Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Making of a Musical Innovator

The word "genius" is often applied to exceptionally talented artists, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, the composer, lyricist, director, and actor celebrated for creating the musical Hamilton, is no exception. Awarded a "genius grant" from the MacArthur Foundation, Miranda's talent has been lauded in publications like Smithsonian Magazine, The Guardian, and BuzzFeed. However, the concept of genius often implies a solitary and innate quality, a notion that doesn't fully capture Miranda's journey.

Early Life and Education

Lin-Manuel Miranda was born on January 16, 1980, in New York City to parents of Puerto Rican origin. His mother, Luz Towns-Miranda, is a clinical psychologist, and his father, Luis A. Miranda Jr., is a political consultant. Miranda grew up in Inwood, a Hispanic neighborhood in northern Manhattan, and was raised in a musically-oriented family. He has always been proud of those roots and it can be seen in many of his works. Both he and his sister took piano lessons and were encouraged by their parents, who loved the music of Broadway. Exposed to a wide range of musical genres, Lin-Manuel also developed a love of hip-hop, including the music of the Beastie Boys, Boogie Down Productions, and Eric B. & Rakim.

Miranda attended New York City’s Hunter College Elementary School and Hunter College High School. He performed in many of his school’s plays and musicals. He spoke English at school and Spanish at home with his family. In his years at Hunter College Elementary and High School, Lin-Manuel Miranda got used to being called “Lin.” It wasn’t just a nickname; the students and faculty at Hunter, an Upper East Side magnet school, tended to butcher “Manuel,” pronouncing it like manual (as in, instruction). Quick to adapt and eager to make people feel comfortable, he had a tendency to shapeshift to the identity that was most “useful” to whomever he was talking to.

Although Miranda is undeniably talented and works very, very hard, his superpower is that he cultivates, collaborates with - and is constantly learning from - a large group of creative friends.

College Years and the Genesis of In the Heights

After high school, Lin-Manuel Miranda moved to Connecticut to study theatrical arts at Wesleyan University. Miranda graduated from college in 2002. He began writing his first musical during his second year there. It was titled In The Heights. The show was set in Washington Heights. It’s the Hispanic neighborhood where Miranda grew up.

Miranda not only starred in the production, but he wrote the show’s music and lyrics as well. In the Heights was set in Washington Heights, featuring Latin sounds interwoven with more standard show tune fare. It is rare that one person writes both the music and the lyrics for a Broadway show. Usually, it takes two or three people to write the music and lyrics, a few people to do the dancing, or choreography, and then there’s the actors.

Miranda reflected on this struggle of identification in the 2009 PBS documentary “In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams,” explaining, “That question of finding home is not only a geographical one but really an emotional one… what does it mean to be Puerto Rican if you don’t live in Puerto Rico? Or Dominican, if you don’t live in the Dominican Republic?” The question followed him his sophomore year, as he started doodling the title In the Heights on class notes and picking out melodies in GarageBand. With only one song written, he decided to apply for the University’s Second Stage program, which would grant him a weekend of performances at the ’92 Theater, a student-run performance space on campus.

By Miranda’s count, only one musical phrase of that April 2000 performance of Heights remains in the show. Usnavi, the narrator and now-protagonist, only appeared in three scenes, and the plot hinged on a love triangle between Nina, Benny, and Lincoln (Nina’s closeted brother, who no longer exists in the script). But even in that early draft, Miranda captured something special: an aural portrait of a city and a celebration of a community. The show caught the attention of two soon-to-be grads who were planning to start a theater company, Back House Productions, in New York. They told Miranda they’d like to work on the show with him once he was out of school.

Early Career and In the Heights' Success

After graduating from Wesleyan in 2002, Miranda embarked on an acting career, appearing in films and on television. He also performed with a hip-hop improv group, Freestyle Love Supreme, around New York City and at festivals, including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The improv show Freestyle Love Supreme played on Broadway in 2019-20. With fellow Wesleyan alumnus Thomas Kail, he continued to develop In the Heights.

After several years of development (which included workshops at Manhattan Theatre Club and the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center), the trio gave Miranda, Kail and book writer Quiara Alegría Hudes (who came on board in 2004) a major vote of confidence: an off-Broadway run at the (since renamed) 37 Arts.

