NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 15: Actor Leslie Odom, Jr. (L) and actor, composer Lin-Manuel Miranda (R) perform on stage during “Hamilton” GRAMMY performance for The 58th GRAMMY Awards at Richard Rodgers Theater on February 15, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/WireImage)
Photo: Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Before Lin-Manuel Miranda became a Pulitzer Prize–winning Star Wars composer with official Genius swagger and (finally!) got his portrait at Sardi’s, before Jonathan Groff ascended the throne, and before the original cast recording went gold and topped the Billboard charts, Hamilton was an Off Broadway juggernaut, selling out its run (with tickets going for as much as $95!) and eventually sweeping the Lucille Lortel Awards (the Off Broadway Tonys).
As the now-on-Broadway juggernaut prepares to storm the Tonys this weekend, what with its record 16 award nominations, we dug up the acceptance speeches that the Hamilton cast, crew, and creative team — almost all of whom are nominated for a Tony as well — gave at the 2015 Lortel Awards last May. At the time the Lortel win was, for many of them, a career highlight. Now we know it was just the beginning.
“I feel so lucky and blessed to be on that stage every day, so thank you guys so much — Lin and Tommy and Alex specifically. There feel like, to me, a million reasons to go with somebody else for this, so thank you for ignoring that and just letting me get a shot at it. And I’m loving every second.”
Full speech: “All right, so I wasn’t — this wasn’t a thing I had planned for, so I’m just gonna do a thing. Uh, so, first of all: my mama, who’s not here, but happy Mother’s Day and all that. And, you know, everything I do, etc. My girlfriend, Jalene Goodwin, who is, uh, I literally would not have made it here without her. So thank you for that. Like, here in this building and here in New York and here in the world. So that’s what’s up. Then everyone who works on Hamilton: the cast, the crew, the incredible creative team for bringing together, like, just the best group of people that have ever been in a room together as far as I’m concerned — certainly the best room that I’ve ever been in. And I feel so lucky and blessed to be on that stage every day, so thank you guys so much — Lin and Tommy and Alex specifically. There feel like, to me, a million reasons to go with somebody else for this, so thank you for ignoring that and just letting me get a shot at it. And I’m loving every second. And thank you for making room for me in this community, which has been super welcoming. All of you guys, thank you so much. And, yeah, uh, Emily, hello, and everybody else who I’m supposed to thank and now forgetting but thank you so much and all of y’all, thank you.”
Photo: Jemal Countess/2015 Getty Images
![“Now I'm gonna speak really, really fast because I was challenged by Lin-Manuel Miranda to speak really fast.”
Full speech: “I’m sorry I've been performing a really long time, and I've never received an award before. So I'm very [interrupted by applause]. And it couldn't really be more perfect because I've never been more aware standing on a stage that I do not stand in my own strength, so I give all glory to God for this moment. And I thank my husband, who's here with me. And my children, on Mother's Day, who are not here with me, thank God. And now I'm gonna speak really, really fast because I was challenged by Lin-Manuel Miranda to speak really fast. So I'm going to name a lot of people who are the reason I'm standing here with this heavy thing: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tommy Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, Alex Lacamoire, Ron Chernow, to the entire beautiful cast whose names I will not all say, every designer, Dave Korins, Paul Tazewell, Howell Binkley, Nevin Steinberg, Charles LePoint, Oskar Eustis, Laurie Eustis, the entire Public Theater staff, Rebecca Sherman, Emily Hammond Cook, Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman, Telsey & Company, James Latus and stage-management team, Nina Shriver, Lillian LaSalle, Brian Davidson, Gary Gersh, Ken Lee, the entire innovative artist team. Thank you so much. I will never forget this. God bless you all.”](https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/18f/3ae/3bb972b25d2558454feb3bf673cd79beea-renee-elise-goldsberry.2x.rhorizontal.w700.jpg)
“Now I’m gonna speak really, really fast because I was challenged by Lin-Manuel Miranda to speak really fast.”
Full speech: “I’m sorry I’ve been performing a really long time, and I’ve never received an award before. So I’m very [interrupted by applause]. And it couldn’t really be more perfect because I’ve never been more aware standing on a stage that I do not stand in my own strength, so I give all glory to God for this moment. And I thank my husband, who’s here with me. And my children, on Mother’s Day, who are not here with me, thank God. And now I’m gonna speak really, really fast because I was challenged by Lin-Manuel Miranda to speak really fast. So I’m going to name a lot of people who are the reason I’m standing here with this heavy thing: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tommy Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, Alex Lacamoire, Ron Chernow, to the entire beautiful cast whose names I will not all say, every designer, Dave Korins, Paul Tazewell, Howell Binkley, Nevin Steinberg, Charles LePoint, Oskar Eustis, Laurie Eustis, the entire Public Theater staff, Rebecca Sherman, Emily Hammond Cook, Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman, Telsey & Company, James Latus and stage-management team, Nina Shriver, Lillian LaSalle, Brian Davidson, Gary Gersh, Ken Lee, the entire innovative artist team. Thank you so much. I will never forget this. God bless you all.”
