Hamilton Animal Crossing Scene Recreations Are Accurate & Adorable
An Animal Crossing: New Horizons player has brought the fandom to the next level by accurately and adoably recreating scenes from the hit musical Hamilton in his game. The attention to detail combined with his cute cast of villagers makes the photo series a perfect tribute to the Tony-winning Broadway musical.
Hamilton, written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, premiered on Broadway in 2015, and has since gained a steady following. Its popularity comes from its ingenuity as a contemporary, hip-hop musical about one of the country's founding fathers, as well as its mostly POC cast. Earlier this year, Miranda and Disney announced that a performance featuring the original Broadway cast had been recorded in 2016 and would be released in theaters in 2021. However, in the midst of the continued COVID-19 pandemic keeping many quarantined at home, Disney moved the release date up to July 3 2020 and made the movie available exclusively on Disney+. More people than ever were allowed access to the musical, and new and old fans alike were captivated.
Twitter user Rheiret was particularly taken with the musical and, by using Harv's Island to its fullest potential, recreated iconic moments from each of Hamilton's songs in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. He went through each of Hamilton's 46 songs and picked out the most iconic moment from each to recreate, hardly sparing any details. His own player character stars as Hamilton, and features the long ponytail and facial hair that Miranda himself sported when he played the titular role. He double-cast his villagers, exactly how they are cast in the musical - for instance, Lucky plays both John Laurens and Hamilton's son Phillip (possibly an ironic casting, too, considering the fates of both characters), and Lucy is cast as Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds.
Harv's Island gives players the freedom to stage perfect photos by letting them arrange their villagers and the furniture they own or have made. Players can control everything from where their villagers stand, to the emotions on their faces, to their clothes. Using this unique tool, Rheiret even managed to mimic the sparse, wooden Hamilton set by using wooden bunk bed items and bookcases. It's an accurate portrayal that brings a touch of levity to even the musical's saddest moments, thanks to the cast of cute villagers.
Many Animal Crossing creators were taking inspiration from Hamilton even before the musical was readily available on Disney+, though the movie's premiere has added to the poignant and often hilarious fan memes and references. During a time when everything, including theatrical productions, has been put on hold, Hamilton is instilling a love and appreciation for the medium and inspiring other media fans to be creative. Whether it's traditional art or carefully constructed pictures in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the need for shared artistic endeavors is more important than ever, and it may prove essential if theater and the arts are ever going to return strongly.
Source: Rheiret