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Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical Hamilton became a mega hit when it opened on Broadway back in 2015, but the show's popularity is arguably at its peak right now thanks to Disney+. The new streaming service released a filmed version of the stage musical featuring the original principal actors, allowing Disney+ subscribers to be in the room where it happened. The Hamilton movie also gave the cast a chance to see their own performances, and Eliza Schuyler actress Phillipa Soo recently revealed what she's learned from the experience.
Phillipa Soo's Eliza is the heart of Hamilton, with some theories believing the show's title was named after both she and her husband Alexander. Soo's Tony nominated performance has been praised as one of the movie's standouts, thanks to her vulnerability and smooth vocals. Watching her own performance was no doubt a unique experience, and she recently spoke to how the Disney+ movie affected her perspective. As Soo put it,
I think from playing her and especially now having watched the film and looking back at that whole experience, I feel like the biggest things I’ve learned from her are, what it means to be a listener, how can I be a better listener? What it means to be an advocate and how can I advocate better? And what it means to educate and to educate others. And how can I educate.
Despite knowing the character of Eliza extremely well, it looks like Disney+'s Hamilton still managed to teach Phillipa Soo a few things. Eliza is a beacon of kindness and light, and there are a few traits in her that Soo hopes to keep in her life moving forward. The best of wives and best of women, indeed.
Hamilton is available exclusively on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.
Phillipa Soo's comments come from her appearance on Disney+'s Hamilton: History Has Its Eyes On You. The documentary examines the historical accuracy of Lin-Manuel Miranda's work, and features interviews with the iconic principal cast. This includes Phillipa Soo herself, who played Hamilton's leading lady in both the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions. Soo earned a Tony nomination for her role, and watching her own performance was clearly enlightening.
From Phillipa Soo's comments, it seems like she wants to try and emulate her Hamilton character in real life. Throughout the course of the show, Eliza is proven to be empathetic, forgiving, and kind. The finale reveals all the ways she worked and honored her husband's legacy, including advocacy work. It's that advocacy and ability to listen that stuck out to Soo while watching Hamilton on Disney+ and seeing her own performance in full.
Hamilton covers so much ground and is so dense that the Disney+ movie is basically begging for re-watches. This is likely why the conversation around the show continues weeks after Hamilton became available to stream. The filmed stage production has also had the ability to surprise and effect its cast, which shows how much is packed into the runtime.
Hamilton is currently streaming over on Disney+. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
