Unformatted text preview: TH E R E V O L U T I O N TH E R E V O L U T I O N TH E R E V O L U T I O N B e i n g T h e C o m p l e t e
o f t h e B ro a d w a y
w i t h I t s
a n d a L i b r e tt o t r u e M u s i c a l,
a c c o u n t o f Cre a tion ,
c o n c i s e r e m a r k s o n H i p - H o p , the Po w er o f Storie s ,
a n d the N e w Ameri c a b y L in - M a nuel M ir a n d a a n d J erem y M c C a rter TH E R E V O L U T I O N B e i n g T h e C o m p l e t e
o f t h e B ro a d w a y
w i t h I t s
a n d a L i b r e tt o t r u e M u s i c a l,
a c c o u n t o f Cre a tion ,
c o n c i s e r e m a r k s o n H i p - H o p , the Po w er o f Storie s ,
a n d the N e w Ameri c a b y L in - M a nuel M ir a n d a a n d J erem y M c C a rter Copyright © 2016 by Lin-Manuel Miranda Cover and interior design by
Paul Kepple and Max Vandenberg
at
Headcase design Pages 286–288 constitute an extension of the copyright page.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning,
uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission
of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property.
If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes),
prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at
[email protected] Thank you for your support of the author’s rights. Th is b o o k is d e d ica t e d t o
sebastian grand central PublisHing
Hachette Book Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas • New York, NY 10104
grandcentralpublishing.com • twitter.com/grandcentralpub First Edition: April 2016
Grand Central Publishing is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
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of
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that are not owned by the publisher.
The Hachette Speakers Bureau provides a wide range of authors for speaking events.
To find out more, go to or call (866) 376-6591. This book was produced
by
MelcHer Media. PCN: 2015957946
ISBNs: 978-1-4555-3974-1 (hardcover), 978-1-4555-6753-9 (ebook)
E3 and sloane, who will come of age with our young nation. — L. M . M . & J . M . Copyright © 2016 by Lin-Manuel Miranda Cover and interior design by
Paul Kepple and Max Vandenberg
at
Headcase design Pages 286–288 constitute an extension of the copyright page.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning,
uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission
of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property.
If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes),
prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at
[email protected] Thank you for your support of the author’s rights. Th is b o o k is d e d ica t e d t o
sebastian grand central PublisHing
Hachette Book Group
1290 Avenue of the Americas • New York, NY 10104
grandcentralpublishing.com • twitter.com/grandcentralpub First Edition: April 2016
Grand Central Publishing is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.
The Grand Central Publishing name and logo is a trademark
of
HacHette book grouP, inc.
The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content)
that are not owned by the publisher.
The Hachette Speakers Bureau provides a wide range of authors for speaking events.
To find out more, go to or call (866) 376-6591. This book was produced
by
MelcHer Media. PCN: 2015957946
ISBNs: 978-1-4555-3974-1 (hardcover), 978-1-4555-6753-9 (ebook)
E3 and sloane, who will come of age with our young nation. — L. M . M . & J . M . Chapter T A B LE o f C ON T EN T S VII 58 On the Character of George Washington
and the Character of Chris Jackson “right hand man”. . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Chapter i n t r o d u c t i o n , or p l a n o f t h e w o r k a c t . . . . . . VIII “a winter’s ball” . . . . . . . . . . . .
“ h e lp l e s s ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I me inside”. Chapter Chapter I 14 h a m i l t o n ” .. . . . . . . . . 38 In Which the Character of New York City
Is Considered in Its Musical and Scenic
Aspects, by Reference to David Korins and a
Curious Episode of Historical Vertigo On the Origins of Revolution, Both
National & Musical, with Reference to
Opening Numbers & White House Raps “alexander Chapter IV 70 16 “the schuyler sisters”. . . . . . . . . “that “aaron burr, sir”. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“my shot”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter Chapter 23
26 78 80 story of tonight”. refuted”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 for it”. . VI 52 On the Orchestrating Techniques of Alex
Lacamoire, with Lively Appearances by Van
Halen, Elmo, and an Actual Beatle “you’ll b e b a c k ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . X 88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 49
Chapter Chapter 110 XIV 112 On Paul Tazewell and the Fashion
of Revolution “ g u n s a n d s h i p s ” .. . . . . . . . . . . .