Photo: Jemal Countess/2015 Getty Images
“I can’t tell you how proud I am to be associated with this production. There truly are no words.”
Full speech: “I can’t tell you how proud I am to be associated with this production. There truly are no words. I want to say thank you to my fellow designers with whom I have a long-standing creative relationship and friendships. Also, to the rest of the creative team, the writers — the writer! — who I also have a long relationship with, and whose professional relationship and whose relationship in life I value very much. And my team, who make me look good every day down at the Public, most notably my associate Jason Crystal, who’s here with me tonight. And the crew, Justin Rathbun, who I forgot a few years ago when I received an award — he mixed a show for me and he’ll never let me forget it. Emily Craig, Matt Walsh, and David Hunter, and really all credit to the Public Theater. I did a show in the Newman in 2001. It was my last musical at the Newman Theater at the Public. It was Elaine Stritch at Liberty. That show also went on to great acclaim and a Broadway run, so I’m very — feeling very lucky tonight that an artistic home of mine continues to be the Public Theater. And thank you. Thank you so much to them. And thank you.”
Photo: Jemal Countess/2015 Getty Images
“Thanks for letting me be in the room.”
Full speech: “Well, thank you, thank you. I just also want to thank and congratulate the other nominees — both in the lighting department, and all the nominees for tonight. Also, I just want to thank our team, the creative team of Hamilton, my team especially, and just the whole cast, crew, and everybody. It’s been a great ride. And thanks for letting me be in the room. Thank you.”
Photo: Jemal Countess/2015 Getty Images
![“The ensemble is beyond belief, as far as talent and beautiful people to work with and to dress [go].”
Full speech: “Whoa, thank you! This is amazing. Thank you to Tommy and to Andy and to Lin, who wrote an amazing piece to be a part of. To an incredible company. The ensemble is beyond belief, as far as talent and beautiful people to work with and to dress [go]. To Chuck LePoint, who's here — wig designer — all of my other collaborators, David and Howell and Nevin. This is one of those very special moments that, um, it's very specific that it would happen at the Public because that was where I started out in the New York theater community. And some amazing living has happened in that place. And this is wonderful to be back and be with Hamilton. So, thank you, all of you.”](https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/b83/8e1/47740fa3ef71abd60255c29534b2d37e1f-paul-tazewell.2x.rhorizontal.w700.jpg)
“The ensemble is beyond belief, as far as talent and beautiful people to work with and to dress [go].”
Full speech: “Whoa, thank you! This is amazing. Thank you to Tommy and to Andy and to Lin, who wrote an amazing piece to be a part of. To an incredible company. The ensemble is beyond belief, as far as talent and beautiful people to work with and to dress [go]. To Chuck LePoint, who’s here — wig designer — all of my other collaborators, David and Howell and Nevin. This is one of those very special moments that, um, it’s very specific that it would happen at the Public because that was where I started out in the New York theater community. And some amazing living has happened in that place. And this is wonderful to be back and be with Hamilton. So, thank you, all of you.”
Photo: Jemal Countess/2015 Getty Images
![“To my cast, for keeping me humble, for teaching me new things, for reminding me that we are changing lives every day.”
Full speech: “Wow. I was not nervous until the dancing nuns came out, and I was just, really, I was scared. I have many people to thank for mine [sic] being here today. One is the Lortel voting committee. Thank you for acknowledging my work. I would also like to thank Eliza Schuyler Hamilton. I want to thank you for lending me your story so that I could live your story, and through your voice I have found mine. Tommy, Alex, Andy, Lin, for all of your brilliant minds at work. You are a dangerous combination. Thank you. To my cast, for keeping me humble, for teaching me new things, for reminding me that we are changing lives every day. Jeffrey, Jill, and Sandy, thank you all so much for your support downtown. Thank you for your support that we will continue uptown. To my fearless team, Meg and Joanne, thank you. And lastly, I want to acknowledge everyone at the Public Theater and especially Oskar and Laurie Eustis. I want to thank you for being so generous with all of us during our time at the Public. You have shown me love that is so profound, and I will remember that for the rest of my life. Thank you, everyone. Thank you.”](https://pyxis.nymag.com/v1/imgs/cf7/30c/4fa45c66d719a1d09b88635dd7e8cc8492-phillipa-soo.2x.rhorizontal.w700.jpg)
“To my cast, for keeping me humble, for teaching me new things, for reminding me that we are changing lives every day.”
