Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway Hit takes a digital avatar and brings more freedom to the viewer.
Watching a play in the theatres is an experience, just like going out to eat. The same food can be ordered in the comfort of your home also, but the ambiance and interaction of the restaurant are what adds on to the beauty of the meal. Going to the theatre is a beautiful journey from the mundanity of life to an immersive immenseness. You enter something; you come out something else. Given, you pick the right theatre and performers, just like life. To digitize, this experience has proved itself to be a fool’s errand in the past. But Lin-Manuel Miranda’s try is right up there in the list of tries.
This isn’t an adaptation to screen
It is a ‘filmed theatrical performance’ shot at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in June ’16. The original cast stays as is, with stage director Thomas Kail acting as the movie director. He justifies his role as you can see the beautiful angles with which the movie has been shot. Since they had the liberty to do whatever they wanted with a play being shot like a movie, they took full advantage of it. You can see close-ups and birds’ eye’s views of scenes; in addition to that, you can also see the little things like the sweat on the actor’s faces and the hidden mics. Things that are not possible for a theatre-goer to experience. There are shots from the backstage, and for the first time, the audience can see the view from behind the fourth wall, something that intrigues regular theatergoers.
The idea is to club a play and a movie
If you get behind the idea of this hybrid between mediums, you can very well enjoy Disney Plus Hamilton. The actors are spotless, and the nuances you’ll pick are better than in a single run at the theatre. Eliza Hamilton, played by Phillipa Soo, cries after a tragedy that dawns upon her, and you can take in the surreal moment, much more closely. It isn’t visually masterful but satiates the whole idea which they tried to portray. At a lot of points though, you’ll be reminded that this isn’t a movie, these characters, their voices, costumes make-up are all meant for theatre, but that wouldn’t seem sore in the grand scheme of events. The play itself is not a one-time watch, and just like pizza served cold, audiences have enjoyed a second and third viewing much more.
Bizarreness pops right out of the screens
The songs are extremely catchy, and anyone who’s seen it in the theatre knows that you end up humming the songs from this play for weeks to come. And rightfully so, the play is a ripe intersection of history and contemporary American society. The overall feel of Lin-Manuel’s Hamilton is hard-hitting, in your face portrayal of the harsh reality that still grips American society. You pick up on references to the North-South differences, immigrant issues, and need to abolish slavery. The show is gripped with political schemes and plotting, family drama, and love stories. And the undertone of writing’s importance to human life is well received.
You’ll be amazed at how fast two hours and forty minutes can go by if you’re watching something fulfilling.
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