A Revolution On Broadway – Lin-Manuel Miranda

With a list of jobs that requires many commas, Lin-Manuel Miranda was able to captivate audiences from Broadway to Seoul with his work on the 2008 musical, In The Heights. While taking a much needed break from the show the actor, composer, playwright, rapper, lyricist purchased Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton at an airport bookstore. It would eventually inspire the 2015 highly acclaimed hip-hop infused musical, Hamilton.

The Puerto Rican Miranda, who was born in New York City, connected with Hamilton who immigrated from the Caribbean to New York as well. “I connected with [his] journey,” Miranda told ‘LLERO. “It was my father’s journey when he first came to New York…speaking no English, and ready to go to school.”

Miranda’s mission to tell Hamilton’s story in a contemporary way began with a couple of rap songs, because, as he told a room full of guests when he performed the song “Alexander Hamilton” at the White House Evening of Poetry in the spring of ’09, Hamilton “embodies hip-hop.”

“At first, everyone laughed,” Miranda recalled. “A musical about Alexander Hamilton? Then, when they heard the first song, they were captivated,” he said.

Fast forward six years later and Miranda’s dream for a musical narrative on the life of the $10 founding father is now one of the hottest tickets on Broadway. Miranda’s ingenious production earned eight Drama Desk Awards during its Off-Broadway days and is being considered for several Tony Awards.

In October, Miranda also released the show’s soundtrack with the help of The Roots Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson.

As though he weren’t busy enough, Miranda was also named a MacArthur “Genius” by the foundation for his vision in broadening musical theatre. The playwright also plans to contribute part of the $625,000 grant to the Mariposa Center in the Dominican Republic, which focuses on helping adolescent girls, and Graham Windham in New York, an organization founded by Hamilton’s wife, Elizabeth, which also helps children in need.

Up next Miranda will be working on Disney’s new animated film, Moana, and also plans on taking Hamilton on the road.

Image credit: Walter McBride