On August 22, Hamilton marked its 10th anniversary since it debuted on Broadway.
Since then, according to Playbill and Rightway.com, “Hamilton” has gone on to win 11 Tony Awards, one Grammy, and one Pulitzer Prize.
Due to the success of Hamilton, many of the original Broadway performers have gone on to stardom, including Leslie Odom Jr., Anthony Ramos, Daveed Diggs, and Renée Elise Goldsberry. In an interview with People Magazine, Goldsberry, who played Angelica Schuyler, shared how the success of Hamilton affected her over the past 10 years.
“It makes me feel so grateful that I got to be alive in the world 10 years after this thing that changed my life,” Goldsberry said to People Magazine.
To celebrate the tenth anniversary of Hamilton’s Broadway debut, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator, composer, lyricist, and original actor, performed on Aug. 6 at the Richard Rodgers Theater.
According to AP news, the performance raised approximately 3 million dollars to which Miranda gave a coalition of nonprofit fundraisers that provide immigration services to families in need, concerning the ongoing events involving immigrants in America.
This includes, the protests occurring in Los Angeles against the immigration law enforcement, ICE, the displeasure of Cal Poly Pomona students from ICE Enforcement being invited to recruit at a career fair, and the disturbance caused by ICE raids in neighborhoods and schools.
Miranda mentioned his reasoning for working with these nonprofit organizations to raise money to support immigrants.
“Immigrants are the lifeblood of America,” Miranda said to Playbill Magazine.
Rancho Cucamonga teachers and students expressed their opinions on this decision to donate the proceeds to charity.
Junior Jonathan Robinson expressed his approval on the matter.
“Honestly, I would say my opinion on the fact that I think every charity is a great charity as it’s a positive message going around,” Robinson said.
The RCHS drama class also put its own stamp of approval on the matter, including senior Gayle Mendoza, who expressed how considerate Miranda has been.
“I feel like that is a very noble cause,” Mendoza said. “I really love how they’re doing that because of the situation going on in the US today. I feel like that is a very immediate cause that they should be donating to, and aside from Hamilton, I feel like everyone should be doing their part to y’know help out the cause.”
Mr Loudermilk, the RCHS drama teacher, praised the decision, even providing insight on the show’s message.
“I think that is amazing, especially because one of the most iconic lines from the musical is, ‘Immigrants, we get the job done!’ So I think that it’s really great for the musical to incorporate what they preach into real-world change,” Loudermilk said.
This act of kindness only reinforces Hamilton’s cultural impact and Miranda’s lasting legacy of generosity, with his other charities such as, Opportunities for artists of color and Puerto Rico relief and recovery efforts.
