Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator/star/genius of Broadway darling Hamilton, won the Tony Award for Best Score of a Musical tonight and gave a beautiful speech from the stage. None of that, of course, is surprising. Lin and everyone else nominated for Hamilton were the decided frontrunners for most every category in which they were nominated heading into the show. Nor is it a shock that Lin gave a good speech. He’s a wordsmith like no other and has been giving great acceptance speeches since he started winning trophies for similarly great musical In The Heights almost a decade ago.
What’s a shock is that Lin’s sonnet – which incorporated love for his wife, his cast mates, and the theatre – was such an incredible meditation on the lives lost Saturday night at the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando and how we move forward as people. Between choking up a bit and sneaking glances to his wife, Lin read the sonnet off a notecard (because “he’s old”) and wowed the room.
When senseless acts of tragedy reminds us that nothing here is promised. Not one day.”
“This show is proof that history remembers, we live through times when hate and fear seem stronger, we rise and fall and light from dying embers, remembrances that hope and love last longer.”“Love is love is love is love is love, and love cannot be killed or swept aside. Fill the world with music love and pride.”
On top of the fact that he wrote such a beautiful rhyming speech in only a few hours before the show, Lin’s message is wonderfully put. James Corden addressed the shootings at the top of the show, Frank Langella spoke about the tragedy in his own acceptance speech for The Father, and Jessica Lange mentioned it in hers as well.
But Lin puts the idea of love front inside rather than dwelling on the grim details. Love is what matters at the end of the day and as he said so perfectly, cannot be swept aside. May we all remember that in the coming days as more and more details emerge about the horrors of the Pulse nightclub shooting.
(via Variety)