As an actor, I admire people who change the game of theatre. One of those individuals currently transforming the theatre is Lin-Manuel Miranda. He, to paraphrase Miley Cyrus, "Came in like a wrecking ball," to the 21st-century theatre scene. Miranda appeared for an interview on the podcast "Theatre People" (one I listen to religiously), where he spoke about how he had developed his groundbreaking show "In the Heights" in 2003, when he premiered an initial reading for it in the basement of the Drama Bookshop, in NYC. The show starred the little-known actress Kerry Washington, that's right. (Kind of like Olivia Pope starring in the TV series, "Scandal.")
From the basement of the Drama Bookshop, after years of rewrites and plot development, Miranda's work finally premiered on Broadway. The show alone portrayed a rare formula never seen before on the Broadway stage. Miranda stated the "formula" was 70 percent musical theatre and 30 percent hip-hop music, which has never been done. Miranda also talked about the way Latinos are portrayed in hip-hop culture. During an interview, Miranda said the other two of his shows focused on the Latino experience, which "West Side Story" and "The Capeman," while both genius, "only focused on Latinos as gang members." This is the exact opposite perspective Miranda wanted to convey. He achieved the viewpoint flawlessly with his work in "Heights."
Now, Miranda is back with "Hamilton," loosely inspired by the biography of Alexander Hamilton, written by the notable author, Ron Chernow. Miranda said Chernow's book "read like a Dickens novel" and "by the end of the first chapter, [he] knew that it was gonna be [his] next show." Lin-Manuel Miranda has altered the theatre production game with "Hamilton." Earlier this month, "Hamilton" won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, a very rare occasion for a musical play. Only nine musicals have ever won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, which makes the "Hamilton" fever only more contagious. Miranda has also won the MacArthur Genius Grant for his work in "Hamilton," along with numerous other accolades and critical acclaim.
The significant component making "Hamilton" special is that it's simply not a group of white men and women provoking our founding fathers. Miranda is transforming the theatre scene into a more diverse and accepting community to be a part of. In regards to the "formula" the show provided, Miranda said he flipped it for this piece, making it 70 percent hip-hop and 30 percent musical theatre. The decision served him well.
As a performer, what I find most gratifying about this show, is how "human" the cast is. For example, Miranda decided to give audience members who couldn't obtain a coveted ticket to the show (which is most people in this world) a small performance as they entered the lottery for tickets. Miranda calls it "Ham4Ham," something extremely rare for a Broadway production. Miranda and his cast also honor many influential people in the world, like the recently deceased artist, Prince, who continues to inspire both Miranda and his crew.
Lin-Manuel Miranda has achieved great milestones with both of his staged productions on Broadway. I, for one, am beyond thrilled to see what will be Miranda's next influential and genius work that he has planned for the future of the theatre.
