I was looking forward to learning about the Miranda family's roots in Puerto Rican politics, but that topic never came up. As a supporter of independence for Puerto Rico, I wanted to hear about the role Puerto Rican nationalism has played in the Mirandas story. For example, Miranda himself put on a charity benefit performance of "Hamilton" for pardoned Puerto Rican terrorist Oscar Lopez Rivera at a Chicago theater bombed by the ex-con's FALN terrorist organization.
That would seem like an interesting angle to pursue.
2
Saludos Mr. Miranda,
I'm sure as I'm writing this email that you the man, are doing in Puerto Rico is from your heart and nothing else. I personally applaud you and all your efforts on trying to help your beloved Borinquén.
Bless You and don't be deterrent.
Suerte te desea un Cubano.
3
I believe most people who achieve great success want to give back but for Lin-Manuel it's in his DNA. Early on, he was advocating for causes; I have memorabilia from donations made years ago. Raising the profile of Puerto Rico following the devastating hurricane, especially as our president faltered, is a gift for all.
His talent - few can write, compose, act, sing and dance, produce and direct, seemingly all at once - is legendary. But his nearly full time attention to furthering mostly but not exclusively Latino and artistic causes is what makes him a person of highest integrity. I'd say he should run for president, his moral compass is so desperately needed right now but he'd probably have to slow down, something of which he seems incapable.
60
Having read a translated version of the letter that was sent to Mr. Miranda, it's very hard to blame the producers for taking the decision to move the production. It certainly isn't something that could have been decided lightly, given the tremendous cost and challenges involved -- including moving/rebuilding sets, relocating final cast rehearsals, & rescheduling 3 of the pre-ticketed performances. I also understand they had their hearts set on performing at Luis Miranda's alma mater, and donated $1M to refurbish and modernize the UPR theater so it could host this and other Broadway-class productions in future. That's a benefit the university retains -- and a project that almost certainly could not have been funded by the University anytime soon, in the wake of the budget cuts and other post-Maria projects.
All the evidence I've seen says that the Mirandas are good people, doing their best to do good things in the best way they know how, under the circumstances they're given. They certainly can't solve all the problems of Puerto Rico or even the Unversity -- but they deserve kudos for doing what they can to leave it better than they found it.
87
Miranda is the real deal. (and I don't even like rap!) You can't help but admire him for both his career and his love for his "island in the sun" and its wonderful people.
This man is no thrower of paper towels.
193
@ Bob Burns Well said; thus far, he seems to have navigated life’s challenges, including fame and wealth, far better than most of us could have.
28
Miranda is a "Showman" like PTBarnum except Barnum didn't price his circus out of the reach of the average person. As a retiree who doesn't live in NYC there is no way I could afford to see 'Hamilton' where the cheap seats soar in the hundreds of dollars. If he wished to reach out to the rest of the U.S. he would be wise to do Live from Broadway in movie theaters, like the Met Opera does. I can see a live performance of the Met for $20 in my local cinema. I will never be able to see 'Hamilton'. Even the road show coming to Boston charges prices above my means.
30
@Frenchy It's true that Broadway tickets are expensive, but make sure you aren't going to reseller websites where they are astronomical. These sites are very good at making you think you are at the theater site. I was fooled into thinking I was going to have to pay $500 for Hamilton tickets in LA, but then realized in time that I wasn't at the theater site, where they were less than half that for very good seats. Yes, it was expensive, but the occasional theater experience (every year or two) is where I spend my "very special treat" money.
28
@Frenchy
Are you serious? Did PT Barnum donate millions to nonprofit causes?
When Hamilton came to Denver, the production offered $20 tickets to every show, and I'd be surprised if Denver was the only venue doing so. And as the article notes, they've recorded one of the Broadway shows, probably for a theatrical release or showing on broadcast television.
Does every American have a right to see every Broadway play? No. But given Miranda's history, you'll get an opportunity. Assuming you still want it...