“ h i s t o r y h a s i t s e y e s o n y o u ” .. . . .
“ y o r k t o w n ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
120
12 1 86 The Same Subject Continued, with Allusion
to Leslie Odom, Jr., Plus Remarks on the
Virtues and Merits of Union “ wa i t 32 Giving the History of Ron Chernow,
Along with Remarks on Who May Play
a Founding Father “the 46 Stakes Is High; Or, What Happened at
Lincoln Center and What Came After,
Including Lunch with Jeffrey Seller “ fa r m e r
Chapter III V . . . . . . . 42 20 In Which Tommy Kail Is Introduced,
and His Adventures with Lin Surveyed 107 w o u ld b e e n o u g h ” . Chapter Chapter II XIII 71 On the Perfect Union of Actor
and Role, with Allusion to Renée Elise
Goldsberry “ s a t i s f i e d ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“the story of tonight” (reprise) . . . 104 On Phillipa Soo and the Trouble
with Goodness Chapter Chapter IX . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Concerning The Lady and the Tramp,
in Olden Days and Our Own, with
Reference to “Helpless” and Many Songs
That Feature Ja Rule 10 102 Of Oskar Eustis, His Politics, His Eventful
Career, His Thoughts on Verse Drama, and
His Stewardship of The Public Theater,
with a Word About The Pharcyde “meet
Chapter XII 57 XI 12 4 By Which It Will Appear That Good History
Makes Good Drama, and in Which
Sebastian Miranda Makes His Debut “what comes next?”. . . . . . . . . . .
“ d e a r t h e o d o s i a ” .. . . . . . . . . . . .
“ t o m o r r o w t h e r e ’ l l b e m o r e o f u s ” .. 127
12 8
130 94
Chapter Wherein Mobb Deep Is Sampled, and the
Immortal Biggie Smalls Is Revived “ s ta y a l i v e ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“ten duel commandments”. . . . . . XV 96
99 XVI 132 On “Non-Stop,” Both the Song and the Way of
Life, as Manifest by Andy Blankenbuehler and
The Public Theater’s Props Department “non-stop”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Chapter T A B LE o f C ON T EN T S VII 58 On the Character of George Washington
and the Character of Chris Jackson “right hand man”. . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Chapter i n t r o d u c t i o n , or p l a n o f t h e w o r k a c t . . . . . . VIII “a winter’s ball” . . . . . . . . . . . .
“ h e lp l e s s ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I me inside”. Chapter Chapter I 14 h a m i l t o n ” .. . . . . . . . . 38 In Which the Character of New York City
Is Considered in Its Musical and Scenic
Aspects, by Reference to David Korins and a
Curious Episode of Historical Vertigo On the Origins of Revolution, Both
National & Musical, with Reference to
Opening Numbers & White House Raps “alexander Chapter IV 70 16 “the schuyler sisters”. . . . . . . . . “that “aaron burr, sir”. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“my shot”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter Chapter 23
26 78 80 story of tonight”. refuted”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 for it”. . VI 52 On the Orchestrating Techniques of Alex
Lacamoire, with Lively Appearances by Van
Halen, Elmo, and an Actual Beatle “you’ll b e b a c k ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . X 88 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 49
Chapter Chapter 110 XIV 112 On Paul Tazewell and the Fashion
of Revolution “ g u n s a n d s h i p s ” .. . . . . . . . . . . .
“ h i s t o r y h a s i t s e y e s o n y o u ” .. . . .
