The “Hamilton” mania isn’t over just yet. Ever since the musical won 16 Tony awards back in 2016, Broadway fans aren’t going to forget about the show anytime soon — or its wonderful creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. However great the show may be, “Hamilton” was (and still is) incredibly expensive for fans to see as it continues to travel across the country. Fortunately, help for those fans may be on the way.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that a “Hamilton” movie may no longer be a pipe dream. According to the report, bidding has started on a performance recording made back in 2016, which means that Miranda is still in the leading role. The WSJ also reported that bidding for the show may reach up to $50 million, no less than the show deserves. As Americans continue to follow the week-to-week news in the aftermath of the 2016 election, it’s no wonder that “Hamilton” has kept up its trend of success.
Miranda created, whether he meant to or not (he probably meant to), an alternate idea of America. Although the ostensible founding principles of America are valorous, Americans have found the wherewithal to look inward and consider their problems more. Even though there are fault lines of inequality that trace the very foundations of American society, “Hamilton” — which imagines a multicultural type of hopeful American beginning — is an appealing escape.
Recordings like this one invite contentious arguments in the world of musical theater fandom since some people believe that cast recordings should be more readily available to the public. After all, not everyone can afford tickets, even if the show is meant to be experienced as live theater. Many people who think this way hope for a future where there is an “equivalent of Netflix” for live theater. The model makes a certain amount of sense, and, interestingly enough, Netflix itself already contains a recording of Disney’s “Newsies.”
Others argue that the amount of money it takes to create a large-scale production like the ones on Broadway, combined with the high level of skill and artistry of the performers and designers, demand a certain respect. (If by respect, you mean “paying a lot of money to go and see the show rather than watching it in a movie theater.”)
However, in the case of “Hamilton,” democratizing the show and making it more available to people is probably the answer that keeps most in line with the spirit of the original show. The original audience of “Hamilton” also includes people who might not have the money or time to go see the show. Either way, the public might soon find out that they don’t have to “wait for it” regarding the filmed show any longer.