93
@Frenchy "...and a live-capture filming of “Hamilton” is edited and sitting in a vault, waiting until the show’s producers feel the time is right for release."
29
I applaud Lin-Manuel Miranda's efforts to help Puerto Rico and I understand his passion for the island and its inhabitants. My mother grew up there and regretted leaving Puerto Rico to attend college in New York. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of our family trips to visit her parents in San Juan, usually during Christmas vacation. At her request, my father returned her ashes to Puerto Rican soil when she died prematurely in 1971. Almost 50 years later that enchanted island still claims a big piece of my heart. I hope that Lin-Manuel enjoys every minute of his time in Puerto Rico. I am sure the Hamilton run will be wildly successful and raise money for and awareness of Puerto Rico. I hope he can reprise his role without tears in his eyes because I understand the pull of a homeland that was never my home.
91
@Camilli
Puerto Rico does not need help! What Puerto Rico needs is regulation that to stop federal government and corporate exploitation and interference.
4
@ART And those locals who take advantage!
6
Lin-Manuel is a national treasure for not one but two countries. How lucky we are to be alive right now, to hear some of his gifts take flight on stage, screen, and beyond.
107
@Jane Reader Puerto Rico is not a separate country.
74
@Jane Reader I fully agree with the sentiment of your comment! That being said: it's still one country. Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory.
61
@Jane Reader. There is only one country, not two. You need to bone up on your geography and history.
9
This man is amazing. I love his enthusiasm for his family's homeland. He is using the power of celebrity for great good. Kudos.
134
It's hard to be the most successful sibling in a family or one of the most financially successful performers from a commonwealth. That Mr. Miranda continues to be in the fray and engaged with ideas and people is a good lesson for all who achieve some degree of success and are looked to for leadership.
I applaud the college students who protest and who question the use of funds that should go toward their education. Their passionate advocacy--sometimes naive and ill-informed, but authentic and articulate--adds much to the conversation. Being so sure that they're right and being willing to put themselves on the line makes everyone have to grapple with ideas: It seems that Miranda understands and appreciates that as well.
61
@Jason ... talking about " putting something on the line "; pension funds, mutual funds, small investors put their money on the line when they lent money to Puerto Rico thinking it was an honorable borrower.
8
@BD The investors did not do it out of compassion for Puerto Rico, but for the triple tax exemption and the Puerto Rico government guarantee that was good for decades until PR hit a wall, like New York in the 70s, Detroit, and other municipal bond bombs waiting to go off.
18
@Bruce ... well yes, bad management typically results in bad consequences. Average Puerto Ricans and mainland U.S. pensions take the hit.
5
That anyone can say anything negative about Lin-Manuel Miranda just burns me. He has done more for Puerto Rico and Latinos in his life than nearly anyone else in US history. His creativity and genius aside, his magnanimity outclasses nearly every person of his age and in "show business." He didn't have to do anything but sit back and collect box office receipts but he chose not to. Well done, Lin. Please keep going where your heart leads you (and if this means taking a break, do it). This world needs you and many more like you. Bravo, sir.
6
The Harriet Tubman comment says it all about the thriving racial-agenda-above-all being touted by blacks on both continents. Her "gimme gimme gimme" attitude is what ails Puerto Rico more than any hurricane devastation. There is never "enough" for the Something For Nothing gang. Miranda's efforts would be better spent elsewhere and surely by now he is realizing that.
1
No mention here of Miranda’s shameful role in lobbying President Obama to pardon Oscar Lopez Rivera, the Puerto Rican terrorist.
What was Obama thinking, however, when he ordered the release of Oscar Lopez Rivera? During the 1970s, Lopez Rivera headed a Chicago-based cell of the Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN), which waged a futile but violent struggle to win Puerto Rican independence. Word is, Lin-Manuel Miranda whispering in his ear.
