Tag Archives: Alexander Hamilton

Miranda’s Broadway Hit Musical “Hamilton” Heading to Chicago

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Lin-Manuel Miranda is taking his show on the road…

Broadway juggernaut Hamilton, created and starring the 35-year-old Puerto Rican composer/lyricist and actor, will begin performances on September 27, 2016, at the PrivateBank Theatre (formerly the Bank Of America Theatre), leading off its Broadway In Chicago subscription season.

Hamilton

The show was inspired by the 2004 biography Alexander Hamilton by historian Ron Chernow.

Broadway in Chicago is a 15-year-old program of the Nederlander Organization, which also owns Hamilton‘s Broadway venue, the Richard Rodgers Theatre.

BIC books shows for five Chicago theaters, including the Oriental and Cadillac Palace, along with the PrivateBank. Flexibility in programming the varied venues will allow for the run of Hamilton to be open-ended.

Additionally, a London production of Hamilton is in the works and will be announced shortly.

Miranda Contributes Cantina Music for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

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The Force has awakened Lin-Manuel Miranda…

The 35-year-old Puerto Rican actor, composer and writer, currently earning raves on Broadway for his latest award-winning musical, Hamilton, has partnered with Star Wars’ latest direct J.J. Abrams to make some music.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Theater and sci-fi geeks alike freaked when Abrams let the news slip on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon (Nov. 30), revealing that Miranda will be lending his talents to new cantina music for Episode VII, aka Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

“I go to see [Hamilton] with our son and at intermission, Lin-Manuel Miranda comes up to me and says, ‘Hey if you need music for the [Star Wars] Cantina, I’ll write it,” recalls Abrams. He notes that composer John Williams, who helmed the original cantina scene in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, declined to tackle the task this go-round.

Miranda, who’s Hamilton is currently dominating Broadway — and the Billboard charts — with its R&B, pop and rap-influenced take on the story of Alexander Hamilton, described the process via Twitter.

“We did. Worked on it between 6pm & 7:30 on 2 show days for the past 2 months. JJ is the best. Can’t wait to see,” tweeted the In The Heights creator to his followers.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens in theaters in three weeks (opening December18).

Miranda is responsible for Disney’s upcoming animated film Moana. His other composing credits include The Electric Company and Sesame Street.

Miranda Proves He’s a Freestyle Genuis on the “Tonight Show”

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Lin-Manuel Miranda has massive (free)style…

The 35-year-old Puerto Rican composer, rapper, lyricist, and actor stopped by the Tonight Show last week to discuss Hamilton, his smash hit Broadway musical that features a diverse cast performing hip-hop about American history.

Lin-Manuel Miranda & Jimmy Fallon

Miranda first outlined the eventful life of Alexander Hamilton, the founding father who was an immigrant, established the country’s treasury and was killed by fellow politician Aaron Burr in a duel.

“The vice president shot him! Dick Cheney was not the first VP to shoot his friend!” he joked to host Jimmy Fallon.

The Hamilton creator and star, who recorded Fallon’s outgoing voicemail message, then discussed the viral phenomenon behind the chart-topping soundtrack, produced by The Roots‘ Questlove and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter.

Prior to that, “musical theater and pop haven’t been friends for so long, they don’t know each other anymore,” said Miranda, who recently partnered with the Rockefeller Foundation to offer student tickets to the production’s matinees.

Miranda then helped Fallon debut the Tonight Show “Freestyle Generator” for a rap battle opposite Black Thought.

In the first round, he managed to spontaneously mention “rainbow,” “pancake” and “slam dunk” between references to Drake and Michael Jordan. A second round had him effortlessly connecting “dinosaur,” “pumpkin pie” and “Darth Vader.”

Meanwhile, Black Thought waxed poetic about Mars, hot pockets and Channing Tatum.

Miranda’s Musical “Hamilton” Wins Seven Drama Desk Awards

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Lin-Manuel Miranda is celebrating a little excess drama…

The 35-year-old Puerto Rican composer, rapper, lyricist, and actor’s latest project, the musical Hamilton, won seven Drama Desk awards including best new musical, on Sunday night.

Lin-Manuel Miranda

In addition to taking home one of the night’s the top honors, Miranda picked up three individual awards: Outstanding Music, Outstanding Lyrics and Outstanding Book of a Musical.

Hamilton, which won’t be eligible for the Pulitzer Prize or Tony Award nominations until next season, is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton.

First presented at the Public Theater, Hamilton already had won the best musical award from the New York Drama Critics Circle, the OBIEs, the Lucille Lortel, the Outer Critics Circle and the Off-Broadway Alliance.

The show’s prize-winning juggernaut comes in advance of its July transfer to Broadway.

Unlike the Tony Awards, which are limited to Broadway productions, the Drama Desk, which comprises writers and editors from publications that cover theater, considers shows that opened off-Broadway as well.

Here is the complete list of winners:

Outstanding Play
Simon Stephens, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Musical
Hamilton 

Outstanding Revival of a Play
The Elephant Man

Outstanding Revival of a Musical
The King And I

Outstanding Actor in a Play
Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Actress in a Play
Helen Mirren, The Audience

Outstanding Actor in a Musical
Robert Fairchild, An American In Paris

Outstanding Actress in a Musical
Kristin Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play
Todd Freeman, Airline Highway

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It With You

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
Christian Borle, Something Rotten!

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical
Renée Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton

Outstanding Director of a Play
Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Director of a Musical
Thomas Kail, Hamilton

Outstanding Choreography
Christopher Wheeldon, An American In Paris 

Outstanding Music
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Outstanding Lyrics
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Outstanding Book of a Musical
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton

Outstanding Orchestrations
Christopher Austin, An American In Paris

Outstanding Music in a Play
Arthur Solari & Jane Shaw, Tamburlaine The Great 

Outstanding Revue
Just Jim Dale 

Outstanding Set Design
Bob Crowley, An American In Paris

Outstanding Costume Design
Catherine Zuber, Gigi 

Outstanding Lighting Design
Paule Constable, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Projection Design
Finn Ross, The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical
Nevin Steinberg, Hamilton

Outstanding Sound Design in a Play
Ian Dickinson (for Autograph), The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time

Outstanding Solo Performance
Benjamin Scheuer, The Lion 

Unique Theatrical Experience
Queen of the Night

Special Awards:

Outstanding ensemble, A. R. Gurney’s The Wayside Motor Inn: Kelly AuCoin, Jon DeVries, Quincy Dunn-Baker, Rebecca Henderson, Marc Kudisch, Jenn Lyon, Lizbeth Mackay, David McElwee, Ismenia Mendes and Will Pullen.

Bess Wohl, the Sam Norkin Off-Broadway Award: For establishing herself as an important voice in New York theater, and having a breakthrough year with the eclectic American Hero, Pretty Filthy and Small Mouth Sounds.

John Douglas Thompson: For invigorating theater in New York through his commanding presence, classical expertise, and vocal prowess in Tamburlaine the Great and The Iceman Cometh.

Ensemble Studio Theatre: For its unwavering commitment to producing new works by American playwrights since 1968.

Andy Blankenbuehler: For his inspired and heart-stopping choreography.