History tells us that a massive storm in 1772 brought Alexander Hamilton to the mainland… and so it is only right that an equally destructive storm almost 250 years later brings the man that made the country’s first Secretary of Treasury a rock star back to the Caribbean.
Actor, writer and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda and cast will perform a limited three-week run of the Broadway show, Hamilton in Puerto Rico from January 8 – 27, 2018 at Puerto Rico’s Teatro UPR in San Juan. Lin will lace up his high boots and fluff up his ruffled shirt once again in the title role as Hamilton to show his support for la isla bonita as she rebuild herself from Hurricane Maria. Hopefully, the show will draw tourist the the city and help pump dollars into their suffering economy.
Miranda released a statement explaining his desire to go back:
“Bringing Hamilton: An American Musical to Puerto Rico is a dream that I’ve had since we first opened at The Public Theater in 2015/ When I last visited the island, a few weeks before Hurricane Maria, I had made a commitment to not only bring the show to Puerto Rico but also return again to the title role. In the aftermath of Maria, we decided to expedite the announcement of the project to send a bold message that Puerto Rico will recover and be back in business, stronger than ever.”
Producer Jeffrey Seller told Rolling Stone, “When Lin said he wanted to take Hamilton to Puerto Rico and play the role again, I almost leapt out of my chair… In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, we hope Hamilton can play a positive role in bringing the artistic pulse of the community back to life. Arts and culture are pillars for economic development, cultural tourism, community empowerment, and growth.”
Miranda is one of Hip-Hop’s most prolific thinkers. His musical, In The Heights, not only opened the Great White Way to 808s and rhymes over melody, but celebrated American culture unique to a very distinct community in Harlem, New York (Washington Heights). Hamilton did the same.
Same New York… Same Harlem… Same Hip-Hop ssshhhh…. Same Immigrant stories!
Other emcees like Fat Joe, Jada Kiss and Chance the Rapper have also showed love for the island through donations and charitable concerts.
