How much did Hamilton change during its transfer to Broadway?

by Joanna S. Kao, @joannaskao | August 6, 2015

Hamilton just opened on Broadway to rave reviews. Given its positive reviews during its Off Broadway run at the Public Theater in the spring, it might not be a total surprise. But during its 95 days between productions, what changed in the show? I brought a stopwatch and timed each scene while watching both productions (Off Broadway on March 17 and Broadway on July 31), and almost every scene was timed identically (below, hover over each block to compare timings between the two performances).

This is a case where the type of data collected doesn't quite reflect the story that I initially wanted to tell. While every scene retained nearly the same timings from its Off Broadway run, the timings don't reflect on the content of the material. I felt as an audience member that there were sections of the show that were clearer in the Broadway run, and I preferred the Broadway ending more than the Off-Broadway ending, which I thought ended a little abruptly.

But what the data does show is that Lin-Manuel Miranda didn't shorten the show (at least significantly) between its Off Broadway run and its Broadway run. This confirms what he and director Thomas Kail said in a New York Times interview in February: “Asked if they believed their show could be shorter, Mr. Miranda and his director, Thomas Kail, said they were not counting the minutes but rather, as Mr. Kail put it, ‘trying to find the right number of events in the story and the most compelling way to tell the story.’”

I'd like to get more "data" on content (e.g. script or music changes), but it's harder to obtain and share that kind of information since it's a running show on Broadway, and will likely be out for awhile. But if there is information you've obtained and can share, please drop me a note!

For more information about other Broadway-related data projects, check out my Tumblr blog. If you would like to collaborate on future projects, let me know at joannaskao at gmail dot com.