give me liberty or give me death

The Public Theater presents the premiere of the brand new musical from Lin-Manuel Miranda this February. A rollicking historical epic, Hamilton traces the life and times of one of America's most important (and colorful) characters, Alexander Hamilton. In a life rich with drama and intrigue, Hamilton rose from his humble orphaned beginnings to play a major role in making America the country it is today. Miranda takes a wholly fresh approach to his subject matter, incorporating samples of Notorious B.I.G into his score and casting ethnically diverse actors in the roles of the founding fathers.

The Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award winning Miranda (In the Heights) wrote the book and lyrics, and stars as the lead. Joining him are Christopher Jackson (Holler If Ya Hear Me) as George Washington, Frozen's Jonathan Groff as King George (from March 03) and Renee Elise Goldsberry (The Good Wife) as Angelica Schuyler. The show will transfer to Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre on July 13, with opening night taking place on August 06.

What is Hamilton About?

One of the founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton's story is an extraordinary one. Born out of wedlock in the West Indies, and orphaned by the time he was 11, he arrived in New Jersey in 1772 to begin his grammar school education. From there he played a major role in the American revolutionary war, rising through the ranks to become an aide to George Washington. But that was only the beginning of the great man's story, with the proceeding chapters in his life taking in everything from sex scandals, fatal duels and the creation of the American Constitution.

Did You Know?

Among his many achievements, Hamilton founded the New York Post, which would become the oldest newspaper in America to have been published continuously as a daily.