In 2016, the cast of multi-award-winning musical Hamilton performed at the White House Poetry Jam, hosted by former president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.
Barack Obama delivered a speech on the history of Hamilton, and the cast performed “Alexander Hamilton”, the opening song of the musical, live at the White House.
Seven years earlier, in 2009, as Obama mentions in his speech, lead actor Lin-Manuel Miranda “came to the White House Poetry Jam, took the mic, and announced that he and his musical collaborator, Alex Lacamoire, were going to perform a song from a hip-hop album they were working on about ‘the life of somebody who embodies hip hop, treasury secretary Alex Hamilton.’ So we all started laughing. But Lin-Manuel was serious. Who’s laughing now?”
Watch Lin-Manuel’s performance, “The Hamilton Mixtape”, here:
The trailer for the Hamilton film, which is set to premiere on streaming service Disney+ on July 3, was released on Sunday.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!