The FALN claimed responsibility for more than 120 bombings between 1974 and 1983 in a wave of senseless destruction that killed six and injured dozens. In 1981, a federal court in Chicago sentenced Lopez Rivera, then 37, to 55 years for seditious conspiracy, armed robbery, interstate transportation of firearms and conspiracy to transport explosives with intent to destroy government property.
But, Miranda, a musical genius, I grant you, has his US/Puerto Rican politics totally twisted.
1
Thank you for this well-written and well-balanced article. Lin-Manuel is truly one of the greats and will be remembered long past his lifetime. His experience as a nuyorican resonates with tens of thousands of us. There is just something about that island that calls to you on a deep, irrational level. Its beauty, its people, its culture, all captivate souls in a way that is hard to explain to outsiders. Lin-Manuel and NYT have done as good a job as anyone in trying to convey that sentiment.
The article's depiction of the situation at the UPR also felt authentic to me. I was also involved in protests at the UPR Rio Piedras as an undergrad twenty five years ago. Students, workers and islanders in general have many legitimate gripes against many different groups, including the federal government and its Junta. But there has also always been a strain of leftist activism in PR (similar to what I've seen in Europe) that bites off its nose to spite its face. There is a touch too much extremism, a bit too much idealism and, strangely, a drop of too much (misplaced) pride. Instead of working towards practical solutions to enormous and longstanding problems, they stand on principal and end up alienating many natural allies. This is what I fear happened to the Mirandas.
But PR loves Lin-Manuel. I've seen him speak to adoring crowds there. There is nothing a Puerto Rican likes more than a person who loves PR. Lin-Manuel fits that bill. Hamilton in San Juan will be a hit.
9
Lin Manuel is generously sharing his success and I applaud his efforts. He and his family have donated and raised funds to help those affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria.
PR is bankrupt due to decades of mismanagement by local politicians of all parties, and actions by the US Federal Government. PR owes $74 billions in public debt plus $50B in unfunded pensions. Many residents have emigrated to the US and PR’s population has declined.
The Oversight Board is trying to restructure the public debt, institute necessary fiscal reforms, stimulate the local economy, and restore access to capital market.
The letter that the University labor union sent threatened the Hamilton production with possible disruptions. The University internal security bans the local police. Moving the production to another venue was the responsible thing to do for the safety of all.
With decreasing University enrollment, dwindling funds, and the lowest tuition in PR and the mainland, the Board recommended needs based tuition, zero increase to poor students and modest increase to those with means.
Unfunded public pensions are unsecured creditors. Board recommended no pension cuts to the poor, and gradual cuts to the rest. Otherwise, the bankruptcy court can and will impose larger cuts.
There is widespread political malaise in PR as a result of its unresolved colonial status. The political future of PR should be resolved by a super majority of the PR electorate, enlightened with hard facts and not passion.
3
It's interesting to see a thoughtful and brilliant superstar navigate the ambiguities and challenges of real life. For detractors, I have a suggestion:
Try to help, not to hinder. That's what Lin Manuel Miranda does. Success is not a disease, and his choices of what to do with that success provide an example of how to go forward without going backward.
As to Hamilton, it is to some extent a work of fiction. It provides a variety of challenges and is a fascinating reflection on many human challenges.
When we demand "purity" or "perfection" we sometimes miss the excellence that is real humanity in action.
I started reading this and was at first disturbed by the perks of fame, but it didn't take long to see the open eyes, mind, and heart of a master artist with great compassion at work.
Thank you for this story.
29
The love affair with the Island by Puerto Ricans in the diaspora has often been one sided. We are looked down on by those "pure" Puerto Ricans who collect their Pell Grants while closing down what was once a fine University of Puerto Rico and which now teeters on disaccreditation (thanks to them) or attend elite stateside universities and then return as independentistas.
Many of us Newyoricans are doing our part to help Puerto Rico after the hurricane, most visibly the exemplary Lin Manuel Miranda.
