As a child Alex Lacamoire was diagnosed with a hearing impairment, but he went on to become the orchestrator of the hit musical Hamilton, created by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Alex Lacamoire is the award-winning orchestrator, arranger and conductor for the hit musical Hamilton, which premiered 10 years ago off-Broadway. This hip hop homage to the revolutionary US statesman Alexander Hamilton - which was created by Lin-Manuel Miranda - has become one of the most successful musicals of all time. The original cast reunited this month for a special performance at the Tony Awards.
Alex is now one of the world's most celebrated composers, but as a child he was diagnosed with a hearing impairment. It was even suggested he go to a school for deaf children. But his mother was determined he would stay in mainstream school. And despite his hearing challenges, his ion and talent for music grew. Alex first encountered Lin-Manuel Miranda back when Lin was a lyricist and rapper trying to create his first professional show. They ed forces. Lin would dream up the songs, and Alex would work out how the music would sound. And the chemistry between them would form part of the magic behind the development of Hamilton. (A version of this interview was first broadcast in June 2020)
Presenter: Emily Webb
Producer: Maryam Maruf
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(Photo: Alex Lacamoire and Lin-Manuel Miranda on stage after receiving a Grammy for their work on Hamilton. Credit: Getty Images)
