‘Hamilton’s’ Lin-Manuel Miranda: The genius behind Broadway’s biggest hit

By Kaye Foley

“Hamilton,” the musical smash hit about Founding Father and first Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, has taken over Broadway, the White House and likely your newsfeed. Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator, performer and genius (yes, officially), is revolutionizing theater — onstage and off.

Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric sat down with him at the popular Broadway restaurant Joe Allen to discuss his lifelong love of performing, the “Hamilton” hype, the journey from concept album to the Richard Rodgers Theatre and the eagerly anticipated Hamilton Mixtape. The album is coming this fall and features a wide range of artists, including Common, Busta Rhymes, The Roots and Regina Spektor,

“Hamilton’s story is so unlikely and so incredible that it kind of demanded everything from me,” Miranda said.

Miranda, who won a Tony Award in 2008 for his Broadway debut, In the Heights, combines his love of musicals and hip-hop for an unforgettable theatrical experience, engaging fans of all musical genres and all ages.

Backstage with ‘Hamilton’s’ leading ladies

It may be a musical about the Founding Fathers, but the women of “Hamilton” take center stage. Leading ladies Phillipa Soo and Renée Elise Goldsberry, who play Eliza Hamilton and Angelica Schuyler, respectively, talk about the impact of the show and #Ham4Ham — mini performances for fans who can’t score a coveted ticket — and give a backstage tour.

“The real fuel in doing [the musical] all the time is knowing that no matter how many shows we’ve done this week, this is may be the one time that audience member will get there,” Goldsberry said. “And that’s what makes it precious.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda on the first rap he learned

Related: Lin-Manuel Miranda on Donald Trump

Related: Lin-Manuel Miranda on President Obama’s first time seeing “Hamilton”