18
@Bruce
It's no different from literally any other immigrant group in America. (Yes, I know PRs are not immigrants, but it's the same idea.)
Ask Italian-Americans, Chinese-Americans, Mexican-Americans and Irish-Americans how they are received in their ancestral homes. Michael Flatley made Irish step-dancing world famous and was constantly criticized by the Irish because he was an American and knew nothing about "real" Irish dance.
Weird, but common, phenomenon.
3
Thats great, but no 51st state.
3
@Walter McCarthy
It's not up to you, Walt.
1
Unfortunately his "passion" also included advocating for and celebrating the release of Oscar Lopez Rivera, a key member of a Puerto Rican pro-communist, pro-independence terrorist group (the FALN) responsible for 130+ bombings and 5 deaths. Instead of shunning a violent, unrepentant terrorist, Miranda called him "a symbol of resolve and conviction", referred to him using an honorific, "Don Oscar", and brought him to a Hamilton performance.
8
@Jason
Calling someone Don Oscar is the same as saying Mr. Lopez. It's not like having someone knighted.
He served his time—36 years.
No, he didn’t.
1
The comment that Miranda should have written a musical about Harriet Tubman instead of Alexander Hamilton tells me everything.
Did the reporter explain that it's in dictatorships that artists are told what they can and cannot write? And I don't blame the Mirandas for moving the production to another theater. Why should the Hamilton production be hijacked to serve an entire grab-bag of political issues about what ails Puerto Rico.
Lin-Manuel is open and generous, clearly willing to discuss concerns. The criticism of unpaid internships is also a little ridiculous. Many internships are still not paid and Miranda isn't running a university, he's supporting the arts.
As for people who say he's not a real Puerto Rican, he said he feels one with the place that is part of his heritage. For God's sake, by the complainers' definitions anyone with close ties to a parent's place of birth is fraud.
And the exploitation of PR is another issue. Yes, corporations and government exploited PR, but they exploit other parts of America as well. And in all of these cases, there are local people who agree to the exploitation.
Miranda drew attention to PR after Hurricane Maria. He criticized Trump. He gives and raises money to help PR. His charity gave $2.5 million to Puerto Rico.
I understand disappointment about resources for the theater and the move of the show to another venue. But the complainers brought the show's move upon themselves.
38
@NR
I agree 100%. You really can't make all the of people happy all of the time.
1
“None of them expressed an intention to protest; all of them said they were hoping to see the show, and four were later offered unpaid internships with the production.”
Unpaid interns??? Some things never change... Someone needs to tell these folks that most companies in the states now pay their student interns. Many universities require that their interns be paid regardless of Labor Department regulations.
8
As a parent of two recent college graduates, I can report unpaid internships are still a thing.
6
@Elizabeth
Yep. Particularly in the arts and non-profits arenas.
1
Wishing Lin and all the production team --excellence and happiness in bringing such aide, financial and spiritual, to Puerto Rico, still recovering and still foremost in our thoughts. In the coming New Year, blessings, gracias a la vida!
13
A metaphor for PR's problems. Good intentions abound amid parochial political interests. Miranda isand will remain an outsider, a Manhattanite of some privilege. He cannot claim a Puerto Rican experience that he does not have. Best wishes Puerto Rico. Get it together.
2
Every Spanish class I took in college, and I took classes for four years, three semesters a year, there was at least one student who did not know that Puerto Rico is in the United States and that Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens. Students would argue with our instructors and tell them they were wrong. Such ignorance!
6
@Jones
Only one student per class? That's great! As a Puerto Rican living in the NYC area most of my life, I would say less than half the people I've met know that, although the media attention that Hurricane Maria brought might have changed that for the average American.
I wouldn't take it to heart. Americans are fairly ignorant about pretty much all of our country. Someone once told a colleague of mine from Iowa, "Oh, yeah, here in NY we call it Ohio."
