Hamilton, a name so famous it’s certain everyone has heard it at least once before, and not just from a ten-dollar bill. ]But what exactly is it, and why does it have so many people enraptured in it years after its debut?

The earliest iteration of Hamilton was Lin-Manuel Miranda’s performance at the White House in 2009, following an invitation from President Obama after the success of his musical “In the Heights.” When receiving a warm response to his short musical performance at the White House, Lin-Manuel decided to scrap the idea of just releasing an album on the founding father and instead began a new draft for a live performance show.

Lin-Manuel Manuel involved his friends, and it quickly became a passion project for them. From a short White House performance, to a chaotic group passion project, and finally to the 16th-longest-running Broadway show in history.

For anyone who has not yet seen the musical, it is worth it to see in theaters currently – there’s a reason it won 11 Tony Awards and is a Pulitzer Prize Drama recipient (2016). Showing in theaters since Friday, September 5th, the dramatic retelling of Alexander Hamilton’s life is one full of surprises and emotion that leaves the audience in awe at the founding father’s compelling life story.

There are plenty of notable features in the cast, such as Phillipa Soo as Eliza Schuyler, Christoper Jackson as George Washington, Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, and more, who enrapture the viewer with their raw talent in both acting and singing.

The humor blended with the energetic synergy of the cast create a lively performance—among the already passionate soundtrack—that pulls the viewer in with a deep interest in the historical figures, both their play and real life counterparts.

For anyone that’s had the pleasure of already watching the play, it’s completely worth it to go watch it in theaters, there’s a sing along version for fans and special interviews at the beginning with the original cast expressing their love for the show, its creation, and its fans.

The film version of the musical is cut into two acts with a ten minute intermission in between. Act one introduces the audience to the characters and sets the stage for Hamilton’s early life, while Act two is based on Hamilton’s late life. It takes the viewer through Alexander Hamilton’s entire life from a young start to an abrupt finish.

Despite Hamilton’s three-hour duration, the play does a wonderful job of never dragging or rushing the story. The play is incredible at flooding the viewers’ senses with both artistic visual choreography and creative set choices that have the eyes wandering to capture every detail.

Since Hamilton’s official debut at the Richard Rodgers Theater in 2015, the musical has stuck with many. Its unique integration of hip-hop, rap, and vocal layering are all aspects that keep people coming. Hamilton is nonstop, from touring around North America this summer to returning original cast member Leslie Odom Jr. coming back this September as Aaron Burr.

So whether the viewer is going for the first time or for a rewatch, it’s certain they will leave the theater as a fan aching from a three-hour film while humming the entire discography.