Artists from Washington Heights

STAR ARTIST

Lin Manuel Miranda

Lin Manuel Miranda was born on January 16, 1980. He is a well renowned actor, composer, and writer, best known for his contributions in Broadway Musicals. He created and starred in In the Heights, and Hamilton. 

Lin Manuel Miranda grew up in the neighborhood of Washington Heights. He attended Hunter College High School, and then attended Wesleyan University until 2002. His time in Wesleyan University is when he fully developed his skills as an artist. He wrote the first draft of In the Heights during his sophomore year, and became a member of the student theater company. He wrote and directed other musicals at Wesleyan, as well as acted in other productions.

Miranda is responsible for the broadway musical, In the Heights, which opened up at the Richard Rogers Theatre in March 2008. His work won them the 2008 Tony Award for Best Original Score, and the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. Furthermore, his acting skills have earned him a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

Recently, Miranda opened up Hamilton on August of 2015. It is a musical about the life of Alexander Hamilton. Miranda was responsible for the book, music, lyrics, and arrangements of this broadway musical. Furthermore, he acts as the lead star in the production. Hamilton had earned the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and the 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album. Currently, the show is nominated for 16 Tony Awards – which is the first in its history!

Other Notable Artists:

Tally Brown was a singer and actress in films by Andy Warhol.

Laurence Fishburne is a Academy Award-nominated actor.

Elias Goldberg was a New York painter, most of his city paintings focus on the area of Washington Heights.

Stan Lee is the creator of Spider-Man, X-Men, The Incredible Hulk.

Knox Martin is a painter, sculptor and muralist.

Manny Pérez is a Dominican actor, who has appeared in Third Watch.

Tiny Tim was a singer and ukulele player, and is best known for his rendition of “Tiptoe Through the Tulips”.