Though “Da Rona” is steadily trying to bring us down, it looks like Summer 2020 has a bright spot to look forward to.
Save the date, because the 11-time-Tony Award, Grammy Award, Olivier Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning stage musical Hamilton will be dropping on Disney+ on July 3, 2020. That’s over a year earlier than the originally planned release date of October 15, 2021! The Walt Disney Company decided to fast-track the premiere out of pure goodness (or to capitalize on everyone being home and available to watch content; either way, it’s great news!).
The film production is a taped version of the popular Broadway stage performance described as “a leap forward in the art of ‘live capture” which transports its audience into the world of the Broadway show in a uniquely intimate way.’
Per the press release sent to The Root:
Filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016, Hamilton features Tony Award® winners Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Tony Award nominees Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jonathan Groff as King George; Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton; and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; and Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton.
The cast also includes Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana DeBose, Hope Easterbrook, Sydney James Harcourt, Sasha Hutchings, Thayne Jasperson, Elizabeth Judd, Jon Rua, Austin Smith, Seth Stewart and Ephraim Sykes.
“No other artistic work in the last decade has had the cultural impact of Hamilton—an inspiring and captivating tale told and performed in a powerfully creative way. In light of the extraordinary challenges facing our world, this story about leadership, tenacity, hope, love and the power of people to unite against the forces of adversity is both relevant and impactful,” Robert A. Iger, Executive Chairman of The Walt Disney Company, said in a statement. “We are thrilled to bring this phenomenon to Disney+ on the eve of Independence Day, and we have the brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda and the team behind Hamilton to thank for allowing us to do so more than a year before planned.”
“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,” creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda said in a statement. “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.”
Whether you’re a longtime fan of Hamilton or will be introduced for the first time, this is a huge event. So, if you haven’t started your free trial yet, now’s the time. Sign up at disneyplus.com and countdown ‘til July 3. Oh, and just in case you want to pre-game with one of the best soundtracks in the game (you know you do!), you can listen below: