'Hamilton' Featurette Gives You A Crash-Course On The Broadway Hit Becoming A Cultural Phenomenon

At this point, everyone knows about Hamilton. Even if you've somehow managed to never hear any of the songs, you're well-aware of Lin-Manuel Miranda's blockbuster, award-winning Broadway show that reinvents the founding of America through a modern lens. Blending several styles of music and featuring a cast almost entirely made up of people of color, Hamilton swiftly went from being just another musical to a full-blown cultural phenomenon. Now, as a filmed version of the show hits Disney+ in time for the holiday weekend, a Hamilton featurette blasts through the show's transformation into something unstoppable.

The world has changed considerably since Hamilton first premiered, but that might end up making the filmed version of the hit musical seem even more relevant. The musical feels rooted in the optimism of the Obama Era, and that optimism has been completely obliterated in the last few years by, well, everything. But we need something to latch onto now more than ever. We need that optimism back.

The featurette above is a very quick glimpse of the musical being talked about by practically everyone, building from another Broadway show into a full-blown blockbuster that everyone and their mother couldn't stop talking about, and now becoming a Disney+ original movie. The filmed version of Hamilton was originally supposed to open in theaters in 2021, but in the wake of the coronavirus, Disney was able to talk Lin-Manuel Miranda and company into agreeing to fast-track the film to premiere on Disney+ this weekend.

I saw Hamilton twice on Broadway, once with the original cast, once without, and both times the production was incredible. And even after all of that, and even after having listened to the soundtrack more times than I can count, I still can't wait to watch the filmed performance this weekend.

"I'm so proud of how beautifully Tommy Kail has brought Hamilton to the screen. He's given everyone who watches this film the best seat in the house," said Lin-Manuel Miranda. "I'm so grateful to Disney and Disney+ for reimagining and moving up our release to July 4th weekend of this year, in light of the world turning upside down. I'm so grateful to all the fans who asked for this, and I'm so glad that we're able to make it happen. I'm so proud of this show. I can't wait for you to see it."

Hamilton hits Disney+ on July 3.