What a talent! This man is a genius. Compassionate and proud of his heritage. Yet there are some many negative comments re the latter. All Puerto Ricans, those born on the island and those descended from them, should be proud of this gift to the world.
I never understood why some islanders express this rejection of those who emigrated and their offspring. Leaving one's homeland is hard enough. Growing up in a foreign and oftentimes hostile environment is difficult without the stinging rebuke of those who stayed.
So you get rejected from some on both sides.
From those who deny your heritage because you weren't born there and those who treat you with disrespect because they think you were, or really don't care, you are descended from "them."
This man should be claimed by everyone. Should be admired by all. For his genius and his humanity.
81
Yes, it’s complicated. But the Miranda Family merits appreciation for honestly seeking ways to help Puerto Rico. More than appreciation, they should be praised for advancing our better angels.
50
This ranks up in the top of "No good deed goes unpunished." It's a play. He's there to help. buy a ticket, enjoy.
50
Mr. Miranda, as a Nuyorican, born and raised in New York, doesn't really know Puerto Rico. Regular visits are not enough.
Puerto Rico was paradise in the 50s and 60s after Washington allowed Puerto Ricans to elect their own governor. The economy was booming in an island that is awesomely beautiful. The narrative Mr. Miranda disseminates is that of Nuyoricans, not Puerto Ricans.
Puerto Rico does not need help. What Puerto Rico needs is for Washington and American corporations to stop exploiting the island economically increasingly in decline since the 1970s and made worse by the hurricane. This goal can only be accomplished by becoming a state or an independent country as a way to set up regulations for its protection.
This is the subtext of the protesters at the University of Puerto Rico. The issue is not about race. Puerto Rico is a melting pot as well. The issue is about economical exploitation based on the fact that everything in the island costs much more than in the mainland since everything has to be brought in by ship and only American ships can dock on the island, a law imposed by Washington.
Puerto Rico was the second European settlement in the Americas. Puerto Rico is older than the United States. Puerto Ricans are not helpless. Puerto Rico is just under control of American government and ignorance.
6
@ART Everyone needs help now and again; to insist otherwise is very naive. To be sure, it doesn't always have to come in the form of money or charity, even if sometimes that may be warranted -- like after a couple hurricanes rip your entire community apart, perhaps.
Insofar as Puerto Rico's longer-term needs: if you want to expand beyond simply preaching to your own choir members, it seems like 'spreading awareness' would be an important goal to pursue. As it happens, a guy named Lin-Manuel Miranda possesses both empathy for PR's plight AND a very loud megaphone...and he's trying to share it with you. Do you really want to waste that opportunity by slapping it out of his hand, because on principle you don't think he's Puerto Rican enough to be 'speaking for Puerto Rico?'
Maybe the important question to ask oneself is this:
Is it more important to claim victory for the battle, or to win the war itself?
23
@ART Take a trip to Africa if you want to see what countries "independent" of outside influence look like. Puerto Rico has nothing the US cannot find elsewhere.
1
@AngellInWA
The problem is not division. The problem is that Puerto Ricans in the island do not buy and do not engage in the narrative that Puerto Rico is a small island that needs help because it is "so small". Puerto Ricans who live in the mainland and their offspring believe the narrative of Puerto Rican inferiority and their passion for Puerto Rico is condescending. Puerto Ricans in the island are highly cultured and educated. That spirit has decline with the continuous oppression of an inferiority complex from those who learn and believe that narrative in the mainland from the ignorant majority who are not even aware that Puerto Rico is a highly developed American territory built by the diversity of Puerto Ricans that live in the island.