“ y o r k t o w n ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
120
12 1 86 The Same Subject Continued, with Allusion
to Leslie Odom, Jr., Plus Remarks on the
Virtues and Merits of Union “ wa i t 32 Giving the History of Ron Chernow,
Along with Remarks on Who May Play
a Founding Father “the 46 Stakes Is High; Or, What Happened at
Lincoln Center and What Came After,
Including Lunch with Jeffrey Seller “ fa r m e r
Chapter III V . . . . . . . 42 20 In Which Tommy Kail Is Introduced,
and His Adventures with Lin Surveyed 107 w o u ld b e e n o u g h ” . Chapter Chapter II XIII 71 On the Perfect Union of Actor
and Role, with Allusion to Renée Elise
Goldsberry “ s a t i s f i e d ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“the story of tonight” (reprise) . . . 104 On Phillipa Soo and the Trouble
with Goodness Chapter Chapter IX . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Concerning The Lady and the Tramp,
in Olden Days and Our Own, with
Reference to “Helpless” and Many Songs
That Feature Ja Rule 10 102 Of Oskar Eustis, His Politics, His Eventful
Career, His Thoughts on Verse Drama, and
His Stewardship of The Public Theater,
with a Word About The Pharcyde “meet
Chapter XII 57 XI 12 4 By Which It Will Appear That Good History
Makes Good Drama, and in Which
Sebastian Miranda Makes His Debut “what comes next?”. . . . . . . . . . .
“ d e a r t h e o d o s i a ” .. . . . . . . . . . . .
“ t o m o r r o w t h e r e ’ l l b e m o r e o f u s ” .. 127
12 8
130 94
Chapter Wherein Mobb Deep Is Sampled, and the
Immortal Biggie Smalls Is Revived “ s ta y a l i v e ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“ten duel commandments”. . . . . . XV 96
99 XVI 132 On “Non-Stop,” Both the Song and the Way of
Life, as Manifest by Andy Blankenbuehler and
The Public Theater’s Props Department “non-stop”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 a Chapter XVII c 14 8 In New York You Can Be a New Man, Or,
The Story of Oak and Daveed “what’d i m i s s ? ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . t II Chapter “the room where it happens” . . . .
“schuyler defeated”. . . . . . . . . .
“cabinet battle #2” . . . . . . . . . . XVIII 156 An Account of Rapping for the Children,
Who Will One Day Rap for Themselves “cabinet # 1 ” .. . . . . . . . . . battle XXII “ wa s h i n g t o n o n y o u r s i d e ” .. XIX Did They or Didn’t They? Or, Some
Discourse on Affairs “ ta k e a break”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 161 164 XXIII 205 On the Origin and Persistence of Our
National Shame “one l a s t t i m e ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 In Which Advantages Are Derived from
Listening to the Broadway Old Masters and
Jasmine Cephas Jones “say n o t o t h i s ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . XXIV know him”. “we know” . . . . . . . . . . .
“ h u r r i c a n e ” .. . . . . . . . .
“ t h e r e y n o l d s pa m p h l e t ”
“burn”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . “your
“best Chapter 180 On Being in “The Room Where It Happens”
with the Cast of A Chorus Line—Plus a
Brief Account of Nevin Steinberg Bringing
Boom-Bap to Broadway with Speakers the
Size of Refrigerators .
.
.
. .
.
.
. .
.
.
. .
.
.
. .
.
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 18 XXV 222 On Killing Your Darlings, with Reference
to “The Adams Administration,” the
Seductions of Ben Franklin, and Songs on
the Cutting-Room Floor “the adams administration” . . . .
( f u l l ly r i c s ) XXVII “ b l o w u s a l l a wa y ” . . . . . . . . . . .
“ s ta y a l i v e ” ( r e p r i s e ) . . . . . . . . . . 22 9
232
234 o b e d i e n t s e r va n t ” . . . . . . . 2 66 b e s t o f w o m e n ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 69 Chapter XXXI 270 of wives and 238 2 40 w o r l d wa s w i d e e n o u g h ” .. . . . 272 2 45
2 48 XXVIII quiet uptown”. How the Duel Was Fought, and Rewritten,
and Fought Again, as the Clock Ran Out “the 250 A Grieving Chapter: On Losses Beyond Words Chapter 176
Chapter XXI .
.
..
