Lin-Manuel Miranda has won a Pulitzer Prize, three Tony Awards, two Primetime Emmys, five Grammys and two Laurence Olivier Awards. In addition, he’s been nominated twice at the Oscars. But there’s one particular statuette that has a special place in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s heart.
“It’s a math expressions award that I won in 11th grade,” the Hamilton star and creator tells The Weekly on a Zoom call from his home in New York.
“I was a straight C and D grade student in math, but I had one great teacher named Ms. Yalos who allowed us to do creative projects to demonstrate that we understood the principles being taught. As a result of that, I got a B and a little statue that is somewhere around here.”
Math may not have been his strong suit, but his talent for music and theatre has certainly seen him rocket to success. In college, he began writing music and lyrics for In The Heights — in 2008 he would debut it, also playing the lead, to immediate acclaim and the first of those many awards. Since then he’s created more hit musicals, directed one for the big screen (2021’s Tick, Tick… Boom! starring Andrew Garfield) and seen the songs he’s penned for Disney enter the pop charts.
But for Lin-Manuel’s two kids, Sebastian, 10, and, Francisco, 6, there’s only one of his works that has managed to really impress them.
“I got some major points when I got to play Major Tom the horse in Bluey,” he laughs. “Bluey is definitely top of the list of what my kids like that I have been a part of. “
Hopefully, however, his latest project may just change that…
What was your initial reaction when you were approached to compose the music for Mufasa: The Lion King?
My initial reaction was, no! I was still finishing Encanto and I was pretty burnt out.
What changed your mind?
I read the screenplay and was blown away by how surprised I was. We all think of Mufasa as a superdad who lives in the clouds and sounds like James Earl Jones. And this was nothing like that. It was a portrait of the lion as a young cub and everything I thought I knew about him was totally upended and surprising. And more importantly, I felt like I knew where the songs went on that first read.
As a dad of two, we’re guessing the original has probably been played a few times in your house…
Yeah, 100 per cent. And even more than that, my kids really love The Lion Guard, which is the Disney+ series and also has incredible songs.
Are you fearful that Elton John — who wrote the original movie soundtrack — may not approve?
Gosh, I never even considered Elton John’s reaction. I probably should, because he can be scathing sometimes! The two times I’ve met him, he was absolutely lovely, so I hope that extends to my work.
Well, you certainly have the right Disney pedigree. Moana, Encanta, Vivo and now The Lion King. As a kid, what was your gateway into that world?
The one I claimed as my own was The Little Mermaid. The moment Sebastian the Crab started singing a calypso Caribbean number — I was never the same after that. I saw it three times in the theatre — I took three different adults to take me. I called in sick from school the day it came out on VHS so that I could be the first to have it at the low price of $19.99.
There are probably kids now who will say something similar about Hamilton. Did you expect it would become such a worldwide hit?
When we first went to the UK — because that production happened first — reporters would ask me, ‘Are you worried that we don’t know anything about American history over here?’ And I would say, ‘In America, we don’t know that much about American history! I honestly think the secret sauce of the show is that I’m learning this stuff as I’m musicalising it for you.’”
Are there any other historical events you’d like to make into a musical?
In the nine years since Hamilton opened, I have been pitched every historical era. I just don’t know that I can top what I did. That being said, the fun about musicals and the reason they’re my favourite genre is that they can encompass so many things. Musicals continue to push the boundaries of what kind of stories they can tell. It’s a healthy art form. So I’m always going to try to chase what I haven’t done.
Musical films are always a favourite at Christmas. What do your family always watch?
It’s A Wonderful Life is a very special Christmas movie. For my family, that’s a big staple. Home Alone is a big one for us, too.
What will Christmas look like for you this year?
We’re lucky enough to live pretty close to both sets of parents. We live in the same neighbourhood we grew up in. My wife (Vanessa Nadal, who Lin-Manuel first met in high school) has kind of seized control of Christmas. We usually have everyone come to our house and if it’s not our house, it’s my sister’s house over the river in New Jersey. There are lots of presents, lots of movies, lots of music.
This article originally appeared in the Christmas 2024 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly. Pick up the most recent issue at your local newsagent or subscribe so you never miss an issue!
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