By Angely Peña-Agramonte

The theatrical American musical recollecting a Founding Father’s road to success is a product that warms the hearts of many. Hamilton, a spring of knowledge, adventure, and anticipation for millions of fans widespread is now streaming on a broader platform: Disney+. 

Demonstrating extensive and opulent patriotism, Hamilton was released just in time for the birthday of a nation he helped build. The storyline fits well in a time where protests emerge to defend the rights that are endowed to everyone. 

“I think it was so impactful because in such a divided country, in such a divided world, there are few things that fit in that Venn diagram in the middle that sort of please everybody and bring us together rather than push us apart,” said Disney’s CEO, Bob Chapek, in a recording from The Verge.

Sporting a hip-hop concept, viewers can now enjoy this play from the comfort of their homes as theaters currently off-limits leading to cancellation due to a global pandemic. 

Hamilton is a thematic twist of what all history junkies know and love. The plot revolves around the founding father, Alexander Hamilton, playing out his journey to greatness and all his struggles from keeping a hold of his marriage to normalizing his progressive ideologies in an industrial society. 

“The musical has a big part in giving pos (people of color) more recognition on broadway,” said Jessica Quiros, a Junior at MLEC. “It is a brilliant musical and is worth the subscription, which essentially costs as much as a movie ticket, if not a little more.”

An adaptation of the American dream many have come to realize, a living and breathing account of someone who did not throw away their shot. Hamilton comes as an inspiration for immigrants— “immigrants we get the job done”.

The story is written by, produced, sung, and performed by Lin Manuel-Miranda, a composer who has something to offer for just about anyone. It has the drama, the production, musicality, and most importantly the portrayal of the very foundation of the nation that stands before us. 

“It is not easy to plan a film shoot while you are also performing eight shows a week,” Miranda said to ET’s Keltie Knight weeks before Hamilton was set to drop on television. “But this is the fruit of our labor. Now the world gets to see Hamilton with that company at that moment almost five years ago to the day. I’m really glad we got it.”

This amazing story is not available to all, however. Hamilton will only be available on the streaming platform Disney+, so the only road to watching the musical would be through a paid subscription.

Still, the sad reality is that not everyone has access to this app and it is not cheap at all since Disney+ has recently stopped offering free trials. In other words, if people were to acquire a membership for the sole purpose of watching a canceled show, then they would essentially be paying seven dollars for an entire program to watch a single musical. 

But one thing’s for sure, the price for a ticket to attend in person goes way up to the double digits in comparison to paying seven dollars for televised content— and this might just be a major discount for intended attendees.

This very play helped students pass their civics and U.S history tests by helping them capture info in a new and creative way. Hamilton is not only a source of entertainment for many, but it is also a center for information and a source of socializing for a common interest. 

“I thought it was amazing being able to spread the messages of Hamilton to a bigger audience” said Julissa Morales, a 2020 graduate from Berkmar High School. “Hamiltion has taught myself and many others that everyone is just another person trying to make things work.”

It could be dissected from a rhetorical and literary form for all the bookworms out there. With allusions, foreshadowing, and poetry overflowing through each play, the motifs can be hard to catch the first time— and that alone is enough to get the audience wanting more.

Hamilton shows that life in itself is a paradox and even if the world has done arguably horrible things, it has done great things and that can’t be ignored. For fans and supporters, this Grammy award-winning musical might just be worth the paid membership on Disney+.