There is no doubt that Lin-Manuel Miranda is a musical genius. However, I also agree with Ms. Figueroa to a certain extent based on the following encounter: last spring, I was fortunate enough to see Hamilton in DC because my sister was given a complementary ticket she was unable to use. When I went to the performance at the Kennedy Center, I immediately noticed there were quite a few very young white children in attendance with their parents. And as soon as I sat down, a middle-aged white mother who was seated right next to me asked if I would switch seats with her son who was seated several rows back. When I politely declined and told her that I would prefer to stay in my reserved seat, she looked at me with dismay and disgust. I immediately thought to myself she probably can’t believe that an immigrant woman of color would actually refuse to give up her seat to her precious white child. I also realized very quickly that I was the only non-white person in my particular section of the theater. Suffice it to say, I felt the painful sting of white privilege that night.
32
@Zareen, wow! I can't believe she expected you to downgrade your seat for her benefit. If I were that mother, I would have given my son the better seat – or if he was young and I really needed to sit next to him, I would have offered my better seat to one of his neighbors. I'm sorry you had to experience and I hope you were still able to enjoy the show.
35
@Maria
It did, but that adverse experience definitely put a damper on that evening. Thanks for your comment, though. It means a lot to me.
14
@Zareen I don't think it had anything to do with race but everything to do with entitlement. Your experience is quite common in air travel where people expect you to give a prime seat( say an aisle seat ) to accomodate THEIR needs. When you state that you will not give up your seat because you paid a premium for it( and additional 75 dollars for example) , they look at you as if you were from a different planet. So it has happened to me, and I am white.
7
Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Nuyoricans like Miranda are viewed with contempt by islanders who never abandoned ship. Emigration, after all, is the ultimate no-confidence vote against a society. Emigrants know this at some unconscious level, so they overcompensate with loud loyalty to a fatherland they never knew.
9
He didn’t “abandon ship.” He was born and raised here and in no way claims otherwise. He has a strong ancestral link and sometimes internal conflict about that. He talks about that very clearly. What’s more, his father’s decision to leave PR was not “abandoning ship.” It was moving to the mainland of the US (and let’s remember, PR is part of the US) for a different life. A grand old American tradition.
11
@Expatico
I doubt you hate being the bearer of bad news. Looks like you couldn't wait to insert some negativity into the discussion. Lin-Manuel's appearances in PR are met with enthusiastic crowds. Islanders love and respect anyone from the diaspora who shows love and respect for Puerto Rico.
6
@Expatico, wow, so because Lin-Manuel's father moved away from the island and to New York, that makes Lin-Manuel a contemptible person.
Perhaps Lin-Manuel feels very connected to PR because of the summers he spent there as a kid. Perhaps he feels loyal to friends and family who still live there. Your handle says "Expatico Abroad." Where do you live?
7
lin's activism, outreach, generosity, kindness, energy and spirit are a daily rebuke to the current occupant of the white house in every possible way
29
Even a hopeless curmudgeon like me has to admit Mr. Miranda still seems like a real mensch. I hope he remains worthy of the unquestioned praise and hype the press heaps upon him.
My one quibble with the article is that describing Alexander Hamilton as a "Caribbean immigrant" is a little misleading, especially in a newspaper. He was still a British subject, like the American colonists were. His coming to the mainland was like someone going from Scotland to England in the modern UK, or, indeed, from PR to NYC.
Not quite the same thing...
21
@DZ. He left for New York from St. Croix, which was a Danish dependency. I don't think this makes him a British subject.
4
@rm...Hamilton was born on Nevis...as in St. Christopher and Nevis...much a part of Britain at the time...
7
@RM
Sigh. He was born to British parents (surname kind of gives it away) in St. Kitts & Nevis, which was a British colony (until 1983). Moreover, "immigration" in the 17th century was a distinctly different concept than it is today, and would not have applied to Hamilton.
I guess genuinely curious readers can always just look it up, as there is apparently no accuracy standard in the comments section.
3
We had tickets for January 9th, a show date that no longer exists. Ticket Pop has not informed us of our new event information, nor has there been consideration for those of us who will have to pay to change flights in order to accommodate a new date.
5
Snarky tone to this article. It was a matter of time before Lin-Manuel has these kinds of obstacles. A person of greatness always does.