Full speech: “Wow. I was not nervous until the dancing nuns came out, and I was just, really, I was scared. I have many people to thank for mine [sic] being here today. One is the Lortel voting committee. Thank you for acknowledging my work. I would also like to thank Eliza Schuyler Hamilton. I want to thank you for lending me your story so that I could live your story, and through your voice I have found mine. Tommy, Alex, Andy, Lin, for all of your brilliant minds at work. You are a dangerous combination. Thank you. To my cast, for keeping me humble, for teaching me new things, for reminding me that we are changing lives every day. Jeffrey, Jill, and Sandy, thank you all so much for your support downtown. Thank you for your support that we will continue uptown. To my fearless team, Meg and Joanne, thank you. And lastly, I want to acknowledge everyone at the Public Theater and especially Oskar and Laurie Eustis. I want to thank you for being so generous with all of us during our time at the Public. You have shown me love that is so profound, and I will remember that for the rest of my life. Thank you, everyone. Thank you.”
Photo: Jemal Countess/2015 Getty Images
“This is the first award I’ve ever gotten for acting. I worked very hard for it.”
Full speech: “Zoey Bartlet just handed me a Lortel Award! This is the first award I’ve ever gotten for acting. I worked very hard for it. By writing. So I’m incredibly grateful to the Lortel committee. I’m incredibly grateful that I get to walk into a room with just the most amazing cast and crew and creative team, who keep me on my toes and keep me honest every night. I’m so — walking into the Public Theater, you’re faced with posters of Raúl Julia, Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline, and the fact that I got to share the same air and stage with those legends makes me feel like I’m on my way. I’m very grateful. Thank you very much.”
Photo: Jemal Countess/2015 Getty Images
“Hamilton is really about the things we decide are the most important things in life, and we fight for them.”
Full speech: “Thanks so much. I really appreciate this honor, this recognition. I know that I’m very blessed in life — especially the past year has been, excuse me, unbelievable. And I owe a great amount of thanks to Lin and Tommy Kail and Alex Lacamoire and especially Stephanie Klemons, who are the most golden collaborators to work with every day. And it’s been just a blessing to go to the Public and feel the presence of all those spirits there. And thank you Oskar for everything at the Public, where the greatest ensemble I’ve ever seen has been doing my work, which just makes me so proud. But more than anything I’m thankful for the team that I have at home: my wife and my son and my daughter. Hamilton is really about the things we decide are the most important things in life, and we fight for them, and Luca and Sophia and Elly are in every minute of Hamilton, and I thank them so much for the inspiration that made my contribution to the show happen. Thank you.”
Photo: Laura Cavanaugh/2016 Laura Cavanaugh
“Lin wrote something that asked of this company and this group of designers to be the best version of themself, to go a little bit further inside and to try to reach for something that was within us whether we knew it or not.”
Full speech: “Good evening. Norm Lewis makes you feel really less like a man than you thought. Really? I get it! It’s rare in our business that we all get to come together and be under one roof and recognize that what we’re doing, fundamentally, is chasing moments. And this show has been about chasing moments. Lin wrote something that asked of this company and this group of designers to be the best version of themself, to go a little bit further inside and to try to reach for something that was within us whether we knew it or not. And Lin’s faith in asking me to be his collaborator and ride with him on that is one of the great thrills of my life. I’ve never worked harder, but I’ve never had more fun. This is as talented a group of people as I’ve ever been around. And walking into the lobby of the Public Theater, as I’ve had the great good fortune to do over these last few months, and to be a member of something larger than myself as a — I think we all know this, and my fellow nominees can probably speak to this as well — that the director is a sum of all of the things that other people are, and our job is to find some sense of cohesion and to make sure that we’re all telling the same story. But I don’t really exist without those words, without that cast, without those designers, without that building, without that roof, and I’m forever in your debt. Thank you.
Photo: Daniel Zuchnik/2013 Daniel Zuchnik
“I’m gonna do the most important thing I’m gonna do tonight, which is get out of the way of Lin-Manuel Miranda.”
Full speech: “On behalf of the Public Theater, the spectacular staff, Patrick Willingham, my partner, the amazing board, I want to thank all of you. I want to thank Jill and Sandy and Jeffrey Seller, who have been extraordinary partners and friends. I want to thank my wife, Laurie. Jack, who it’s always for everything. And I’m gonna do the most important thing I’m gonna do tonight, which is get out of the way of Lin-Manuel Miranda.”
Photo: Jemal Countess/2015 Getty Images
Just read the whole speech.
Full speech (rapped): “First of all, thanks to the cast and crew, who every night redefines what a cast can do. Thank you to our cabinet: Andy, Alex, and Thomas. Oskar, salud. Goyanes for keeping every promise. Now, once upon a time before we were awardable, back when the Village was semi-sort-of affordable, the musicals would toe-tap, the audience would slow-clap till — oh crap! — Joe Papp rewrote the road map. He busted in. He burst in with Bernie Gersten, first introduced Shakespeare to a city already thirstin’ for more. Gave us more of what we’ve never seen before. Set the sounds of New York to a downtown score. Let the sun shine in! God, I hope I get it! Where Stew passed strange, where Savion Glover hit it, from Hamlisch to Swados to the Queen Tesori, we are thrilled to be a part of the Public story. Thank you.”
Photo: Jemal Countess/2015 Getty Images
