Two years ago the notion of a Broadway musical about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton set to a hip-hop score sounded wildly improbable, but the smash hit has won dozens of awards, garnered a record-breaking 16 Tony nominations, and tickets can’t be had for love or money.
Hamilton’s appeal extends beyond the limits of Broadway now, and permeates the culture more dramatically than any stage musical in recent memory. Elementary school kids who have yet to crack an American-history text have memorized every song in the show and tricornes are all the rage with toddlers in Brooklyn. With extended runs set to open in Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, Hamilton will be everywhere soon.
Rolling Stone magazine’s Mark Binelli interviewed the show’s creator and star, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Their wide-ranging discussion covered the show’s success, current politics, music of all sorts, and Miranda’s next projects.
Read the full interview.