Page 29 - Aruba Today
P. 29
PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Tuesday 23 February 2016
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘Hamilton’ wins Kennedy Prize for Drama
MARK KENNEDY gone” by Qui Nguyen. The prize was established In a Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015 file photo, Lin-Manuel Miranda ap-
AP Drama Writer “Hamilton” examines the by Kennedy’s sister, Am- pears at the curtain call following the opening night perfor-
NEW YORK (AP) — Lin-Man- true story of Alexander bassador Jean Kennedy mance of “Hamilton” at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, in New
uel Miranda’s revolution- Hamilton, a Founding Fa- Smith, in consultation with York.
ary stage musical “Hamil- ther and the nation’s first playwright Tony Kushner.
ton” has won a Grammy, treasury secretary, told by It is given every Feb. 22, Associated Press
a “genius grant” from the a young African-American the anniversary of the late
MacArthur Foundation and and Latino cast and with senator’s birth. “Hamilton” in 2009 for his Broadway for “In the Heights,” as well
now another honor — one music that blends musical was a sold-out sensation debut, “In the Heights.” He as the recipient of two Tony
of the largest prizes given theater, rap and pop. last year when it debuted also was a Pulitzer nominee Awards for that show.q
for dramatic writing. The jury included play- at the Public Theater, with
Columbia University said wrights Kristoffer Diaz, Dom- people paying well over
Monday that “Hamilton” inique Morisseau, Anne 10 times the $120 ticket
had won The Edward M. Washburn and Mona Man- price. When it transferred
Kennedy Prize for Drama sour, librettist John Weid- to Broadway, President
Inspired by American His- man, composer Jeanine Barack Obama came to
tory, which honors a new Tesori and Columbia Uni- see it and it has become
play or musical that ex- versity professors Farah Jas- the hardest and most ex-
plores the United States’ mine, Rashid Khalidi and pensive ticket to get.
past and deals with “great James Shapiro. The show has won awards
issues of our day.” The jury’s vote was unani- from the Outer Critics Cir-
Given every year through mous: “Technically so profi- cle, the New York Drama
Columbia University, the cient, historically so sound, Critics’ Circle and the Dra-
prize honoring the late U.S. artistically so groundbreak- ma Desk, and it is a likely
senator from Massachu- ing, ‘Hamilton’ is both in- candidate for Tony Awards
setts comes with $100,000. spired by and celebrates this summer. The show’s al-
The other finalists were “An the evolving history of the bum became the highest-
Octoroon” by Branden Ja- United States, of hip-hop, debuting cast recording
cobs-Jenkins, “Indecent” and of the musical the- on the Billboard Top 200
by Paula Vogel, “Sweat” ater,” the jury said in a in over 50 years. Miranda
by Lynn Nottage and “Viet- statement. previously won a Grammy
