- A Father’s Advice: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s father, Luis A. Miranda Jr., exclusively revealed he advised his son against performing material from Hamilton at a 2009 White House event.
- Play It Safe: Luis urged his son to perform a song from his established Broadway hit, In the Heights, telling him, “Go with what we know works.”
- A Historic Debut: Miranda ignored the advice and performed the opening number of what would become Hamilton, marking the show’s public debut in front of President Barack Obama.
- The Rest is History: This single performance is now seen as the launching pad for the musical that would go on to win 11 Tony Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, and become a global cultural phenomenon.
A Father’s Doubt: The Advice That Almost Silenced History
It’s a performance that has become legendary in theater circles, but the public debut of *Hamilton* almost never happened. In an exclusive interview, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s father, Luis A. Miranda Jr., revealed he was deeply skeptical of his son’s choice to perform an unknown song about a founding father at the White House.
Speaking at a recent New York City screening for *Hamilton*, the proud father recalled the pivotal conversation from 2009. “He was invited to the White House. He was asked to sing something from *In the Heights*, and he told me, ‘Dad, you know that I’ve been working on *Hamilton*. Do you think that I could play the only song I have?'” Luis, 71, shared. “I’m like, ‘No. No, why don’t you go with what we know works, which is *In the Heights*.’”
A Risky Shot at the White House
The stage was set for Miranda to perform at the prestigious “White House Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word” on May 12, 2009. At the time, his musical *In the Heights* was a certified success, having won four Tony Awards a year prior. It was the safe, expected choice.
However, Miranda chose not to throw away his shot. Instead of performing a familiar tune, he presented “The Hamilton Mixtape,” an early version of the musical’s explosive opening number, to a room that included President Barack and Michelle Obama. Despite his father’s reservations, Miranda recounted that the White House “loved it, and the rest is history.” That performance is now widely considered the first time any material from the blockbuster musical was ever performed in public.
From White House Debut to Global Phenomenon
That risky decision paid off spectacularly. *Hamilton* premiered on Broadway in 2015 and quickly became a cultural touchstone, earning a Pulitzer Prize, 11 Tony Awards, and a Grammy. President Obama himself became one of its most vocal champions, even participating in a remix for the show’s “Hamildrops” collection.
Now, as the show marks its 10th anniversary with a theatrical release of the live-captured Disney+ version, the Miranda family reflected on its incredible journey. “We expect greatness to continue because this is such an incredible work of art,” Luis stated. He emphasized the importance of the film in making the show accessible to all. “We didn’t have money to go to Broadway, but we went to the movies all the time. So I know there are lots of families out there who can now experience *Hamilton* on the big screen.”
His wife, Luz Towns-Miranda, added that seeing the original cast immortalized on film is “huge,” preserving the magic that began with one daring performance more than a decade ago.