14
Miss Figueroa should follow up on her idea and do a musical or play about Harriet Tubman herself instead of complaining that Mr Miranda should have done it instead of Hamilton. It’s much more difficult being a creator than a critic.
77
Why couldn’t they pay their interns?
5
@Jason, theater productions usually lose money, and the Hamilton production in PR may be operating at a loss. Unless it has a long run there it will undoubtedly lose money. I'll bet the Lin-Manuel is producing it because he wants to share it with people in PR.
3
Ruth Figueroa's criticism of Lin Manuel Miranda got her name and picture in the New York Times.
I look forward to Ms Figueroa writing a musical about Harriet Tubman and getting rich, famous and generous with her time and money, just like Lin Manuel.
Balls in your court, Ruth.
71
Miranda has become a cult . Ever since he turned Hamilton into something he wasn’t . The original Hamilton was no friend to the poor, came from a rich family that sent him to Columbia U. In NYC , his parents were white. In short , rich white guy who made it big in the new country .
Now he wants impoverished Puerto Rican students to pay for a production of Hamilton . I say give both Hamilton and Miranda the boot
5
@Needle Dick a lot of students were going to get free tickets when the play was going to be held in the University of Puerto Rico. I don't know what the case is now.
In addition to free entry for x amount of students, there were $100 tickets for the general population. I think that's very generous pricing. Finally, his family contributed 1 million dollars to restore the university's theater, so it doesn't really seem like "he wants impoverished Puerto Rican students to pay for a production of Hamilton." He doesn't want Puerto Ricans to pay much at all. This is a gift from him to his island to increase tourism and raise funds for Puerto Rican artists.
25
@Needle Dick
Is this an inside joke? Your point is that, contrary to Chernow’s Pulitzer-winning biography, Hamilton was actually from a rich white family, which sent him to Columbia?
7
@Needle Dick, did you even read the Chernow book? Hamilton was abandoned by his father; his mother died leaving him an orphan at a young age. He was poor, compared to his peers in NYC.
13
Good for you, Mr. Miranda,
You are doing your very best, the best that you know how for your beloved Puerto Rico! I wish you all the very best as well!!
Genevieve
21
Miranda is a home-grown genius. He makes all New Yorkers proud.
31
Never thought I'd see quenepas mentioned in the NYT. I ate them every summer growing up in the Bronx but (sigh) they are so hard to find outside of NYC.
3
@Lynn in DC
We call them ackees in Barbados.
2
Great and inspiring artist!
14
In the end, this article captured not only the difficulties of pulling off a broadway play in Puerto Rico, but also offers considerable insight in to what holds the island back (besides geographical location on a major hurricane track).
26
We would love to see Hamilton in Miami but the least expensive seat is $282; which is in the last row of the theater.
3
@Betty G. Those are "resale" ticket prices- people who purchased tickets long ago who are now trying to make a profit by selling their tickets - basically legal scalpers. I purchased Orchestra seats on the side for much less than that. And by the way, Hamilton is now playing through January 20 in Fort Lauderdale at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, it won't be in Miami until 2020. But everyday there are 40 tickets available for $10.00 each. Just get the Hamilton app on your phone and enter every day, you might get lucky!
22
@Betty G. It’s playing here in Ft. Lauderdale just 30 miles north of Miami. Last night I just bought tickets online to Hamilton. I found 2 singles (apart) both in the orchestra one in row H for $244 and the second in row O for $197 plus fees.
It's great that he's so altruistic; I have to agree with one of the commenters that Hamilton tickets are exorbitant and extremely hard to come by if you don't have deep pockets.
8
@Yvette If you can, work with the box office to get a good seat at a reasonable cost. Best available, cheap seat, open date. I went to the theatre in NYC and got a side view box seat for $230 ..so close! So great!
@MillicentB1
Yvette - Better yet, follow in Hamilton's footsteps and be relentless about entering the lottery. I did it for about 7 or 8 months and won two $10 tickets. My ten year old son and I enjoyed the best Broadway show I've seen for $20.