. Giving an Account of a Hurricane, with a
Notable Appearance by President Obama,
and the Remarkable Rise of Anthony Ramos . . . . . . . . . . 253 22 4 XXIX Chapter XXXII 276 What Is a Legacy? Or, a Sketch of
Opening Night, and What Came After,
and What Might Come Next “who lives, who dies, w h o t e l l s y o u r s t o r y ” .. . . . . . . . . 2 80 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 84 256 Containing a Dialogue on Ambition,
and Some Topical Comments, from David
Brooks and Christopher Hayes “the
Chapter 2 63 2 14 Of Jonathan Groff, His Royal Character,
His Notable Career, His Dressing Room
Décor &C. “i XXX Further Thoughts on Ambition, as It
Pertains to the Playwright and the
Enigmatic Burr Chapter 209 168
Chapter XX Chapter In Which the Hero Blows Up His Spot, with
the Assistance of Howell Binkley’s Lights
and Other Forms of Ingenious Stagecraft “it’s
Chapter 225 196 A Picture of the Recording Studio,
Featuring Learned Comments by Questlove
and a Thrown Shoe Chapter Chapter 191
192 152
Chapter Chapter 186 XXVI election of 1800”. . . . . . . . . e p i l o g u e credits & acknowledgments. 258 . . 2 86 a Chapter XVII c 14 8 In New York You Can Be a New Man, Or,
The Story of Oak and Daveed “what’d i m i s s ? ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . t II Chapter “the room where it happens” . . . .
“schuyler defeated”. . . . . . . . . .
“cabinet battle #2” . . . . . . . . . . XVIII 156 An Account of Rapping for the Children,
Who Will One Day Rap for Themselves “cabinet # 1 ” .. . . . . . . . . . battle XXII “ wa s h i n g t o n o n y o u r s i d e ” .. XIX Did They or Didn’t They? Or, Some
Discourse on Affairs “ ta k e a break”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 161 164 XXIII 205 On the Origin and Persistence of Our
National Shame “one l a s t t i m e ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 172 In Which Advantages Are Derived from
Listening to the Broadway Old Masters and
Jasmine Cephas Jones “say n o t o t h i s ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . XXIV know him”. “we know” . . . . . . . . . . .
“ h u r r i c a n e ” .. . . . . . . . .
“ t h e r e y n o l d s pa m p h l e t ”
“burn”. . . . . . . . . . . . . . “your
“best Chapter 180 On Being in “The Room Where It Happens”
with the Cast of A Chorus Line—Plus a
Brief Account of Nevin Steinberg Bringing
Boom-Bap to Broadway with Speakers the
Size of Refrigerators .
.
.
. .
.
.
. .
.
.
. .
.
.
. .
.
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 18 XXV 222 On Killing Your Darlings, with Reference
to “The Adams Administration,” the
Seductions of Ben Franklin, and Songs on
the Cutting-Room Floor “the adams administration” . . . .
( f u l l ly r i c s ) XXVII “ b l o w u s a l l a wa y ” . . . . . . . . . . .
“ s ta y a l i v e ” ( r e p r i s e ) . . . . . . . . . . 22 9
232
234 o b e d i e n t s e r va n t ” . . . . . . . 2 66 b e s t o f w o m e n ” .. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 69 Chapter XXXI 270 of wives and 238 2 40 w o r l d wa s w i d e e n o u g h ” .. . . . 272 2 45
2 48 XXVIII quiet uptown”. How the Duel Was Fought, and Rewritten,
and Fought Again, as the Clock Ran Out “the 250 A Grieving Chapter: On Losses Beyond Words Chapter 176
Chapter XXI .
.
..
