I am not throwing away my shot! Over the summer we found a few things to keep us occupied while stuck inside, including drawing, painting, reading, sleeping, and watching Netflix. Halfway through summer, a new and now popular musical called Hamilton was released on Disney+, a streaming app much like Netflix but with Disney movies and nostalgic shows. 

Hamilton the Musical is a historical musical written by Lin Manuel Miranda about the American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and his climb out of poverty and to power against the background of the American War of Independence. It ranges from the time he spoke his voice to the time he was shot but Aaron Burr. The musical also provided his life and friends and family, how his life went up by marrying a Schyler sister, Elizabeth Schyler, to the time it went down when he had an affair with Maria Reynolds and his son’s death at the age of 19.

Lin Manuel Miranda did not plan to release Hamilton on Disney+ nor did he plan it to be released so early. Miranda planned to release the musical on DVD roughly around 2022-2024, but due to the sudden pandemic, they quickly released it onto Disney+ July 3, 2020. People were immediately obsessed, and it became big on a popular app called TikTok as well. 

Miranda and the actors captured everyone’s hearts and pulled many heartstrings during every death, even if we all knew they would happen. People started to recognize things a lot more after it was released, such as the death of John Laurens. Miranda brought a new meaning to “make learning fun” by simply making a musical. The whole thing opened people’s eyes about the story of Alexander Hamilton, and it truly got the attention it deserved; the actors and actresses portrayed their characters well. I’m sure teachers won’t mind the knowledge their students have with this story until they start singing while they are explaining the story, that is.

As a result of the release, it was something people could look forward to during such difficult times during the pandemic. It was a nice family fun thing people could do to rewind and relax and watch with their kids. It’s all in all an amazing musical and story, and I cannot stop watching it.