Chances are that you’ve heard of, listened to or seen “Hamilton,” the iconic historical musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and based on the life of Alexander Hamilton. Since its debut in 2015, “Hamilton: An American Musical: An American Musical” has continued to take the world by storm, and it’s now playing in Puerto Rico for three weeks which has caused controversy.
Composer, lyricist, playwright, singer and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda is the son of two Puerto Rican parents, and he grew up in Manhattan. His dedication to the performing arts developed before he attended Wesleyan University, and his inspiration for “Hamilton” came from the biography of Alexander Hamilton which was written by Ron Chernow. Miranda tells the story of Alexander Hamilton through the genres of rap, hip-hop and R&B, all genres he adored growing up. The musical relies on a Black and Latinx cast to connect the America of our founding fathers to the America we live in now. “Hamilton” is a story of the American dream, created through the lyrical expression of rappers who have shared similar experiences.
“It’s Biggie and Jay-Z writing about growing up in the Marcy Projects in Brooklyn,” Miranda commented in an interview with 60 Minutes. “It’s Eminem writing about growing up white in Detroit. It’s writing about that struggle and paradoxically your writing being so good it gets you out.”
In 2010, Miranda took his musical “In the Heights” to Puerto Rico, where he spent his childhood summers. The buzz around the success of the show’s performances in San Juan and the Broadway opening of “Hamilton” urged Miranda to take his newest musical to the island. However, the destruction following Hurricane Maria in 2017 changed Miranda’s mission: they would turn “Hamilton” into a way to help Puerto Rico’s recovery, specifically in terms of benefiting art organizations.
While this seems beneficial to the Puerto Rican people, many don’t support “Hamilton” or its creator after the Miranda family supported the implementation of the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) which was imposed on Puerto Rico by the U.S. government. Puerto Rico is a territory of the U.S., and its citizens are considered American citizens; however, unlike the island of Hawaii, it does not have voting power in Congress and its citizens cannot vote for the U.S. president. Therefore, because Puerto Ricans have no influence on who serves in the U.S. government, they see PROMESA as a modern form of colonialism and a way for the U.S. to overpower the self-governed island. Additionally, the education system in Puerto Rico has faced drastic changes, including the closing of 266 public schools and budget cuts and decreased enrollment for the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), which is where “Hamilton” would be shown.
In 2017, Miranda visited UPR to announce the production of “Hamilton” and to answer students’ questions about performing and the arts. However, his Q&A was interrupted when pairs of students took the stage holding signs, one of which saying “¡Lin-Manuel—nuestras vidas no son tu teatro!” (Lin-Manuel— our lives are not your theatre!). Miranda was questioned about his open support of PROMESA. He responded by saying that at the time Obama was in office, he thought it was important for debt restructuring, but now he understands the destructiveness of the bill on UPR and the Puerto Rican people.
Hurricane restoration work continued to impact the UPR theatre, and the cast of “Hamilton” began to rehearse in December 2018. However, there continued to be worries regarding the safety and security of the show, so Ricardo Rosselló, the governor or Puerto Rico, offered the Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré, a government theatre where “In the Heights” played in 2010. Problem solved, right? Unfortunately, this move caused more controversy, and many questioned the government’s support for the production of the American show, especially when Puerto Rico and the U.S. have great political tension.
Was it right for Miranda to take his story of an American man to Puerto Rico? Should he have listened to his protestors and backed out of his commitment to the production in San Juan?
As a theatre major, I appreciate that Miranda decided to produce “Hamilton” in Puerto Rico. Exposure to the arts is important, and performance can be used as a tool to encourage people to fight for change. Miranda had good intentions and wanted to help the redevelopment of his family’s island, and he handled backlash well. His choices and his performance inspired viewers to not give up their shot and to never be satisfied with political and social mediocrity. The story of Alexander Hamilton focuses on a self-made man who continued to reimagine himself while advocating for what he thought was right, and that theme can be translated to Puerto Rico as it rebuilds after devastation.
