How Being Part of Hamilton Changed My Life

And the new theatrical obsession taking over NYC!

Hamilton opened in previews on Broadway on July 13, 2015, almost ten years ago to the day.

It’s no exaggeration to say that being part of the show changed my life. I was an early investor, back when people were still raising eyebrows at the idea of a hip-hop musical about a Founding Father. You can read the outrageous story of how I got involved in this Forbes piece. What I didn’t know is that it would also forever change the way I think about stories… how we tell them, who gets to tell them, and why that matters.

Baby Brisa and baby Lin at lunch back in 2011(!!). And my program from Hamilton’s first preview at The Public in 2015.

A key theme in Hamilton is how the person who tells the story can shape its legacy—sometimes even more than the facts themselves. That idea stayed with me. Over the years, I've been fortunate to have a number of conversations with both Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ron Chernow, whose biography of Alexander Hamilton inspired the show. It's fascinating to hear Lin talk about his decisions to take significant creative license in order to craft the most compelling story possible—a goal he wildly achieved.

“Ron gave me the facts. My job was to find the emotional truth within them.”
- Lin Manuel Miranda

A key theme of my novel Last Call at the Savoy is "never let the truth stand in the way of a good story" and Lin did this beautifully with Alexander Hamilton’s story while also giving Chernow's book full credit and accepting and even encouraging people to enjoy the musical version of history in counterpoint to the true history.

When I started writing Last Call at the Savoy, I found myself returning to that idea: never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. My fictional heroine, Cinnamon Scott, is a cocktail-loving party girl turned accidental historian. Her foil, Kit, is a by-the-book academic who believes stories should stick to the evidence. The tension between them, both romantic and philosophical, was one of my favorite parts to write.

Even though the novel is fiction, it’s rooted in a real historical figure: Ada Coleman, the first female head bartender at London’s Savoy Hotel. Her legacy is surprisingly sparse, which gave me the freedom to approach her story the way barroom legends are often told: with embellishment, contradictions, and just enough mystery to keep you leaning in.

I hope someone someday writes Ada’s full biography—but until then, I’m happy to keep her legend alive in my own way.

And now for this week’s curated recommendations!

Delightful…

Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest theatrical desires: Masquerade, the new Phantom of the Opera-inspired immersive musical, has fast become the hottest summer ticket in town and, obviously, I was first in line. Set in a shadowy, opulent version of the Paris Opera House, masks and formal attire are required (naturally), and what happens inside is cloaked in secrecy. The first ticket release vanished faster than Christine’s common sense, but rumor has it: a new batch of tickets releases July 9 for those who sign the Opera Ghost’s ledger.

Delicious…

If Hamilton taught us anything, it’s to not throw away your shot. So in that “spirit” here are three summer shot recipes that are meant to be sipped not swallowed whole. Because it’s a lot easier to seize the moment without a hangover.

Watermelon Tequila Shot

• 1 oz silver tequila

• 0.5 oz chilled watermelon juice

• Pinch of sea salt on top (optional)

Cold Brew Vanilla Shot

• 1 oz cold brew coffee

• 0.5 oz vanilla vodka

Lemon Vodka Shot

• 1 oz citrus vodka

• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

De-Lovely

This week, Mister Big made his Substack debut with a guest post on

Cindy Ojczyk

PetStack, about his most cherished hobby: smuggling rawhide chewies around the world. In The Curious Case of the Traveling Rawhide, he shares (with a little help from me) his globe-trotting confession.

If you have a Hamilton memory, I'd love to hear it! Leave me a comment.