ON ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY 'Hamilton' is worth seeing on the big screen or at home

Who's going to tell the story of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States? While everyone else celebrated the 10th anniversary of the critically acclaimed blockbuster musical “Hamilton,” it took 16 years for Lin-Manuel Miranda to transform his bulky biography into an epic, rap-driven spectacle.

- By JANUAR JUNIOR AGUJA

Recorded in 2016, “Hamilton” was supposed to be released in cinemas in 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the launch of Disney+, the House of Mouse and Miranda opted to release the film a year earlier to entertain audiences during quarantine while stage productions were suspended.

Just in time for its aluminum anniversary, “Hamilton” was shown on the big screen for one week only from October 1 to 7, before being extended again from Oct. 19 to 25 in the Philippines.

Given the musical’s massive fan base willing to spend money to see it in cinemas, it’s puzzling why Disney gave this recording such a limited release.

Unique to the theatrical version is a 10-minute special on the musical and its impact, featuring interviews with many of the original Broadway cast members who shared their excitement that the professionally recorded footage was finally being shown on the big screen, encouraging moviegoers to sing along.

As the title suggests, it chronicles the life and legacy of Alexander Hamilton (played by Miranda) and the people around him, where dialogue is delivered entirely through lyrics whether in show tunes or rapid-fire rap bars.