star wars the force awakens lin manuel miranda

Miranda worked on 'Hamilton'- a project people, including his mentor Steven Sondheim, told him would never work - for years. Miranda has said that Hamilton reminded him of rapper Tupac Shakur, which is how he came up with the idea for a diverse hip hop musical about Hamilton's life. 'It was, he thought, a hip-hop story, an immigrant’s story.' 'Miranda saw Hamilton’s relentlessness, brilliance, linguistic dexterity, and self-destructive stubbornness through his own idiosyncratic lens,' wrote The New Yorker in 2015. He was inspired to write a hip-hop musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton after reading the 2004 biography 'Alexander Hamilton' by historian Ron Chernow. Miranda began working on 'Hamilton' in 2009. By then, Miranda was already two years into his work on his biggest hit, 'Hamilton.' “In the Heights' won four Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score, and the show ended its run in 2011. The show received mostly positive reviews, with many critics noting Miranda's emotional lyrics as its strength. After a run in Connecticut in 2005, 'In the Heights' made its premiere on Broadway in February 2008, when Miranda was 28 years-old.

The lively musical combines hip hop with salsa and Latin sounds, and is set in the Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights, a Hispanic-American neighborhood close to where Miranda grew up.Īfter the show's debut, Miranda was approached about expanding the show into a Broadway production. The show was added to Wesleyan's student theater company, Second Stage, and played in April 2000. Miranda wrote an early draft of his first musical, 'In the Heights,' when he was a sophomore in 1999. Miranda's non-stop work ethic started in college at Wesleyan University. Here, we've profiled the rise of Miranda's booming career, to see how he did it and how he continues to aim higher every day: In 2017, Miranda was (and continues to be) an outspoken advocate for hurricane relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which brought devastation to Puerto Rico in September. In addition to his passion for hip hop-infused musicals that bring diversity to the often white-dominated entertainment industry, Miranda expertly uses his platform and fame for the greater good. An Oscar win would award Miranda the coveted EGOT: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. “Hamilton” consistently sells out all 1,321 seats at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City and its touring productions across the country and in London.Īt 37, Miranda has won a Pulitzer Prize, an Emmy, three Tonys, and two Grammys. Miranda’ relentless, non-stop work ethic - which is reflective of founding father Alexander Hamilton, whom Miranda admires so much he wrote an entire musical about him - has gotten him far in the entertainment industry, even though people he trusted told him to give up on 'Hamilton' while he was working on it.īut Miranda kept perfecting his passion project, and it paid off - literally. He also wrote and starred in 'In the Heights,' a musical combining hip hop and salsa that he started to work on while he was in college. Tickets are still hundreds of dollars (or thousands on resale websites), and have to be purchased months in advance.īut 'Hamilton' wasn't Miranda's first big hit. It ranks among classics like 'The Phantom of the Opera,' 'The Lion King,' and 'Wicked.'Īt the end of 2017, and with a mostly new cast, 'Hamilton' is still one of the most popular shows on Broadway.

'Hamilton,' which he wrote and starred in, made its Off-Broadway debut in 2015, and it quickly became one of the most popular and most profitable musicals of all time. After creating 'Hamilton' he became a household name, and his career has skyrocketed in the years since as he's continued to keep busy. Lin-Manuel Miranda seemingly came out of nowhere.

The success of 'Hamilton' has led to a promising career writing music for movies like 'Moana' and 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens.'.

Miranda's unconventional blend of musical theater and hip hop, as well as a passion for diverse representation in the entertainment industry, has transformed musical theater as we know it.

Miranda worked on 'Hamilton' for years, and it became one of the biggest musicals of all time.

Lin-Manuel Miranda rose to fame for his Broadway musical, 'Hamilton.'.

Star wars the force awakens lin manuel miranda