Hamilton Opens on Broadway

In 2008, while on vacation from his Broadway production In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda read Ron Chernow's 2004 biography of Alexander Hamilton. Miranda quickly began to envision the life of the American Revolutionary figure and first Secretary of the Treasury as a stage musical, and a search for existing stage versions turned up nothing. Miranda initially developed the concept as a project titled The Hamilton Mixtape, performing an early version of the opening number at a White House poetry and music event in May 2009.

Over the next several years, Miranda composed the book, music, and lyrics, integrating hip-hop alongside rhythm and blues, pop, soul, and standard show tune structures. The material was refined through a series of workshop presentations. Under the direction of Thomas Kail, the production cast non-white performers in the roles of the Founding Fathers and other historical figures, a decision Miranda summarized as portraying the nation's past through the lens of modern society.