From Broadway stages to Disney animation, this musical maestro has left an indelible mark on entertainment! Join us as we count down the greatest musical achievements from the Tony Award-winning composer, lyricist, and performer who revolutionized modern musical theater with his unique blend of hip-hop, history, and heart.
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00:00We don't talk about Bruno, no.
00:03Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:05And today, we're counting down our picks for Lin-Manuel Miranda's greatest musical theater achievements thus far.
00:10For this list, we'll be looking at the best musical projects that the prolific Tony Award winner has worked on.
00:16Although we love his films like Tick, Tick, Boom and Mary Poppins Returns,
00:20we'll only be focusing on projects in which he contributed to the songwriting process.
00:24But since you dream the night away, tomorrow's here, it's cold today.
00:29It's a count of blessings, you're a lucky guy.
00:38If you've had the song, I Always Wanted a Brother playing in your head on repeat, you can thank Lin-Manuel Miranda.
00:51A frequent Disney collaborator, Miranda is the man behind the catchy number featured in the 2024 film, Mufasa, The Lion King.
00:58In fact, he wrote all the songs for the Barry Jenkins-directed animation.
01:11A prequel and sequel to the live-action adaptation of the 1994 Disney classic,
01:16Mufasa made it so that Miranda had big shoes to fill as Sir Elton John and Tim Rice wrote the music for the OG film.
01:22The Lion King's already a genre of music.
01:25However, Miranda, as always, excelled at the task, leaving audiences with the first earworm of 2025.
01:31What did you say about my brother?
01:33It's not a trade, it's my brother.
01:35You stay away from my brother, because I say so.
01:39Number 9.
01:40Vivo.
01:40For the 2021 animated musical Vivo, Lin-Manuel Miranda not only wrote the songs, but also lent his voice to the title character.
01:57We are a part of a time on a tradition of timing and precision.
02:01You'll find us two musicians at top notch as we hopscotch the competition.
02:05The clock is talking and ticking, I'm rocking this clave rhythm, now watch.
02:08Playing a singing kinkajou, Miranda leads the all-star voice cast including Zoe Saldana,
02:13Brian Tyree Henry, and Gloria Estefan.
02:16A visual feast for the eyes, the story follows Miranda's Vivo as the mammal goes on an unforgettable journey
02:21to bring a love song to a singer on the brink of retirement.
02:24Miranda's long-time collaborator Alex Lacamoire composed the score for the family-friendly film.
02:30It is a must-watch for every LMM fan.
02:32I am here, just on another shore, always in your corner watching you soar.
02:42Number 8.
02:43Bring It On, the musical.
02:44We can leave a humble world free.
02:46Go, whoa, let's go, whoa, let's go, whoa,
02:54Over a decade after its release, the 2010 classic Bring It On tumbled onto the biggest stage of all, Broadway.
03:02Bring It On, the musical, was a dream come true for millennial theatergoers
03:05with daring cheerleading stunts and callbacks to the beloved flick.
03:08Slow motion down the hall, as kids I'll stop and stare.
03:12I'm putting on my captain's pants for the first time, and if I ever fall, I know my squad is there,
03:20cause I've got the Buccaneers behind me.
03:23To bring the vision to life, Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda joined forces on the score,
03:28while Miranda also co-wrote the lyrics with Amanda Green.
03:32From the opening spectacle, What I Was Born To Do, to the celebratory finale, I Got You,
03:37the musical has Miranda's signature style stamped all over it.
03:40But I'll always smile when I remember this.
03:50I Got You, I got You, you, to hang out with a guest.
03:54Number 7. 21 Chump Street
03:56The plan was called Operation D-Minus,
03:59and one of the schools included in the plan was Park Vista Community High School,
04:03where a kid named Justin LaBoye...
04:05That's me!
04:0621 Chump Street might be the shortest musical in Lin-Manuel Miranda's repertoire,
04:11but don't let its fleeting runtime fool you, because it's one of his best.
