Lin-Manuel Miranda on Which ‘Hamilton’ Song He’s Proud of (Exclusive)
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NEED TO KNOW
- Lin-Manuel Miranda revealed at the Sept. 3 Hamilton premiere which song he had written from the Broadway sensation that he believes was his best work
- The actor and songwriter noted that he has “seen a lot of tattoos” of the song “which is how I know it really resonates with people”
- It is also a favorite of Leslie Odom Jr., who plays Aaron Burr in the musical; Burr previously noted that the song was part of the reason why he joined Hamilton
Lin-Manuel Miranda is fully “satisfied” when it comes to one of his Hamilton creations.
The 45-year-old actor and songwriter revealed at the Sept. 3 Hamilton premiere at The Delacorte Theater in New York City which song from the Broadway sensation he believes represents his finest work.
“I mean, I was really cooking with ‘Wait For It,’ ” Miranda told PEOPLE, referring to the song sung in Act 1 of the show by the character of Aaron Burr (originally played by Leslie Odom Jr.).
“That song, I’ve seen a lot of tattoos of it, which is how I know it really resonates with people,” he added.
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Some of the most popular lyrics from that song include, “Death doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints / It takes and it takes and it takes and we keep living anyway” and “If there’s a reason I’m still alive when everyone who loves me has died / I’m willing to wait for it.”
The track also left a strong impression on Odom Jr. himself, who told CBS News in 2016 that after hearing it, he was certain he wanted to be involved with Hamilton.
“You hear a song like ‘Wait For It,’ you hear a song like ‘Dear Theodosia’ — if you get one of those songs in a musical — one — it’s worth dropping everything to sing that one song,” Odom Jr. said.
“It’s the fact that… Aaron Burr gets ‘Wait For It’ and ‘Dear Theodosia’ and ‘The Room Where It Happens,’ and he gets to be the audience guide in that way. It’s just such a tremendous responsibility,” he added of the role.
His work as Burr eventually paid off, as he earned a Tony award for Best Lead Actor in a Musical for his role as Aaron Burr in Hamilton. The show took home a total of 11 Tony awards in 2016, including the prestigious Best Musical award.
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Odom Jr. previously shared in an interview with DC Theater Arts that he believed what made the songs in Hamilton so special was how they each told an important story, similar to songs written and sung by the greats like Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and Sammy Davis, Jr.
“These songs strike a chord, but the definition of standards is malleable. It stretches as time goes on because someone like Lin-Manuel Miranda writes a song like ‘Wait for It’ or ‘Dear Theodosia,’ that has real staying power,” Odom Jr. said.
“[These are] songs that, only time will tell, but in my opinion have a real chance to be around 100 years from now and be the standards, the oldies, the comfort music for kids then,” he added.
Hamilton will be released in theaters in the U.S. on Sep. 5
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