Beyond the Broadway Hits - Why Lin-Manuel Miranda is a vital figure in the arts!

"You can fume at the world if you like. You can also use your words, art, and gifts to let us in. Build us a bridge to where you are." (Lin-Manuel Miranda)

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a genius. Given his recent rise to fame, you might assume I am talking about his talent for creating hit musicals, but actually, there's much more to him than that.

Beyond the Broadway Hits - Why Lin-Manuel Miranda is a vital figure in the arts!

At the time of writing, Miranda has created two knockout musicals, and has written and composed countless other songs for theatre, film and mainstream music. His latest hit, Hamilton, won 11 Tony Awards, a Grammy and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. But his talent doesn't end at writing; he is also an actor with several credits to his name in theatre, TV and film. And let's not forget his incredible ability to freestyle rap (if you're unaware, I recommend a quick YouTube search).

Yet, none of these achievements are really what I want to talk about. If you sit down and list all the projects Miranda has been involved in, a common theme seems to appear. Miranda fights for equality, justice and a better world for all. His Twitter feed alone is one of the most inspiring, positive and motivational you will ever see from someone in the spotlight. He doesn't brush over the wrongs of the world or ignore the terrible things happening; instead he decides to shine a light on them and encourage others that we can be better.

On the eve of this year's Tony Awards, tragedy struck when a shooting took place in a gay club in Florida. As a mark of solidarity for those involved in the tragedy, the Broadway community wore silver bows to the awards evening. One of the most memorable moments of the night came however, when Lin-Manuel stepped up to accept his award for Best Score. He read a sonnet he had written for the victims of the previous night's events (I challenge you not to shed a tear watching it). The next day, he got to work writing a song alongside Jennifer Lopez, created t-shirts and banded the Broadway community together to record a classic Broadway anthem, all to raise funds for those affected by the shootings.

More recently, Miranda has been tackling the presidential election. This in itself if no mean feat, but he is determined to make sure first and foremost that everyone gets out to vote. He has created fun videos with the cast of Hamilton, another set of brilliant t-shirts, and has even held Voter Registration days outside the Richard Rogers Theatre, getting cast members to help people sign up. Although it is obvious who he will be voting for, he doesn't make this the topic of conversation. Instead, he simply wants to remind people that every vote counts.

Raising money and support for many a good cause is not his only achievement. After writing a historical musical, Miranda is desperate to get as many school kids as he can to learn more about their heritage. With the hit musical sold out (and only a handful of limited tickets available at ridiculous prices from touts), he decided to put on extra school-only performances, with a chance for pupils to perform on the stage afterwards. His cast choose to embrace the opportunity to help these students, knowing how important it is to introduce them to their history but also the arts world, with many of them having never seen a Broadway show before.

It may take this man seven years to write a musical but when you get it, it's magical. As a UK resident, I am still waiting to actually see Hamilton but during my trip to New York this summer, although I could not afford a $500 ticket, I did enjoy standing in the crowds of tourists outside Stage Door to catch a glimpse of the cast. Being in the crowd, getting to know the people around me, I realised that I wasn't just surrounded by crazed musical theatre fans but people from all walks of life, perhaps seeing a show for the first time, drawn in by a new glimpse of musical theatre. Miranda hasn't just introduced students to his craft; he's created a whole new audience of theatre fans who are intrigued by his unique style that brings hip-hop, rap and musical theatre together.

I couldn't possibly cover here all the amazing things that make this man a vital figure in the arts, but this I know – he tells stories that mean something to people. He is not afraid to shout about what needs changing in the world but he also brings positivity and light into it. I truly believe his aim is not just to change musical theatre but change the world and he is bringing everyone along for the ride.

Author

Elspeth Barron

Elspeth Barron

Elspeth started in the Arts Industry as part of a Creative Apprenticeship scheme. She is Learning, Education & Participation Officer at Chichester Festival Theatre after working 3 & 1/2 years in various positions at Artswork. During her year she also became a trained Arts Award Adviser for Discover to Silver and started her own Silver award whilst also running an Arts Award project for young girls with low self-esteem.

She volunteered as a 16- 25 Ambassador and Youth Theatre Assistant for Chichester Festival Theatre for 2 years after spending 6 years in the Youth Theatre herself. She recently was asked to be part of a panel with Lenny Henry talking about routes into the industry. She has also recently become Trustee of Making Space, a local crafts organisation.

Elspeth has been involved in the arts from a young age performing in many school and semi-professional productions and founding a drama workshop group for primary school children. She was also given the opportunity to become a founding member of a small events company, MADD Productions. This is where she found her passion for community arts and decided to pursue a career in the arts sector.

Elspeth is currently using her spare time to write a play with her younger brother and has started her own weekly vlog, ‘To My Future Self’ on her YouTube channel ElspethRebecca.

(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCllJZB7U5KbnBSHKsZIiWPA)

She loves good coffee, spending time with friends, playing her ukulele and watching lots of theatre!

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