We love a good musical, and we’re eternally grateful to streaming services for housing exceptional works for those of us who are unable to see Broadway shows on a regular basis.
Hamilton
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s impressive body of work has put him among the ranks of all-time greats like Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim, and no piece of his oeuvre is greater evidence of that than Hamilton. This piece got the public excited about musicals in a way the genre hadn’t seen in years, and audiences are still raving about it today.
A stage recording of a performance by the original cast of Hamilton is streaming now on Disney+.
In the Heights
Before there was Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s greatest achievement was In the Heights. Though it’s no Hamilton, it’s still a stellar musical full of bright, lively tunes that celebrate Latin culture. The stage production was adapted to film in 2021, making this beautiful story accessible to a wider audience.
In the Heights is streaming now on Max.
West Side Story (2021)
The 1961 West Side Story was already a superb film adaptation of the musical, and many skeptics worried Steven Spielberg’s adaptation wouldn’t hold a candle. But aside from some minor adjustments to make the plot more modern, Spielberg held true to the book and gave even the purist Stephen Sondheim fans another musical film they can appreciate. Spielberg’s West Side Story didn’t win nearly as many Oscars as the first film version, but it was nominated for several and gave Ariana DeBose her first gold statue for her role as Anita.
West Side Story is streaming now on Disney+.
Dear Evan Hansen
Lots of Dear Evan Hansen fans were disappointed in the film adaptation of this beloved musical, and their criticisms are fair. But it’s still worth mentioning as musicals are a famously inaccessible art form for most, and a screen version of this story at least lets more viewers hear this story and become familiar with one of the most acclaimed modern books.
Dear Evan Hansen is streaming now on Max.
Tick, Tick… Boom!
Starring Andrew Garfield and giving him his second Oscar nomination, Tick, Tick… Boom! tells the story of the gone-too-soon playwright Jonathan Larson (the man responsible for Rent). Based on Larson’s stage production of the same name and directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, we get a closer look into the mind and work habits of a man who would’ve been remembered among the greatest playwrights and composers of all time had he had more time to share his gift.
Tick, Tick… Boom! is streaming now on Netflix.
