If you recently watched Hamilton on Disney+ and are lost on what to watch or listen to next, we have got you covered with a few recommendations!  

Did you love the music in Hamilton and have become obsessed with analysing the lyrics and musical genius that is Lin-Manuel Miranda? Well, first up are some other musical creations by this man!

In The Heights

In The Heights was Miranda’s first musical! He wrote the lyrics and music for this one and starred as the lead on Broadway. You may also recognise another voice on this cast recording, Christopher Jackson (George Washington) plays a major character. This musical is all about characters living in a largely Latinx neighbourhood, Washington Heights in New York City. There is also a movie coming out in 2021, which stars no other than heartthrob Anthony Ramos aka Philip Hamilton/Thomas Laurens.

Bring It On (The Musical)

This musical is based on the iconic 2000 film of the same name, but Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote songs for this one too! You will definitely hear his rap/hip hop style coming through in some of these songs!

Moana

Moana was a hit Disney movie back in 2016 and no other than Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the music and songs for this one. He can also be heard singing along with Christopher Jackson in the movie!

21 Chump Street

This is a super fun short musical and you can watch the whole thing on YouTube. It’s written by Miranda and stars Anthony Ramos as the lead.

If you want some musicals that are similar to Hamilton, here are a few recommendations:

Newsies

Also available on Disney+, this is a filmed Broadway performance and showcases some beautiful singing and some jaw dropping dancing! Newsies is all about the 1899 newsboy strike in New York. So, like Hamilton, it is based on history and a filmed Broadway performance!

Les Miserables

Les Miserables is completely sung through just like Hamilton, while also being based on historical events. This musical is all about the July Revolution in France (after the French Revolution). It follows a large number of characters and how their lives all intertwine.

Six

Six is an epic musical showcase all about the six wives of Henry the 8th. This musical has combined pop music and made these women more modern. This is great for Hamilton fans as you will learn more about history with a modern twist.

Billy Elliot

If you want another live filmed musical then Billy Elliot: The Musical is great.Based on the film of the same name, it is all about Billy who wants to dance ballet, but his father would rather have him boxing. This story is set during the mine strikes in England, so you will also get a little bit of a history lesson. All the songs are written by Elton John so this musical is amazing!

Now, if you loved the cast of Hamilton, here are some albums from these insanely talented individuals:

Leslie Odom Jr. – Mr

This album has a very soul and jazz feel to it, but Leslie Odom Jr. sings beautifully and you will be listening to this on repeat.

Anthony Ramos – The Good and the Bad

Anthony Ramos has given us a beautiful autobiographical album, his songs range from cry in your car to dance around your living room.

Jasmine Cephas Jones – Bluebird

This album has a jazz-like undertone and Jasmine’s raspy beautiful voice shines through!

Daveed Diggs – Seven Nights in Chicago

Daveed has combined his fan of rap music and social activism to give us a great album.

What do you love most about Hamilton? Do you have any other recommendations?

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Throughout the show, many characters directly acknowledge key events in American history, as if they are at least slightly cognisant of how they will be remembered in centuries to come. Some consider whether they would rather not be remembered at all, as once they are gone their legacy may give more weight to their shortcomings than their achievements. They are buffeted about on the swirling winds of history, visually represented by a rotating stage that seems to manipulate time itself. In “Satisfied” it moves backwards, rewinding the past few scenes as Angelica reflects on the night she met Alexander; in “Hurricane” the stage rushes around Alexander, as he plans a way he might be able to fight against the chaos of the world and take control of his own legacy; and in “The World Was Wide Enough” time stands still in the moment before his death, as he laments that he will never see this legacy take root.

It is impossible to replicate any theatrical experience through a screen, and so the live recording often leans into its more cinematic aspects, capturing bird’s-eye shots from above in moments that evoke Busby Berkeley’s elaborate dance numbers, and punctuating musical accents and cues with hard cuts. Most effective are the close-ups, instilling the show with an intimacy that the theatre can’t provide. In these shots we see the detail that the actors put into their performances, especially Jonathan Groff’s restraint in a role that could have easily crossed too far over into camp, and Phillipa Soo’s facial expressions in “Burn” that would likely go unnoticed by live audience members.

Many of the leading players of Hamilton have been launched into the spotlight even further in recent years, most notably Daveed Diggs who has featured in films such as Wonder, Blindspotting, Velvet Buzzsaw, and the upcoming Pixar movie, Soul. Here, he bursts with energy in the dual roles of Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, singing the exuberant jazz number “What’d I Miss”, and delivering a performance that feels unique to his own skillset. Leslie Odom Jr, Jonathan Groff, Renee Elise Goldsberry, and Phillipa Soo also stand out so much in their roles that it feels a little odd to not count Lin Manuel Miranda himself among these top-tier singers and actors. His performance as Alexander Hamilton is moving and uplifting when the show calls for it, but he does often find himself being overshadowed by these smaller, more memorable parts.

By evoking the American Revolution and calling for a revolution of a new kind, Hamilton feels like a revolution in and of itself. It is a call to action for its audience to keep reflecting on history, and more importantly, to keep writing history, elevating those whose voices have traditionally been erased from it. In the five short years since it opened on Broadway, we have witnessed a multitude of radical cultural and social shifts, and Hamilton has kept taking on new significance through all of it. It is already evident that there is a timeless quality in this piece of reimagined history, and this new live recording effectively solidifies its immortality.

What did you think of Hamilton? Tell us in the comments below!

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