BY Jessica Pedone
Staff Reporter
On Feb. 3, the Walt Disney Company announced that the Broadway musical “Hamilton” by Lin-Manuel Miranda is being made into a movie. The film will be released on Oct. 15, 2021.
“Hamilton” was created by American actor, composer, lyricist and writer Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Hamilton website describes the story as the American Founding Father, Alexander Hamilton, and his ascent out of poverty to power against the backdrop of the War of Independence.
Junior Jackie Clifford said, “Since I already had a love for ‘Hamilton,’ once I heard Disney was making it into a movie, I couldn’t have been happier.”
In the fall of Clifford’s sophomore year, she had the opportunity to complete an internship with Disney, which for her made finding out the play “Hamilton” will become a Disney movie that more exciting.
“Hamilton” is a production that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and traditional Broadway musical style. It has had a profound impact on culture, politics and education, according to the Hamilton website.
Sophomore Samantha Tavares said, “Seeing ‘Hamilton’ lived up to my expectations ,higher than I thought. The show was a roller coaster of emotions, sounds and knowledge I have never experienced before.”
“Hamilton” won major awards, including Tonys, Grammys, the Pulitzer Prize for drama and a special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.
According to AP, “The film was made at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016 and will star all of the original Tony Award winners – Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler, and Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr.”
The movie will be a live capture, meaning it is a recording of an old performance that will feature the show’s original performers.
“Disney making ‘Hamilton’ into a movie is the best thing ever. It allows for people to see and learn from it as I did. Especially having the original cast featured in the film makes it so much more real,” said Tavares.
Disney bringing ‘Hamilton’ to the big screen adds more to Mirandas’ achievements, which already includes a book of the production and writing the music and lyrics to Broadway’s “In The Heights.”
“ ‘Hamilton’ deserves to be brought to the big screen; I think every American should see and learn about this historical story,” said Clifford.
According to AP, when the musical first came out, people would pay well over 10 times the $120 ticket price. Many fans were seeking tickets through a lottery. Many celebrities, like Tom Hanks, Madonna and J-Lo, went to see it on Broadway.
“Hamilton” being brought to the big screen enables many more people to see the production. This film will not be the first time Miranda has worked with Disney. He has a history of acting and writing music for Disney in the past.
Miranda starred as Jack, a major character in Disney’s film “Mary Poppins Returns,” wrote music for the animated film “Moana,” and collaborated on the music for the live action “Little Mermaid.”
Clifford said, “I love ‘Moana.’ It is one of my favorite movies. And when Miranda played Jack in ‘Mary Poppins Returns,’ he did his character such justice.”
Many students plan to see the movie when it comes out.
“Being able to see ‘Hamilton’ on Broadway was amazing, but Disney now making it into a movie gives me a chance to see it in theaters and at home which is something I could have never imagined,” said Tavares.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.