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.
Lin-Manuel MirandaRead
Everything we know about Hamilton, we knew when he was alive, because he told us.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on how Hamilton's legacy and experiences were shaped by his own words and storytelling.
Lin-Manuel Miranda emphasizes the importance of self-expression and narrative in the legacy of Alexander Hamilton. It suggests that the information and persona we have of Hamilton are directly derived from his own descriptions and the life he lived, highlighting the role of art and storytelling in preserving history.
Themes
HamiltonStorytellingLegacyArtSelf-Expression
In practice
Example use cases
In a presentation about the importance of art in history, this quote can highlight how artists shape our understanding of figures from the past.
More from Lin-Manuel Miranda
All quotes →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 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
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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