It’s been almost a month since “Hamilton” debuted on Disney Plus, but debates about the show’s ending — and Eliza’s final gasp — are still happening. The latest person to weigh in on the debate is the original Eliza Hamilton actress, Philippa Soo.
“Hamilton” fans have come up with a number of theories to explain the musical’s ambiguous ending. Some have suggested that the gasp that ends the show is Eliza’s final breath, while others believe it is the fourth wall breaking and Eliza getting to see the audience, according to Variety.
Earlier this month, “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote about the moment on Twitter without endorsing any theory in particular. “The Gasp is The Gasp is The Gasp,” Miranda tweeted. “I love all interpretations.”
Soo talked about the musical’s ending during an interview on SiriusXM’s “The Jess Cagle Show” on Wednesday and shared her own thoughts on the moment, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“I would not be able to tell you what I was thinking precisely in that (2016) moment when it was shot. Night to night it was different,” Soo said, according to THR.
“But yes, the character of Eliza sees Hamilton or sees that legacy or sees that orphanage ... or sees her kids telling her story. It was an exploration for me everyday because you do a show eight times a week for a year and you find new things every single time.”
Soo also spoke about filming the musical for Disney Plus, explaining her state of mind in that specific moment, according to HuffPost.
“I can imagine in my mind, because we shot the film a couple of weeks before I had left the show, that a lot of that you’re seeing is not only that show or that performance, but it’s that year and that moment in time and the hope and the potential that lived in that moment when we were all in that room and seeing that show and being a part of it,” said Soo, according to HuffPost.
The filmed version of “Hamilton” debuted on July 3 and is still available to watch on Disney Plus.