‘Hamilton’ in Puerto Rico: An opening night with joy, hope and tears from Lin-Manuel Miranda (L.A. Times):
[…] “Things have not been the same after the hurricane,” said Yolanda Hidalgo, a doctor from Aguadilla who came to “Hamilton” with her mother, Yolanda Hernandez, a nurse. “It has been more than a year, and there are still so many troubles — towns that have not recovered, people still without jobs who lost houses, who lost everything. And there is a lot of sickness.”
Hidalgo said she has no words for how grateful she is for Miranda’s presence in Puerto Rico and for the show’s pledge to give 100% of this run’s profits to the island through the Miranda family’s Flamboyan Foundation, which is dedicated to helping with the recovery process largely through arts and culture.
Opening night drew a giddy audience of island residents mixed with a healthy helping of tourists from the mainland. During the uproarious curtain call, the audience rang out with shouts of “Puerto Rico” and “Vega Alta,” the nearby town where Miranda’s father is from. Pride in the show, and the man behind it, was palpable as fans lined up for “Hamilton” mugs, beanies, hats, tote bags, tees and hoodies.
[…]
Miranda’s interest in bringing the production to the island predates Hurricane Maria by a year. His mission changed after the storm, Puerto Rico’s worst natural disaster resulting in what the local government has estimated to be nearly 3,000 deaths.
“Puerto Ricans are the most resilient people on the face of the Earth,” Miranda said in a post-show press conference at the venue, Centro de Bellas Artes Luis A. Ferré. “Name any other city in the world that would survive this long without power and the resources that any American state would get in the wake of a hurricane.”
He added that people are coming to Puerto Rico because of the show, and he hopes they will spend a lot of money while they are on the island — and see just how much recovery work still needs to be done.
He cited the blue tarps that are one of the most persistent sights on the island. In smaller towns, they form seas of blue visible to cars passing by on the freeway, the plastic coverings protecting homes that have lost all or part of their roofs.
“I lost my job after Maria, so I started driving Uber,” said Julissa Miedes, who attended the opening night party with one of the show’s carpenters, who invited her after she gave him a ride. “It’s been a tough year after the hurricane, but I’m optimistic.”
[…]
Regardless of the venue change, “Hamilton” in Puerto Rico still is expected to generate $15 million for the island, Seller said, with some of that revenue coming from about 3,000 benefit tickets priced at $5,000 each. (The production said it has kept thousands of seats at $10 for locals.)
“All of our royalty participants — author, director, choreographer, designers, producers — are waiving our royalties, so all of those dollars are going straight to island initiatives,” Seller said.
At a raucous after-party at a massive bank complex, Miranda and the cast mingled with guests sipping Don Hamilton Old Fashioned cocktails and snacking on local braised pork cheeks and blood sausage.
Miranda appeared onstage next to a cover band, once again expressing his profound thanks to those who brought “Hamilton” to Puerto Rico a well as to island citizens for their gracious reception.
“It’s not every day you get to bring everyone you love to the island you love most in the world,” he said. “Thank you so much.”
more photos with the full article
