Lin-Manuel Miranda

(Theatremania.com ())

History is always watching us. History knows how hard we work, the sacrifices we make, and the stories we tell. In the past year, the Broadway musical Hamilton has taken the world by storm. The musical has changed the show industry and has spread across the nation, changing people's perspectives on history and inspiring America's youth to work towards their dreams and goals. Actor and writer Lin-Manuel Miranda had the courage to write a unique, never-done-before musical revolving around one of America's Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton. Miranda inspired and set off a fire in the minds of America's modern day youth, becoming a role model and a guiding light for children and young adults alike.

(The New York Times ())

Lin-Manuel Miranda is the passionate man behind Hamilton and its success in positively affecting today's youth. He was raised in Manhattan, New York City alongside his older sister, Luz. Besides being inspired by the New York City setting, Miranda was greatly influenced by his father, Luis A. Miranda Jr. His father is considered to be the reason, according to Miranda, why he thinks the way he does and why he was so successful in the pursuit of his dreams. "I [Lin-Manuel] asked you [Luis A. Miranda Jr.], 'What should I do? Should I keep teaching or should I just kind of sub and do gigs to pay the rent and really throw myself into writing full time?' And, you wrote me a very thoughtful letter, in which you said, 'I really want to tell you to keep the job - that's the smart 'parent thing' to do -It makes no sense to leave your job to be a writer, but I have to tell you to do it. You have to pursue that if you want.' That was very opposite advice from, 'Be a lawyer,' and I'm glad I took it" (Gioia). Thanks to his father speaking upon his intuition, Miranda was able to better find the confidence to pursue his dreams and strive for what he wanted to bring into the world. His father had always stood by his side, and was a tremendous inspiration to Miranda throughout his entire life and career. "'When you come from elsewhere," says Luis, "and you have to handle a language that is not yours, a reality that is not yours, there is a drive and a perseverance that you must have, if you're going to make it"" (Hiatt).  Miranda's father raised him to be an inspiration, shaping Miranda into the successful and amazing man he is today by supporting him and being the guiding light for his son. Without his father, Miranda would certainly have not turned out to be the same man he we know of today.

Having moved to New York City as a young child, Lin-Manuel Miranda quickly became accustomed to the bustling cityscape and the magic of witnessing Broadway musicals. "...it was a game-changer for the 17-year-old Miranda. "Rent was the show that made me want to write," he said in an interview with Grantland writer Rembert Browne. "Or that showed me you're allowed to write."" ("Lin-Manuel Miranda") After seeing Rent, the spark that was Miranda's creativity exploded into a beautiful flame of inspiration. He began working on his first musical, the musical that would put his name into the musical industry. "...his work paid off with commercial and critical success. The Wesleyan production of show broke school box office records in 1992 and earned him an opportunity to produce the show professionally with Back House Productions" ("Lin-Manuel Miranda"). It had been the first of it's kind, taking hip-hop, salsa music, and musical theatre and joining them together as one. Miranda, rather than take his newly found fame by the reigns and see himself as the genius the world was beginning to claim him to be, he remained humble and determined. He remained hardworking as a writer and as an individual, and continued to dish out bold and never before seen ideas.

(Gothamist.com ())

In more recent terms, long after the success of In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda thought of yet another daring idea. He had picked up a book about Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, and one of his first thoughts was that this man's story had been made to be told in the style of hip-hop and rap. "Miranda was immersed in writing Hamilton: An American Musical, whose shape he began to conceive while reading historian Ron Chernow's acclaimed biography of Alexander Hamilton, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States" ("Lin-Manuel Miranda"). This idea seemed crazy, completely and utterly absurd. However, Miranda hadn't even taken a second to think about how odd this idea may have seemed to others. "When I performed the first song at the White House, on that YouTube video in 2009, I said, "Someone who embodies hip-hop, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton," and the room laughed" (Kia). Despite an entire room of people laughing at him and his idea, Miranda was anything but discouraged. He was inspired rather than embarrassed, and courageously continued to work on pursuing the dream that was the Hamilton musical.

Miranda went on to explain, "I've got to choose projects knowing that even if they open and close in a day, I will not regret the time I spent on them. And so you can't choose on what you think is going to be a financial success. You've got to pick the idea that excites you and inspires you to write" (Kia). Basically explaining that you cannot allow your ideas and your creativity to be swayed by what other people say is going to be a success, you need to write, draw, sing, or dance for you and no one else. Miranda constantly drills words such as these into his audience, explaining that you mustn't allow your passion to no longer be your own. "I got offered movie adaptations of musicals. I got offered a lot of Latin-theme stuff. But I had faith that the idea I was chasing with Hamilton would be worthwhile" (Kia). Not once was Miranda swayed by what others said, nor was he fazed by what Hollywood or the music industry would think of his work. He did not get to where he is today with wealth or associations, he got to the top holding hands with courage and determination. And Miranda is where he is now because of the hard work and love he put into everything he created.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, actor and writer best known for producing Hamilton, had the courage and tough determination to go through with an idea that seemed crazy to both the public and the industry's eye. It was because of this determination and boldness that Miranda was able to become a success and an inspiration to our world's youth. He taught millions of people that creativity and originality are in fact not a thing of the past, but a guiding light for our future. One man was able to teach an entire generation that determination and ambition aren't things to frown upon, and that dreams do come true. Lin-Manuel Miranda is not only a hero to me personally, but to billions of other members of modern day youth that have now been given the courage and inspiration needed to pursue their goals.

Gioia, Michael. "Where It All Began-A Conversation With Lin-Manuel Miranda and His

Father." Playbill. PLAYBILL INC., 08 July 2016. Web. 11 Jan. 2017.        

<http://www.playbill.com/article/where-it-all-begana-conversation-with-lin-manuel-miranda-and-his-father-com-353054>.

Gioia, Michael. "The Revolution Begins! Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton Storms

Broadway."Playbill. PLAYBILL INC., 21 Jan. 2016. Web. 11 Jan. 2017.

<http://www.playbill.com/article/the-revolution-begins-lin-manuel-mirandas-hamilton-storms-broadway-com-353094>.

Hiatt, Brian. "'Hamilton': Meet the Man Behind Broadway's Hip-Hop Masterpiece." Rolling

Stone. Rolling Stone, 29 Sept. 2015. Web. 11 Jan. 2017.

<http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/hamilton-meet-the-man-behind-broadways-hip-hop-masterpiece-20150929>.

Kokalitcheva, Kia. "Lin-Manuel Miranda Thought 'Hamilton' Would Only Appeal to History

Teachers." Fortune. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2017.

<http://fortune.com/2016/09/23/lin-manuel-miranda-hamilton-40-under-40/>.

"Lin-Manuel Miranda." Gale Biography in Context, Gale, 2015. Biography in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1650009986/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=28f17a4a. Accessed 11 Jan. 2017.

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link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1650009986/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=28f17a4a.   accessed 11 Jan., 2017.

Kokalitcheva, Kia. "Lin-Manuel Miranda Thought 'Hamilton' Would Only Appeal to History Teachers." Fortune. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Jan. 2017.

<http://fortune.com/2016/09/23/lin-manuel-miranda-hamilton-40-under-40/>.

"Lin-Manuel Miranda." Newsmakers, vol. 4, Gale, 2016. Student Resources in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1618006382/SUIC?u=powa9245&xid=8312c283. Accessed 18 Jan. 2017.