Burr’s character changes, and the difference in movement is breathtaking. In Room, he just explodes with energy, the dancing is fierce and intense, and Burr is all over the stage. It’s a masterclass in character development in just two songs. Brilliant.
I always loved the women in this show (obviously), and “include women in the sequel” has always been my favorite line. But seeing these ladies up close has given me a whole new level of appreciation for their performances. Not only do they kill it on the vocals, but the acting is off the charts. And I also forgot how much they are onstage. If you watch, even the numbers they don’t have solos in, they are usually on the upper level, still singing and performing and kicking ass. Gah. So good.
Guys, I could literally write a book about this production. How incredible it was to see live, how inspiring it is, how much I love it. And now I have this piece of art that I can access anytime I want and I can absorb and study even more of its brilliance. It’s honestly just such a gift, and in these really dark and shitty times, I needed this burst of light.
