You know what's a great way of tricking people into thinking you're a genius? Write a show about geniuses!
Lin-Manuel MirandaRead
I always had an eye toward the stage for the story of Hamilton's life, but I began with the idea of a concept album, the way Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Evita' and 'Jesus Christ Superstar' were albums before they were musicals.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the creative process of Lin-Manuel Miranda in conceptualizing 'Hamilton', integrating musical and storytelling elements.
Lin-Manuel Miranda discusses his vision for 'Hamilton' as a theatrical piece that started from a musical concept similar to famous works like 'Evita' and 'Jesus Christ Superstar'. He highlights how he approached the storytelling by considering both the narrative of Alexander Hamilton's life and the way music can enhance that narrative, blending his appreciation for the stage with the idea of a concept album.
Themes
HamiltonMusicalStageConcept AlbumStorytelling
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the creative process behind musicals, I would cite this quote to illustrate the fusion of music and narrative.
More from Lin-Manuel Miranda
All quotes →I think I'm always subconsciously trying to write the ideal school play. Lots of parts for everybody, great parts for women - don't forget, more girls try out than boys in the school play; everyone gets to be in the school play.
Lin-Manuel MirandaRead
Anytime you write something, you go through so many phases. You go through the 'I'm a Fraud' phase. You go through the 'I'll Never Finish' phase. And every once in a while you think, 'What if I actually have created what I set out to create, and it's received as such?'
Lin-Manuel MirandaRead
Everything we know about Hamilton, we knew when he was alive, because he told us.
Lin-Manuel MirandaRead
In the best works of fiction, there's no mustache-twirling villain. I try to write shows where even the bad guy's got his reasons.
Lin-Manuel MirandaRead
Making words rhyme for a living is one of the great joys of my life... That's a superpower I've been very conscious of developing. I started at the same level as everybody else, and then I just listened to more music and talked to myself until it was an actual superpower I could pull out on special occasions.
Lin-Manuel MirandaRead
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