1
Puerto Rico can have voting delegates to nominating conventions, but its citizens have no voting rights. In 1917, they were granted citizenship. Why can't they vote? Because it's a commonwealth? So is Pennsylvania. Because it's an island? So is Hawaii.
30
@Jbugko:
The answer to your perplexed question can be had in Sam Erman, "Almost Citizens: Puerto Rico, the U.S. Constitution, and Empire (Studies in Legal History)."
"T'aint cheap, but well worth the outlay. Trouble with PR is, like that certain relative the family shirks from mentioning, its history is unknown, or virtually unknown, to the majority of mainland citizens.
4
@Jbugko
Puerto Ricans can vote if they live in the mainland. Puerto Rico cannot hold elections for the presidency on the island because unlike Pennsylvania and Hawaii, Puerto Rico is not a state. It's as simple as that.
8
The University students protesting the gift of Hamilton coming to their campus and having renovated their theater are living proof that youth is wasted on the young.
52
@Roberta My youth and that of many of my fellow students at the University of Puerto Rico was not wasted. While seeing Puerto Rico's status as a colony of the United States and advocating independence for the island, we read the Federalist Papers as well as other important historical and literary documents and works from the U.S.
Those who became writers did not choose any U.S.american as hero of their works.
I understand that Miranda, born and raised in New York, would do so. I do wonder if he ever studied Alexander Hamilton's writings and speeches.
When I was a student at that main campus nobody would have thought of bringing a play like that to the U.P.R.
6
@Jorge Rolon Yes, advocate for "independence" since that has worked SO well in Africa.
1
@jrm
What does Africa have to do with anything? The natural comparison would be to other Latin American or Caribbean countries.
Puerto Rico would benefit greatly from diversity. The Federal government should incentivize mainlanders of all ethnic backgrounds to relocate to PR, bringing with them different perspectives and strengths. The status quo is a complete failure and things need to change. PR should be an island for ALL Americans, not just Latinos.
13
@Jon
You act as if somebody built a wall around it. What the heck is stopping you. Seasickness?
7
@Jon
Who told you it's not? If you're an American, you can move to PR any time you want.
4
@Jon Strange comment. There's nothing preventing any American from relocating there. You could move there tomorrow if you wish.
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Tell Ruth Figueroa and all the protesters to try and live a half a life as full, genuine and creative as Lin Manual. So easy to be the critic.
113
If Puerto Rico doesn't want him, Miranda should do "Hamilton" on nearby Saint Croix, where Hamilton grew up.
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@Jay David
Puerto Rico wants him. We love him. He's one of ours. A few crazies don't speak for the majority.
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I don't know exactly what it is or how it happens, but a special feeling is planted inside you when you are Puerto Rican, no matter where you were born. I've seen it in people who have never even been on the island.
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@Sonia Ye, the feeling of wanting to be exotic without having endured the hardships of actually living there.
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It is sad to read the remarks of Ms. Figueroa, who delusionally believes herself to be “more conscious of who Hamilton was” than Mr. Manuel, who spend years of his professional life studying his legacy. She boils Hamilton down to nothing more than “a person who represents oppression” because he isn’t Latin. The so-called “social justice” ideology of the last five or ten years is nothing more than hateful mind poison, completely antithetical to the liberalism I have spent my life championing and defending.
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@Greg Indeed. As I read Ms. Figueroa's remarks, I found myself thinking "...the world is wide enough for both Hamilton" and the students and workers in Puerto Rico...
17
Correct.
Just wait until you realize it's all about race, and that no amount of Right-think can absolve those guilty of lacking sufficient melanin.
3
@Greg OR, and stick with me here, she's just a young, political woman who knew she would get her name in the Times if she said something critical about Miranda.
He could have done a play about Marriet Tubman? Let's see Figueroa get to work!
8