Lin-Manuel Miranda Brings ‘Hamilton’ to a Troubled but Appreciative Puerto Rico
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/12/theater/hamilton-puerto-rico-lin-manuel-miranda.html
By
Michael Paulson and Charo Henríquez / Theater / The New York Times / nytimes.com / Jan 12, 2019
SAN JUAN, P.R. — “Lin-Manuel Miranda only had to speak his character’s name — Alexander Hamilton — to bring the crowd to its feet.
It was Friday night in San Juan — the first performance, and also the opening night, of a 17-day run of
“Hamilton” in Puerto Rico — and as soon as the crowd caught sight of the show’s 38-year-old creator and star, it drenched him in applause, forcing a momentary pause, the actors frozen mid-scene while the patrons unleashed a storm of appreciation born, of course, of fandom, but also of something deeper.
“Today Puerto Rico gave me more energy than ever in my life in that moment,” Mr. Miranda, speaking in Spanish, told reporters after the show. “I’ve never felt anything like that.”
Hamilton” arrives in San Juan at a time when Puerto Rico is struggling — still recovering from the
devastation of Hurricane Maria, facing chronic economic challenges and political turmoil, and now confronting an outbreak of violence that
claimed the life of a well-known trap singer on Thursday.
Mr. Miranda, born and raised in New York City to parents from Puerto Rico, is
devoted to the island; he is hoping that the run of “Hamilton” here will call attention to both its needs and its riches. About 20 members of Congress, in Puerto Rico visiting areas damaged by the hurricane, came to see the show on Sunday.
“People are going to come to Puerto Rico because of ‘Hamilton,’ and hopefully spend a lot of money here,” Mr. Miranda said on Friday. “But they’re also going to see blue tarps, and they’re also going to see how much work there is to be done.”....”
Lin-Manuel Miranda raised the Puerto Rican flag at the end of the premiere of “Hamilton” at the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré in San Juan.
Photo Credit: Erika P. Rodriguez for The New York Times