Composer, lyricist and actor Lin-Manuel Miranda, the man responsible for both In the Heights and current Broadway sensation Hamilton has been chosen as one of 24 recipients for 2015 of the highly prestigious MacArthur Fellowship “genius grant.” The award, which comes with a $625,000 payment over five years—with no stipulations as to its usage—is made in recognition of people who have shown evidence of exceptional creativity and promise for even more potential in the future.
Miranda’s musical, Hamilton, a dynamic hip-hop exploration of the life of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, won countless awards this year, including the Drama Desk Award for best musical, after debuting in February at the Public Theatre. It moved this August to Broadway and has proven to be a critical and fan favorite, with tickets nearly unattainable.
For more about Miranda, click through to the MacArthur Foundation; and for Theater Pizzazz’s review of Hamilton on Broadway, click here.
Theater Pizzazz extends its heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Miranda for this well-deserved accolade.
photos by JK Clarke
