HamilTEN Review: Telling the Story of Tonight
Olivia Romesburg ‘27 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
In celebration of iconic musical Hamilton premiering on Broadway ten years ago, the professionally shot production of the film made a theatrical run this September—with fans lovingly calling the event HamilTEN.
The film opened up with interviews with many of the original cast members, such as Lin Manuel Miranda (Alexander Hamilton), Christopher Jackson (George Washington), Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr) and Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler) . They talked about their time working on the show, and how the show went further than they could have ever imagined it going. The interviews follow their thoughts on the show starting from when Lin Manuel Miranda began coming up with it up until today.
Jackson was working with Miranda on In the Heights, another Broadway musical, when Miranda started working on plans for Hamilton. He talks a lot in these interviews about how he saw the project grow and how far it has come since the beginning.
One of the major events they talk about throughout these interviews is how Miranda performed the song “Alexander Hamilton” at a 2009 White House poetry jam. This is the first time a major audience had heard works from the show, which was going to be an album at the time from what at the time was going to be an album. Miranda and Jackson talk about the evolution that the show had from that night up until the concept started to look like a musical.
Casting and the audition process are discussed in the interviews. Notably Odom Jr. talks about how, when he auditioned for the show, he knew the role would be life changing for whoever got it. He then talks about how he got the role and he saw how his life changed. Throughout the interviews, a main point is how the musical has grown over the years into something they could have never expected.
The theatrical release, shot in 2016 with the original cast, was much awaited, considering it was intended to go to theaters if COVID-19 had never happened. It was a true fan experience, complete with lots of singing along and a ten minute intermission between the first and second acts. The first act played, then there was a ten minute intermission, followed by the second act. The pro-shot featured all the beloved moments of a musical that has undoubtedly become a modern classic, from the songs to the dancing to all the heartfelt moments in between.
Even though it is no longer in movie theaters, you can still catch the pro-shot portion of Hamilton on Disney+.