. Giving an Account of a Hurricane, with a
Notable Appearance by President Obama,
and the Remarkable Rise of Anthony Ramos . . . . . . . . . . 253 22 4 XXIX Chapter XXXII 276 What Is a Legacy? Or, a Sketch of
Opening Night, and What Came After,
and What Might Come Next “who lives, who dies, w h o t e l l s y o u r s t o r y ” .. . . . . . . . . 2 80 .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 84 256 Containing a Dialogue on Ambition,
and Some Topical Comments, from David
Brooks and Christopher Hayes “the
Chapter 2 63 2 14 Of Jonathan Groff, His Royal Character,
His Notable Career, His Dressing Room
Décor &C. “i XXX Further Thoughts on Ambition, as It
Pertains to the Playwright and the
Enigmatic Burr Chapter 209 168
Chapter XX Chapter In Which the Hero Blows Up His Spot, with
the Assistance of Howell Binkley’s Lights
and Other Forms of Ingenious Stagecraft “it’s
Chapter 225 196 A Picture of the Recording Studio,
Featuring Learned Comments by Questlove
and a Thrown Shoe Chapter Chapter 191
192 152
Chapter Chapter 186 XXVI election of 1800”. . . . . . . . . e p i l o g u e credits & acknowledgments. 258 . . 2 86 i n t r o d u ct i o n INTRODUCTION
O R L P L A N O F ate on a hazy night in 2008, T H E W O R K using hip-hop to tell a story that had nothing to do with
hip-hop—using it as form, not content. Lin thought my
review grasped what he had been trying to do. The show’s
publicist fixed us up. Hence the late-night drinks and the
long talk about which of our favorite MCs should play
Thomas Jefferson.
In the summer of 2011, after I’d left the magazine
business and joined the artistic staff of the Public
Theater, my boss, Oskar Eustis, asked me to propose
some artists and projects. The first artist who came to
mind was Lin, and the first
project was his Hamilton
idea. Lin and Oskar agreed
to meet; Lin sent us demos;
we went to Lin’s concerts.
Two years later, Oskar and
Jeffrey Seller—the lead
producer of what had by
now ceased to be an album
and had turned into a stage
musical—agreed to develop
the show at the Public. The
opening night party there—
another late, hazy conversation—is when Lin proposed that I write this book.
It tells the stories of two revolutions. There’s the American Revolution of the 18th century, which flares to life in
Lin’s libretto, the complete text of which is published here,
with his annotations. There’s also the revolution of the
show itself: a musical that changes the way that Broadway
sounds, that alters who gets to tell the story of our founding, that lets us glimpse the new, more diverse America
rushing our way. The fact that Lin wrote the show largely
in sequence means that this book can trace the two revolutions in tandem. The story of the show’s creation begins Lin-Manuel Miranda told me he wanted to write a
hip-hop concept album about the life of Alexander Hamilton. For a second I thought we were sharing a drunken
joke. We were probably drunk, but he wasn’t joking.
We had bonded a year earlier over a shared love of
hip-hop and theater, though that evening was the first
time we were meeting. When Lin’s first show, In the
Heights, had its Off-Broadway premiere in 2007, I was
the drama critic at New York magazine, where I had
repeatedly argued for the
enormous but neglected
possibilities of hip-hop in
the theater. (“Hip-hop can
save the theater”; began one
of those essays, “I am not
kidding.”) Rap, it seemed to
me, wasn’t like rock or jazz
or any other kind of pop
music: The lyrical density
and storytelling ingenuity I
heard on my headphones
seemed closer to the verbal
energy of the great plays of the past than almost anything I saw onstage. This enthusiasm wasn’t widely
shared. “Don’t hang back among the brutes,” one of my
senior colleagues advised me after reading one such essay,
offering an erudite but demoralizing quotation from A
Streetcar Named Desire.
After many disappointments and false alarms, Heights
had made me sit up in my aisle seat: Here’s the guy. Lin’s
show about immigrants in Upper Manhattan fused salsa,
hip-hop, and traditional Broadway ballads to make
something old and new, familiar and surprising. Best of
all, he made the leap that virtually nobody else had made, 10 regarded as secret, is that Lin’s uniquely singlehanded
at the White House on May 12, 2009, when he performed
achievement (as composer, lyricist, librettist, and star)
the first song for the first time. It ends with opening night
required the artistry of dozens of very gifted people to
on Broadway, August 6, 2015, just after he completed the
be realized. A bunch of people from a bunch of backfinal scenes of the show.
grounds had to come together to make it work, and
The account of what happened in the intervening six
they did this so well that an even bigger bunch of peoyears is based on what I saw in script meetings, set meetple from yet more backgrounds flocked to see ...
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