In The Heights made its Broadway debut in 2008. It was a success. It won four Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score. In the Heights had its Broadway debut in March 2008 and won four Tony Awards, including those for best musical and best original score.

The Hamilton Spark

In 2008, Miranda read the biography Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow. The book inspired him. Miranda began to think about what Hamilton’s story would look like as a musical. For six years, he studied the life of the Founding Father. "I had to learn a lot about American history that I didn’t know,” he told TIME for Kids.

While on vacation in 2008, Miranda picked up the 2004 Ron Chernow book Alexander Hamilton, an acclaimed biography of America’s first secretary of the treasury. He first presented a song from the future show in 2009, at the White House's first-ever Evening of Poetry & Spoken Word. The musical was also part of Lincoln Center Theater’s 2012 American Songbook Series and the New York Stage and Film’s 2013 Powerhouse Theatre Season at Vassar College. Hamilton eventually debuted at the Public Theater in early 2015, and just months later hit Broadway, racking up monumental advance ticket sales.

Hamilton: A Cultural Phenomenon

Hamilton opened off-Broadway in 2015 at the Public Theater, in New York. The sold-out show won more than 20 awards. It opened on Broadway in August 2015 and became a huge hit. in the show. He chose nonwhite actors to play the white historical figures. The show’s music was also unique. In 2016, Hamilton was awarded the respected Pulitzer Prize for Drama. His play also received a record 16 Tony Award nominations and took home 11 trophies.

The Broadway musical has become a must-see event, not only for for theater fans, but also for scores of famous figures, including President Barack Obama and musical icon Stephen Sondheim. In April 2016, Hamilton won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, and in May, the musical set a new record when it was nominated for 16 Tony Awards, the most in Broadway history. The production ultimately received 11 Tonys-just one short of the record-setting 12 wins had by The Producers.

Beyond Broadway: Film, Television, and Mentorship

After stepping off the Hamilton stage in 2016, Miranda composed the music for Disney’s animated movie Moana. Miranda sings the song "We Know the Way" in the film. He also recorded a duet with Jordan Fisher of the song "You're Welcome", which is played over the film's end credits.

Miranda has also worked in television. In 2007, he made a small appearance on the television series The Sopranos in the episode "Remember When", and in 2009, he played Juan "Alvie" Alvarez, Gregory House's roommate in a psychiatric hospital, in the two-hour season six premiere episode of House; he returned to the role in May 2010. For Sesame Street, he occasionally played roles and sang the theme song to the recurring segment Murray Has a Little Lamb. He was a composer and actor on the 2009 PBS Kids Go!

He met the late composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim - and Sondheim became a mentor, helping him navigate the world of musical theater.

Collaborations and Influences

Pollack-Pelzner writes that Miranda collects people who can teach him something, keeping many of them as lifelong collaborators: one particular friend taught him a bit about composing music; others helped him learn to freestyle. His family has also been a strong source of support. His mother Luz Towns-Miranda, a therapist, helped him process the big feelings that he'd later turn into songs, Pollack-Pelzner explains. His father, Luis A. Miranda Jr., a political strategist, helped him with everything from Puerto Rican slang to financial support for his productions.

Miranda regularly publicly thanks and praises those who have supported and taught him, and who have contributed their ideas and talents to his work.

Personal Life and Advocacy

Miranda and his wife, Vanessa Nadal, attended high school together and married in 2010. Nadal is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Fordham University School of Law. Miranda and Nadal have two sons: Sebastian (b. 2014) and Francisco (b. 2018).

Miranda has worked hard to help the less-fortunate. In 2016, he teamed up with a charity group and asked people to donate $10 or more for a chance to win tickets to see his last performance in Hamilton. The effort raised $2 million.

In order to raise money for Puerto Rico's reconstruction after being struck by hurricanes Irma and María, including at least $15 million to be channeled through the Flamboyán Foundation, Miranda decided to take Hamilton to his father's native Puerto Rico, reprising his role as the protagonist.

Advice for Aspiring Performers

Miranda’s advice for kids who want to get involved in performing arts is to work on your weakest skill. “If you’re a good singer, go take dance lessons. If you’re a good dancer, take singing lessons,” he says.

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