Home / Arts and Entertainment / Father Doubted Son's White House Debut, But 'Hamilton' Became a Smash Hit
Father Doubted Son's White House Debut, But 'Hamilton' Became a Smash Hit
12 Oct
Summary
- Lin-Manuel Miranda performed an early version of 'Hamilton' at the White House in 2009
- His father was skeptical but the performance was a hit, launching the musical's success
- 'Hamilton' went on to win a Pulitzer, 11 Tonys, and a Grammy
In 2009, a young Lin-Manuel Miranda was invited to perform at the White House. At the time, he had just made his Broadway debut with the musical 'In the Heights', which had won four Tony Awards. However, Miranda had been working on a new project - a musical about founding father Alexander Hamilton.
When Miranda told his father, Luis A. Miranda Jr., about the White House invitation, the elder Miranda was skeptical. He urged his son to perform something from 'In the Heights' instead, as that was the proven success. But Miranda insisted on debuting an early version of the 'Hamilton' opening number, called "The Hamilton Mixtape". To his father's surprise, the White House loved the performance, and the rest, as they say, is history.
'Hamilton' went on to become a cultural phenomenon, winning a Pulitzer Prize, 11 Tony Awards, and a Grammy. The live-captured performance of the original Broadway production was even released theatrically in 2020. Now, as the musical celebrates its 10th anniversary, Miranda's father reflects on how that initial White House appearance launched his son's masterpiece to stardom.