04:15Coming in at a short and sweet 14 minutes,
04:1721 Chump Street was presented as part of a showcase for Ira Glass's NPR radio show, This American Life.
04:23Well, yeah, I texted her, you know, I was like,
04:27What the heck I gotta do to be with you?
04:31L-O-L-O-L-O-L
04:32What the heck I gotta do to be with you?
04:36R-O-F-L-O-L
04:38Based on a true story that was featured on an episode of This American Life,
04:42the show follows a high school student who accidentally falls for a fellow classmate who turns out to be an undercover cop.
04:48Equal parts endearing, funny, and heartbreaking, 21 Chump Street proves Miranda makes the most of every second.
04:55Do you wish someone like you had done this type of work?
04:57Yes. And I hope someone like me keeps doing it.
05:02Still.
05:03There are kids you remember, the ones that you think about after you're gone.
05:11Number 6. Encanto
05:13Welcome to the family, Madrigal.
05:16The home of the family, Madrigal.
05:19We're on our way, where all the people are fantastico but magical.
05:23All these years later, we're still not talking about Bruno.
05:26In 2021, Encanto became a mega hit and it was all thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical compositions.
05:33From the family, Madrigal, to surface pressure, to waiting on a miracle, every tune is a certified chart topper.
05:39Let it be now as you blessed us all those years ago, when you gave us a miracle.
05:49Am I too late for a miracle?
05:54Trending all over social media, the music of Encanto became a viral sensation upon its release,
06:00turning the Disney flick into an instant classic.
06:02Encanto is the first of its kind pill.
06:05If it doesn't go in your mouth, simply insert one into each ear canal and take a break.
06:10From the sonic delights of national treasure Lin-Manuel Miranda.
06:14That's me.
06:14Luckily for Disney and Broadway fans alike, this is just one of Miranda's many collabs with the House of Mouse.
06:20All real life is in the face of the blue screen.
06:25He's here, don't talk about Bruno.
06:28Why did I talk about Bruno?
06:31Number 5.
06:32Freestyle Love Supreme.
06:34Open plant seating is not the move.
06:37I'm trying to do some work.
06:39I don't have anything like to prove.
06:41Long before he was racking up Tonys and Grammys, Lin-Manuel Miranda was working on Freestyle Love Supreme.
06:46An improvisational musical hip-hop group, Freestyle Love Supreme started way back in 2004.
06:53In the 2000s, the troupe performed at festivals across the world.
06:56As their success grew, they went on to launch their own TV series and even released a documentary.
07:02The feeling of freestyling and trading twos backstage before we go on, that all feels exactly the same.
07:08The only thing that's changed is we just have that much more history.
07:11In 2019, they made their Broadway debut in a limited run.
07:14Members of the group have included Christopher Jackson, Davi Diggs, Utkarsh Mbudkar, Wayne Brady,
07:20and, of course, Miranda, whose onstage name is Lin-Man.
07:24The last word is fracking and I am attacking this beat
07:27cause it's sweet to be back on this street Broadway
07:29ever since I was a little kid
07:31this was my only drink, the only shit I ever wanted to do.
07:34Number 4.
07:35Warriors.
07:36It is a fever dream of a movie about all the gangs in the South Bronx meeting for peace.
07:42The charismatic leader who calls for this truce is assassinated.
07:47The Warriors are blamed.
07:48They've got to fight their way from the Bronx to Coney.
07:51For years, Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspired by the 1979 film The Warriors.
07:56Based on a book by Saul Uric, the story is about a street gang trying to make it home
08:00after they're accused of committing a murder.
08:11Miranda and Issa Davis adapted the action-packed tale into a concept album,
08:16gender-bending the roles and fusioning different musical genres like hip-hop and musical theater.
08:20The record boasts an impressive lineup of artists such as Lauryn Hill,
08:25Coleman Domingo, Nas, Busta Rhymes, and Philippa Soo, just to name a few.
