On a recent episode of the Colbert Show, Lin-Manueal Miranda, creator of Broadway phenomenon Hamilton, explained that founding father Alexander Hamilton ended up in the American colonies because of a Caribbean hurricane.
Miranda explained that Hamilton wrote a letter describing the terrible devastation of the hurricane of 1772. It went viral. For 1772, that meant that it ended up being published in a newspaper and physically shared by readers with other people. It reached so many people that a fundraising project developed, and enough funds were raised to pay for Hamilton’s relocation to New England.
The people who funded this 18th century version of a Kickstarter campaign wanted Hamilton to get an education and return to the Caribbean to help his homeland. That didn’t happen. But, said Miranda, a hurricane has now caused him to take Hamilton to the Caribbean, “closing Hamilton’s loop.”
Miranda will be back in the title role of the musical at the Puerto Rico premiere at San Juan’s Teatro UPR at the University of Puerto Rico in January 2019. Tickets are going first to students. Remaining tickets will be sold by lottery. Donations made at Prizeo will also be eligible for special tickets. All proceeds from the 24 planned performances will go to The Flamboyan Arts Fund, a new nonprofit developed by Miranda with the Flamboyan Foundation.
The Foundation works in Puerto Rico and in Washington, D.C. in a variety of initiatives. The Flamboyan Art Fund is a limited-term fund supporting the arts in Puerto Rico.
“At the heart of Puerto Rican culture is a vibrant expression of humanity through the arts. Be it theater, dance, music, literature, or visual arts, the community has relied on the arts to tell the story of its history – and the story of everyday life,” runs a statement on the Foundation website. “In this time of social and economic change following Hurricane Maria, the arts can build hope, stimulate the economy, and enrich people’s souls.”
It is hoped that the Hamilton engagement will not only raise money for the Flamboyan Arts Fund directly through donations and ticket sales, but that it will also contribute to the rebuilding of Puerto Rico’s tourism industry.
In an interview with People Magazine, Miranda said, “I believe art helps us survive. We can’t wait for Puerto Rico to recover to then support the arts because there is no telling when that will be.”
