Staff Writer- Mary Athorp

Lin-Manuel Miranda is really a genius, isn’t he? 

I don’t even think you can contend with that statement; it’s just objectively factual. Now, I have many thoughts about Miranda and his state of genius, and I’ll likely share all of them with you throughout the course of this article. But my recent thoughts regarding Miranda aren’t just coincidences. 

Back in February, I was able to go watch Hamilton live at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center in Appleton, Wisconsin. It was a Christmas gift from my mom and dad–talk about a thoughtful present! My whole family is somewhat of a Hamilton fan base. My mom even made us all special Hamilton shirts to wear to the performance with quotes from songs on them. 

Now, I could go on and on about how cool my family is, but I did plan for this article to be about Hamilton, so that’s what it shall be. 

First, let me share my thoughts about the performance itself. I mean, what would you expect? It was fantastic. It was BETTER than fantastic. Genuinely, I don’t think there are sufficient adjectives to describe how incredible it was. It was true to the Hamilton that you can watch on Disney +, of course bar the original actors, despite my brother and my greatest hopes. 

I don’t really know what to describe specifically about the performance, given that every aspect of it was wonderful. I will say that Christian Magby, who played Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, was probably my favorite actor. He was extremely engaged in his role and overall hilarious. Obviously, that comes with the territory of playing that kind of character, but I was specifically impressed. 

One big takeaway from this experience was the performance given by the actor, Tyler Fauntleroy, who played Alexander Hamilton himself. Amazing, of course. Almost too amazing. What do I mean by that? 

Well, I think it’s no secret that Miranda, in his original production of Hamilton, doesn’t necessarily sing all too much. In fact, most of the “singing” he does isn’t very vocally intricate– and I say this as someone who doesn’t know too much about singing other than I like to do it, so take that lightly… and be nice to me. But, objectively speaking, we don’t see Miranda throw in a lot of musical riffs or extremely high notes. It’s safe to say that Alexander Hamilton, as a role, doesn’t come with a very high singing caliber. Acting, rapping, and musical knowledge are different stories, of course. Fauntleroy, however, was certainly a juxtaposition to this line of thinking. I was seriously taken aback when he opened his mouth. It was truly breathtaking.

This brings me back to Miranda’s genius. Do I think that Miranda can sing? Yes. Do I think he’s the best singer in the world? No. But do I think he played to his strengths and wrote a crazy good musical that he knew he could star in? Yes. I don’t think anyone, not even Tyler Fauntleroy, can outshine Miranda. Miranda’s performance is unforgettable in every way. And so, my point still stands. 

Miranda is a genius, objectively. Not only did he create a masterpiece that illuminates history, music, and talent all together as one, but he did so in a way that allowed him to be a part of it all. 

I’m envious of his ingenuity. I might have to follow suit. The spotlight is, admittedly, a place I enjoy being, but I don’t know if I’ll be able to get there traditionally. Perhaps if I create my own musical, one that I know I could star in unforgettably, I might make it. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting myself on the same level as Mirando. No, no. But he certainly inspires me, and inspiration is the greatest kind of fuel. 

So, thanks, Miranda, for sharing your genius with the world. It truly is something unforgettable.