When Hamilton first graced the Broadway stage with its modern spin on the story of the fairly unknown founding father, the people loved it. The show won 11 Tony Awards in 2016 and is continually hailed as “revolutionary” and “a modern day masterpiece”. With this success, came an almost impossible task of getting tickets to see the show live. Sources also say that “the average cost for a Hamilton ticket before Miranda’s [the show’s creator and star] announced departure was $1,159″. This doesn’t include the cost of actually getting to New York City to see the show, or soon after one of the select cities tours visited. Soon after its Broadway success, multiple tours began, taking Hamilton around the United States and worldwide. Also bringing original Chicago and West End London shows, the musical was only getting bigger. In February of 2020, creator of the show Lin-Manuel Miranda announced a “pro-shot” of the original Broadway cast would be available to subscribers on Disney+ in late 2021. Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, as well as the announcement of the further breaks for Broadway shows announced lasting until July 2021, the release of the film was changed to July 3, 2020, over a year earlier than first announced.

When the pro-shot was announced, I was pleasantly surprised. Like many others, I was excited to be able to watch one of my favourite Broadway shows with the original cast that I knew I would never have the chance to see in person. Miranda and Disney brought this show to my home, but I did always question how this would impact the attendance at a live show. Now that people could see the original cast, the cream of the crop of Hamilton performers from the comfort and safety of their homes, would people continue to pay more money to see a touring cast perform the same show? To my pleasant surprise, it seems like yes, they will.

In Toronto, Hamilton will be playing at the Princess of Wales Theatre for over 6 months, extended until August 2023 due to high demand for tickets. Shows are continually sold out, including shows on typically slower weekday evenings. Queueing systems have been put into place to facilitate the ticket sales, and advance tickets to certain subscribers are being offered to ensure certain groups are able to get tickets. While these shows do include folks who purchased tickets before the shut down of the Ed Mirvish shows in March 2020, returning to see the show they missed, both the nature of the show continually selling out, as well as the high demand for tickets resulting in an extension of the show’s residency proves this pro-shot did not hinder the success of the in person show.

I do wonder how many people viewed the pro-shot on Disney+ and decided against seeing the touring company live in Toronto. But I also wonder how many more people were able to see the show, who would not have been able to see it due to financial circumstances, travel time to the nearest city playing the show, or even ticket availability. As mentioned in my comparison of the film Singin’ in the Rain and the theatre version, there is something unique in the exclusivity of live theatre, of being in the very room where the magic happens night after night. But with this exclusivity, there also comes a very real barrier, preventing many people from seeing the show live. With the pro-shot, anyone with a Disney+ subscription could view the show, with some of the best Broadway performers performing live in their homes. This is even more important for a show like Hamilton, that boasts its diverse cast and acting as a trailblazer for diversity on the Broadway stage, yet also exists as such an iconic show that it becomes almost impossible for many people to be able to see. With the pro-shot, a family or a group of friends, for just the price of a Disney+ subscription (or free if timed perfectly with a free trial) are able to see the show, regardless of their location, or means to pay the absurd price of a ticket to see the show live.

On top of the availability of the show on Disney+, Hamilton productions always put a set amount of seats aside to be sold through a lottery system for just $10 each, the bill in the United States featuring Alexander Hamilton himself. Hence the name, Ham4Ham. It costs nothing to enter the lottery, and there is no penalty for losing, or for turning down the ticket if one wins. All that is required is an account on the lottery website, and anyone can enter. Although seemingly impossible to win in New York City, there is still the chance for one to see the show for a price less than the price of a movie ticket, getting to experience the show live and in person.

I was lucky enough to see the show in Toronto twice before the beginning of the pandemic, once with family and once, on the final performance in March 2020, with a friend. I was also lucky to see the show recently post restrictions, sitting in the very first row, after winning a pair of $10 lottery tickets. The process was easy, and the tickets truly were just $10 each. I have also watched Hamilton on Disney+, multiple times, and can say that each experience has been so vastly different. I applaud Miranda and those behind Hamilton for making their show accessible, allowing anyone with a Disney+ subscription to see their show. Further, the Ham4Ham lottery, while sometimes seemingly impossible to win, allows for a lucky few fans each night to see the show for an affordable price, from some of the best seats in the house. While it can be difficult for fans of theatre to see this shift in the live performance world, moving towards the pro-shot and availability of shows on streaming services, this increased accessibility seems to not hinder tickets sales and show success, but rather perpetuate an environment of increased access and inclusivity to the once very exclusive world of Broadway and theatre musicals.

Hamilton is playing in Toronto at the Princess of Wales Theatre until August 2023. The lottery is open each week on both the official Hamilton app, as well as luckyseat.com. The Hamilton pro-shot is available to stream on Disney+ in Canada.