Happy January Birthdays to our favorite "Hamiltons": Alexander and Lin-Manuel Miranda!

Their January birthdays are just five days apart.

They’re classic Capricorns, known for “ever striving to reach the heights” *

These days the mention of one’s name evokes thoughts of the other.

They’ve been seen at different times in New York City wearing similar clothing.

Welcome to the world of Alexander Hamilton and Lin- Manuel Miranda, stars of Miranda’s award-laden Broadway production, “Hamilton -- An American Musical.”

Written by the latter to celebrate the former, “Hamilton...” is Miranda’s paean to the best and the worst in human nature. It features two of the most memorable characters in American history:

Founding Father, first Secretary of the United States Treasury and he whose face adorns the $10 bill, Alexander Hamilton, and then-Vice President of the United States and ultimately Hamilton’s deadly political rival, Aaron Burr.

Theirs is perhaps the most famous gun duel in history. Hamilton suffered what would become a mortal gunshot wound inflicted by Burr in New Jersey on July 11, 1804. He died the next day.

Normally death by duel isn’t the stuff of musical theater. But with strokes of creative genius, Miranda concocted a stew of intriguing characters, political rivalry and death and topped it off with irresistible hip hop and engaging lyrics. The result was a Tony and Grammy award-winning mega-hit that’s still the buzz of Broadway and theaters around the country.

So brilliantly has Miranda presented the intriguing story of Hamilton’s demise that even those who once declared American history the most boring subject in school are now flocking to New York City’s Trinity Church to see Hamilton’s impressive tombstone and that of his wife, Eliza.

That’s probably the best way to see Hamilton in the Big Apple these days, especially if you didn’t get tickets to the show that bears his name...

Interestingly, Alexander Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda share some things in common:

Musical genius Miranda not only wrote the book, lyrics and music for “Hamilton : The Musical” (reportedly after having been inspired by author Ron Chernow’s biography of Hamilton**). He also portrayed the doomed Founding Father in both Broadway and off-Broadway productions.

Hamilton was born on this date, January 11, 1755 or 1757, on an island in the West Indies and lived much of his life in New York City. Miranda, of mostly Puerto Rican descent, was born in New York City on January 16, 1980. He reportedly still lives in the area.

Zodiac aficionados recognize two key characteristics shared by Capricorns such as Hamilton and Miranda : seriousness and a hard-working nature. Astrology expert, author M.J. Abadie, reports that the “glyph” (symbol) for Capricorns is the “Mountain Goat, who is ever striving to reach the heights…” (*)

Of course, Miranda fans already knew the musical prodigy  reached “the heights” long ago. Prior to his success with “Hamilton,” he wrote the music and lyrics of yet another Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical titled In the Heights.

This month, in honor of Alexander Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda, we wish a very happy birthday to  industrious Capricorns everywhere!

The photograph of Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton and the image of Alexander Hamilton are from Google Images.

Visitors to New York City can view the tombstones of Alexander Hamilton and his wife in the Trinity Church cemetery in Lower Manhattan.

“Hamilton-The Musical” continues to draw audiences from around the world at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on West 46th Street, New York City. The show is currently on tour throughout the country. Cincinnati, Ohio, is one of the stops.

* The book, “Teen Astrology -- The Ultimate Guide to Making Your Life Your Own” by M.J. Abadie is available for checkout at MidPointe Library.

** The 2004 book, “Alexander Hamilton,” by Ron Chernow, is available for checkout at MidPointe Library.

This blog also includes information from online sources.

MidPointe Library is your source for Lin-Manuel Miranda and “Hamilton”-related materials  :

http://encore.middletownlibrary.org/iii/encore/search/C__Slin%20manuel%20miranda__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=def

http://encore.middletownlibrary.org/iii/encore/search/C__Salexander%20hamilton__Orightresult__U?lang=eng&suite=gold


Material is also available to library cardholders via MidPointe’s e-Library accessible at:

https://www.midpointelibrary.org/