A Parent’s Guide to Hamilton: An American Musical

Hamilton, the Broadway sensation that took the world by storm, is coming to Disney+ on July 3. If you’re wondering if this show is appropriate to watch with your children, here are a few things to consider.

POSITIVES
It is a history lesson like no other.
Watching Hamilton could be one of the most interesting history lessons you could give your kids. After all, it’s not often that you can find the Founding Fathers discussing the concept of neutrality in a rap battle! The storyline is inspired by and based on the book, Alexander Hamilton, by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Ron Chernow. While Lin-Manual Miranda took some liberties in imagining how the situations played out, the history behind the musical is sound.

It is a true piece of art.
Musical theater is a delight for any lover of the arts because it takes so many skills and wraps them into one package. Hamilton is no exception. Every artistic detail of the musical is high quality and innovative, from the moving set pieces to the creativity of the lyrics and the mesmerizing choreography. This piece of art has turned even the most unlikely among us into history buffs.

NEGATIVES
Violence takes center stage.
Much of the story takes place during the Revolutionary War, so themes of violence are prevalent. In addition to the war, both Hamilton’s son and Hamilton himself die in a pistol dual. The storyline takes us through the escalation that leads to that violence.

The story includes infidelity.
While Alexander Hamilton was notable for many commendable things, he was also guilty of being unfaithful to his wife. The musical deals with themes of both emotional infidelity, as Hamilton expresses a connection with and desire for his wife’s sister throughout the play, and physical infidelity when he sleeps with another married woman in the second act. The scene where Hamilton falls into this physical temptation has an overt sexual tone though there is never on-screen nudity.

Some adult language remains.
Thanks to Disney+, some of the adult language of Hamilton has been edited or beeped out; however, some strong language remains.