By now, if you have any friends who are theatre enthusiasts, or tend to explore different Pandora stations, you have heard about a musical that has taken Broadway by storm. It is about a founding father's rise and fall, and how there is more to his story than just his death.
Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York, New York is home to this work of art, and it's name is Hamilton: An American Musical.
Hamilton: An America Musical was created by Latino actor, lyricist, playwright and rapper, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also stars as Alexander Hamilton in the show, until July 9th that is. Miranda came up with the idea for this show around the time he went on vacation to Mexico a number of years ago while he was reading Ron Chernow's biography, Alexander Hamilton. This musical opened in The Public Theatre in February 2015, where shows were already sold out from the beginning and it was difficult to get tickets for showings later in the year. August of 2015 is when the show moved to Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway and the rest is history.
Now, I could go on and on about this show. I could talk about how wonderful the music is, how rapping occurs on stage and how popular Lin-Manuel Miranda's twitter account seems to be, but this article has another purpose.
This article is about the woman next to Hamilton, Vanessa Nadal.
Now, for those of you who know the show and about the life of Alexander Hamilton, you probably thought I was going to say Eliza or Angelica when referring to the woman next to Hamilton. Of course, these are two women who stood next to Alexander Hamilton, but I'm talking about the woman who stands next to the man who plays him in this show.
Vanessa Nadal is Lin-Manuel Miranda's wife.
Miranda and Nadal both attended Hunter College High School in Upper Manhattan, Miranda being two years older than Nadal. He thought she was beautiful back then, but never thought she would go for him.
"Ms. Nadal, who lived in Washington Heights, was mathematical, opinionated, a great dancer and independent. She did not sit in any particular spot on the red brick steps. “She was never looking to be popular,” Ms. Weidman said. “She danced her way through the hallways and studied like crazy for exams.”
After high school, Miranda went to Wesleyan University and Nadal attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), later becoming a scientist. In 2005, Miranda found Nadal on FaceBook and found out she enjoyed salsa dancing as a pastime, so he invited her to his Freestyle Love Supreme show and the rest is history (just like with Hamilton)...well, once Miranda actually talked to the talented scientist, that is.
Opposites attract? Quite possibly this is the way to put it for Miranda and Nadal. As well as her degree from MIT, Nadal now has a law degree from Fordham University School of Law and is someone that is very mathematical and precise. It takes people time to see how she is feeling, which is something that hasn't been too difficult for Miranda to understand. Nadal has always been supportive of his endeavors, which in public (and I'm certain in private as well) he makes known, like during the 2008 Tony Awards when he rapped, "Vanessa, who still leaves me breathless, thanks for loving me when I was broke and making breakfast." He also publicly thanked her and expressed his appreciation for her during the Tony Awards this year during one of his acceptance speeches.
Nadal has been a driving force in Miranda's perseverance to work on In The Heights and to create Hamilton: An American Musical. Her presence in his life is something you can see greatly impacts and inspires him, and his presence also does the same for her. As well, you are able to see that he is supportive of her and her path in life as well as in her career as a mother, a lawyer and a scientist.
They are a team.
They work together.
They support each other.
They have flaws and I would imagine life has it's ups and downs for them just like it does for everyone else, but one is able to admire the respect they have for one another.
Vanessa Nadal has a prominite career ahead of her as a lawyer, if she chooses to continue it in the future, and she is definitely a force to be reckoned with. She has more experience in different areas than one is able to write down, which can be seen by looking at her impressive LinkedIn profile. She can speak both Spanish and English, and has used that skill to work with clients at the law firm she works for. Additionally, she is known for her nonprofit work. Vanessa Nadal is a career woman, a mother and a wife. As well, in a time where more and more women are attending college and being promoted in their jobs, Nadal is someone to look to as a role model, especially in that she is a Latino woman. She has worked diligently from the very beginning to get to where she is today, and there is no stopping her whatsoever.
So here's to you Vanessa, and to all women like you around the world.
The quote and other information on Nadal and Miranda found in this article can be found in the New York Times article by Lois Smith Brady called Vows, which is about their love story. Here is the link to it: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/12/fashion/weddings...
For more information on the show, there is a Wikipedia page that offers a good synopsis, but one must do more research on it than that, I suggest listening to the soundtrack to start!
