For those who can't get enough of Hamilton, Disney+ has good news. The streaming service announced that in addition to the movie adaptation it released on July 3, it will be airing a special roundtable discussion with members of the cast and hosted by ABC anchor Robin Roberts.
The special, Hamilton: History Has Its Eyes on You, promises not only to include a discussion with the original Broadway cast and director about the cultural impact and unrivaled popularity of the production, but will also include the valuable insight of Harvard historian and professor Annette Gordon-Reed, who will speak to the historical accuracies and inaccuracies of the show.
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This latter topic has been a source of major controversy and discourse online since the show first opened in 2015, but has recently intensified given the country's current social and political climate. While many theater critics and fans have had nothing but rave reviews, historians and others have cautioned that Alexander Hamilton was not as progressive as he is painted in the musical, and it's important to not gloss over the problematic choices and legacies of many of the Founding Fathers. According to a teaser clip shared on ABC's Good Morning America, Dr. Gordon-Reed believes that there's nothing wrong with both enjoying the show and being aware of where it takes creative license, as most art tends to do.
“It doesn’t matter that it’s not ‘perfect’ history. The really important thing I think is that after they’ve watched it, to go an find out more," said Dr. Gordon-Reed.
The other members of the roundtable include Hamilton creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, director Thomas Kail, Christopher Jackson (George Washington), Leslie Odom Jr.(Aaron Burr), Phillipa Soo (Eliza Hamilton), Renée Elise Goldsberry, (Angelica Schuyler), and Daveed Diggs (Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson).
Hamilton: History Has Its Eyes on You premieres July 10 on Disney+.