Fans of the musical Hamilton will get an exclusive look inside the various rooms where Lin-Manuel Miranda made the Broadway hit happen!
The Television Critics Association press tour may be winding down this week, but never count PBS out for an announcement or two! As part of the network’s Great Performance series, this fall PBS will air Hamilton’s America. The documentary will chronicle the two years leading up to Hamilton‘s Broadway opening.
The press release from PBS notes that the documentary will be a combination of interviews with experts, new footage of the New York production, and cast-led expeditions to DC, Philadelphia and New York. Some of those trips include traveling alongside Chris Jackson, who plays George Washington, to Washington’s grave in Virginia and Lin-Manuel Miranda and Leslie Odom Jr.’s visit to the Museum of American Finance where they stage a reenactment of the duel between their characters with some authentic dueling pistols.
Miranda shared an exclusive still from the project on Twitter as he composed “Burr, Sir” in Aaron Burr’s bedroom.
Some stills from @Alex_Horwitz' doc. Here's me writing Burr, Sir at @MorrisJumel. IN BURR'S BEDROOM. pic.twitter.com/R40jOvI7zc
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 18, 2016
Related: A Hamilton beginner’s guide: Who lives, who dies, what is this story?
David Horn, executive producer of Great Performances, noted that Lin-Manuel Miranda already has a history of bringing Broadway to PBS’ programming. Horn notes, “Since we presented In the Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams in 2009, we’ve been taken by Lin-Manuel’s unique talents and we’re honored to collaborate with him again on Hamilton’s America. The film will offer audiences a fascinating point of view as we witness first-hand Lin’s inspiration and creative process, as well as the lasting impact of Alexander Hamilton on our society today.”
Hamilton has taken the world by storm, opening the door for a conversation about making Broadway more accessible for those who may not be able to take in live theater due to location, finances, or other circumstances. From the start of its Broadway run, Hamilton has gone out of its way to bring a much larger audience into Broadway with its live lottery Ham4Ham shows. Recorded and shared by fans, dozens of performances from shows across the Great White Way now live on the Internet where they have more reach than they ever could hope for behind the closed doors of their respective theaters.
Lin-Manuel Miranda commented on the project in the press release saying, “On behalf of the entire Hamilton cast and creative team, many of whom are In The Heights alumni, we are overjoyed to be returning to PBS in partnership with RadicalMedia with this project. We invited filmmaker Alex Horwitz into ‘the room where it happened’ a few years ago, and he’s captured parts of this journey no one has seen. We can’t wait to share it, thanks to PBS.”
If you are lucky enough to find a way in, you can check out Hamilton live at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
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