08:30Inside the armies of the night.
08:34Catching it like I'm playing on the jet kick.
08:37It's Queen's King.
08:38Queen's Gambit.
08:39Porns out control the center.
08:40Annex Astoria.
08:42Let no man in her.
08:43Miranda has publicly hinted that conversations are brewing about the prospect of Warriors heading to the stage.
08:48Only time will tell, but we're sure fans are eager to see this light up Broadway someday.
08:53Number 3.
08:54Moana.
08:55What can I say except you're welcome for the tides, the sun, the sky.
09:02Hey, it's okay, it's okay, you're welcome.
09:06I'm just an ordinary demi-guy.
09:09In the middle of working on his pièce de résistance Hamilton,
09:12Lin-Manuel Miranda got another opportunity of a lifetime.
09:15Moana.
09:16Disney auditioned Miranda for a position as a songwriter on the project
09:19about an aspiring wayfinder embarking on a daring adventure to save her Polynesian island.
09:24He joined other musical contributors,
09:26Opetai Afuai, Mark Mancina, and David Metzger, to create the film's soundtrack.
09:31Away, away.
09:33Keep our island in our mind.
09:36And when it's time to find home, we know the way.
09:41The collaboration paid off.
09:43In 2017, Miranda was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song for the tune,
09:48How Far I'll Go.
09:50See the light as it shines from the sea, it's blinding.
09:55But no one knows how deep it goes.
10:01And it seems like it's calling out to me, so come find me.
10:06Number 2.
10:07In the Heights.
10:08When he was still in college, Lin-Manuel Miranda was already hard at work on the project
10:23that would launch his career.
10:24Conceived in 1999, In the Heights was the brainchild of Miranda
10:28and started off as a student production at Wesleyan University.
10:31What does it mean to be Puerto Rican if you don't live in Puerto Rico?
10:34Or Dominican if you don't live in the Dominican Republic?
10:36When I was younger, I'd imagine what would happen
10:40if my parents had stayed in Puerto Rico.
10:44Less than 10 years later, In the Heights opened on Broadway
10:47with Miranda making his debut as the protagonist Usnavi.
10:51Chronicling the lives of Washington Heights residents
10:53over the course of three days and a citywide blackout,
10:56the musical was a hit with both audiences and critics.
10:59It went on to collect a slew of Tony awards, including Best Musical,
11:02and turned Miranda into a Broadway star.
11:06Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
11:18West Side Story.
11:20Lin-Manuel Miranda's interpretation of the classic is well worth the watch.
11:23The Little Mermaid.
11:37Thanks to Miranda, the new songs fit in seamlessly.
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12:09Number 1. Hamilton.
12:11So there will be a revolution in this century.
12:14Enter me.
12:14He says in parentheses.
12:16Don't be shocked when your history book mentions me.
12:19I will lay down my life if it sets us free.
12:22Eventually you'll see my ascendancy.
12:24And I am not throwing away my shot.
12:27Following the success of In the Heights,
12:29Lin-Manuel Miranda was ready to craft his next big project.
12:32After reading Ron Chernow's biography on Alexander Hamilton,
12:36Miranda created the Hamilton Mixtape,
12:38an album of songs inspired by the founding father.
12:40Eventually he adapted it into a full-fledged musical
12:43which premiered off-Broadway in 2015.
12:46Later that year,
12:47Hamilton opened at Broadway's Richard Rogers Theater
12:49where it's still playing a decade later.
13:02An instant smash hit,
13:08Hamilton not only took Broadway but the whole world by storm,
13:12becoming a cultural phenomenon that cemented Miranda
13:14as a once-in-a-generation icon.
13:17I am not throwing away my shot!
13:24What's your favorite Lin-Manuel Miranda song?
13:27Let us know in the comments.
13:29Do you agree with our picks?
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