Watch ‘Hamilton’ Cast’s Thrilling Tony Awards Performance
Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of Hamilton gave a triumphant performance at the 70th annual Tony Awards. The show broke records when it received 16 nominations for the night.
Barack and Michele Obama recorded an introduction for the performance, recalling Miranda’s appearance at the White House’s Poetry Jam seven years ago where he debuted a song from the then in-the-works musical. Common took the stage to also introduce the show and its company.
Miranda, as Alexander Hamilton, and Christopher Jackson, as George Washington, began singing “History Has Its Eyes on You” before the company launched into the propulsive “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down).”
Due to the massacre in the Orlando, Florida, that left 50 dead at the hands of a gunman early Sunday morning, the show made the decision to drop the use of muskets from their performance. The ceremony has also been dedicated to the lives lost to the tragedy.
Hamilton‘s nominations include nods for Best Musical, Best Book and Best Score as well as seven members of the cast receiving nominations for their performances in the show as well. The show won 11 awards in total.