The hit musical Hamilton has been out for nearly ten years, with its debut held at The Public Theatre in New York City as a non-Broadway musical. It has since been streamed on Disney+ (previously on Hulu), so why was it being released in theaters?

With the onset of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the show was forced to transition from in-person viewings to streaming from home through Disney+, with the added option of Hulu. Since then, that’s been the only available place to watch. That was until September 14, 2021, after the COVID-19 extension, when the show began performing on Broadway again at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City.

So, what’s with the limited showings in theaters? Isn’t doing it on Broadway easier? Is the Broadway show done? No. When Hamilton first debuted, it premiered with the original cast on February 15, 2015. As of this year, Hamilton is actually coming to theaters to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

If seen in theaters, before the film begins, there is a quick interview with producer, songwriter, and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the interview, Miranda and the rest of the original Hamilton cast can be seen sharing stories and favorite memories of their time while doing various shows with one another. Angelica Schuyler’s actress Renée Elise Goldsberry talks about how she, Phillipa Soo (who plays Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton), and Jasmine Chephas Jones (who plays Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds) would often find themselves enjoying time together backstage and during rehearsals or before performances.

An Honest Review:

I, personally, enjoyed the musical. Even though I have watched it fifty times on Disney+ since October of 2023, seeing it on the big screen was like a dream come true. Sure, it wasn’t in New York in a proper theater, but the Visalia Regal Theater was the closest I was going to get to a live performance.

And, it was fun. I don’t think I’ve ever had an experience like that, even when I went to see Moana 2 (which is my favorite movie). Sure, Moana was a good movie to see, but did I get to sing my heart out during it? No. And, I wasn’t alone, I had one of my bestest of friends there with me to sing along to the oh-so hilarious Alexander Hamilton climbing out the window TikTok skit (which came from the song Best of Wives, Best of Women in act two).

The musical itself was terrific, even though they were just playing the Disney+ version. I personally think the icing on the cake was the beginning of the interview before the actual musical started. I got to learn a ton of behind-the-scenes work, interviews, and scene design when it came to the musical’s background.

I am a huge fan of Lin’s work, his other productions (especially his role of Piragua Guy in “In The Heights”). His songwriting is amazing as well. But, I think I will always prefer him as one of America’s founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. His portrayal of him is immaculate. The way he told his story through songs was like listening to a favorite song for the first time. He explains the timeline of Alexander’s life in a way that I personally don’t think anyone else could have done so, even going as far as to write a song about a meeting in a room that we don’t know what got discussed in.

Overall..

Although it is no longer playing on the big screen, Hamilton remains available to watch on Disney+. For being 2h 40m, it is definitely worth it if a history-made musical sparks an interest.