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When I first caught wind of the phenomenon that is Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical about the life of American ‘founding father’ Alexander Hamilton, I was a little perplexed. I knew almost nothing of Hamilton the man, other than a vague knowledge that he had indeed been one of the early American leaders not to become President.

When I was in New York on exchange in 2016, Hamilton was the buzzy musical. Everyone was talking about it, advertisements for it were everywhere and the zeitgeist had proclaimed it the great American musical of the 21^st century (so far). Not thinking I would get the chance to see the extremely exclusive show on Broadway, I contented myself with listening to the cast album, to see what all the fuss was about.

My first experience with the cast album had me feeling a bit strange. I was a bit thrown off by the pace – the lyrics, songs and storyline move at such a breakneck speed that it can be hard to keep up with any of them. While I consider myself a musical theatre fan, I sometimes find the corniness or sincerity of much of it a bit off-putting, and, at first listen, Hamilton seemed to really lean in to that side of things.

It was only after I committed myself to listening to the cast album in full, in the order in which it is presented, that I began to see (or rather, hear) the attraction. The storyline flows, admittedly very quickly, but so cleverly and with such flair and entertainment that it is an almost undeniable pleasure. The blending of traditional stage musical gravitas and pomp with modern music, notably hip-hop and R&B infused, is an ingenious contribution, giving songs as varied as ‘My Shot’ and the Beyonce inspired ‘Helpless’ that incredible ability to stay in your head for literally days after a listen.

Towards the end of my time in New York, I managed to snag a (comparatively) reasonably - although still ridiculously expensive - ticket to see the stage show. I was simply blown away. The story itself is over 200 years old and indeed tragic, but it is told which such new life by Miranda and his cast of racially and ethnically diverse actors (the cast is as diverse as the early American leaders were not), that so intriguingly embody the contradictions inherent in not only America's founding, but its very volatile and contested present. The sheer pace of it astounds. My first impression was partially correct, in that there is barely a moment to catch your breath. The idea that such a dynamic and innovative production could have come largely from the mind of one man (Miranda) simply, to use a phrase familiar to fans of the show, 'blows you away'.

A filmed version of the stage show will be released on Disney+ to stream on Friday the 3^rd of July. I am interested to see how the show translates on film, but am more than anything so excited to relive it in a visual form. And I am even more excited that so many millions of people who weren't as stupidly lucky as me will get to see it in some form. Check it out.