Lin-Manuel Miranda Announces He Will Create New Stage Musical

Lin-Manuel Miranda has announced that he hopes to create a new stage musical in 2022. Speaking in an interview with Michael Paulson (theatre reporter for The New York Times), recorded for the NYT Offstage: Summer in the City series, Paulson explained at the top of the video that the discussion around diversity in the casting of the recent In The Heights film was not talked about as this had occurred after the filming of the interview, but other elements had been addressed.

The conversation

The interview took place at the Drama Book Shop, a venue that Lin-Manuel Miranda and colleagues had recently purchased in order to prevent the store from going under in the wake of the latest rent increase. Clearly holding dear sentimental value for the musician, the bookstore is hopefully back on its feet once more following Covid.

Although not specifically talking about the current conversation around diversity and In The Heights, Paulson asked Miranda about the subject of theatre, Broadway and inclusion in general. Miranda stated his hopes for Hamilton to be an ambassador for social change, and lead onto asking the next logical question of how underrepresented groups can be supported by more diversity, equity and inclusion backstage.

Speaking about his own experiences being underrepresented, Miranda talked emotionally about writing what he felt was missing from the industry when he started In The Heights, and how it felt on reflection looking back now – half of his life since moving from the initial concept, to show, to film. Lin-Manuel Miranda also said that he’d love to bring the show back to Broadway, so we shall wait in anticipation to see whether that transpires…

When asked about whether we are going to see a new stage musical from the creator, Miranda concurred, and explained that his goal for next year is to be at home writing as much as possible, saying:

“Yeah, that’s where I’m hoping to like to put all my jobs down in 2022. I have several ideas. They happen when I’m in the shower or walking my dog…I don’t know which one is going to raise its hand at the dawn of 2022 but I know that its going to be like [mimes vomiting] when I finally have time to commit to it.”

As his final question, Michael Paulson asks Lin-Manuel what he would say to any aspiring artist that were to come through the doors of the bookshop, wondering if there’s a place for them in the world? Miranda sensitively explained that:

“I would tell them that I found a place, right here in this bookshop. Whether you’re inspired or whether you’re stuck, you’re surrounded by some of the greatest art in the world on these shelves – I think that’s why the bookshop was such a fertile place for me to write. If I was ever stuck myself, I could come and thumb through a Sondheim score, or thumb through a Kushner play and be inspired again. And I can think of no better legacy of another generation of artists finding inspiration here.”

After what has indeed been a year of major success across platforms for the musician, we are certainly looking forward to hearing what he comes up with next year.

Also by Michelle Sciarrotta: