Overview
- Luis A. Miranda Jr. says he advised his son to perform a proven In the Heights number rather than an early Hamilton song at the 2009 White House event.
- Lin-Manuel Miranda asked the Obama White House to perform the only Hamilton piece he had, an early version of the opening number, after being invited to sing from In the Heights.
- He performed The Hamilton Mixtape at the White House Evening of Poetry, Music and the Spoken Word on May 12, 2009, widely cited as the first public performance of Hamilton material.
- Luis Miranda recalls the White House approved the switch and praised the piece, a decision he now credits as a successful gamble.
- The moment is being revisited as Hamilton marks its 10th anniversary in theaters, following a 2015 Broadway debut, major awards, and a filmed original-cast release in 2020.