Why “Be Our Guest” Was the Perfect Addition to Hamilton’s First Act

Diehard Hamilton fans may have noticed something a little different in Act I of Hamilton on Disney+. So who made the decision to include Be Our Guest, and why did it work so well?

“I just wanted to tip my cap to Disney,” Lin Manuel-Miranda told us in an exclusive sit-down. “Without Bob Iger and the Disney Corporation, Hamilton would have faded into obscurity after its incredibly successful run in the Richard Rodgers Theater, 11 Tony awards, and countless touring companies. Disney gave us the opportunity to keep the magic alive, and keep Hamilton going.”

Those familiar with the play got the unexpected surprise of Marquis du Lafayette singing “Be Our Guest” to the Schuyler sisters in between “Right Hand Man” and “A Winter’s Ball.”

“Iger told me one day ‘Lin, it’s a good play and all, but it feels a little incomplete. How did the Schuyler sisters end up at the same ball as our beloved rebels? Maybe you can add something about that. Maybe it can be a Disney song. Maybe we won’t publish it if it’s not.’ I just couldn’t argue with that!”

While it might feel a little clunky to you Hamilton nuts out there, my family thought it worked perfectly and that it brought that Disney magic to a show that was so sorely missing it. In fact, it was one of the few moments I was able to get my son to pay attention. Adding that familiarity helped capture the younger audience, and we would be lying if we said we weren’t disappointed by the fact that there weren’t more opportunities to have a family sing-a-long. We’ve written several letters to the Disney Corporation pleading for a family-friendly re-release with a young King George singing “I just Can’t Wait to be King” in the first act, and Aaron Burr singing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” to Hamilton instead of dueling. If you would like to join the campaign, please write to TWDS.Global.Communications@disney.com.

Editor’s Note: Bob Iger is no longer the CEO of the Disney Corporation.