Renowned the world over and winner of 11 Tony Awards, it’s hard to imagine musical Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda first reading Ron Chernow’s biography of the American founding father on an all-inclusive holiday in Mexico.

“It was like a mosquito had hit an artery when I read that book,” said Lin-Manuel in an exclusive interview with the Daily Echo, as his hit musical is set to make its way to Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre for the first time in March 2025.

“I got into the second chapter, and I was on Google writing ‘Alexander Hamilton movie, Alexander Hamilton musical,’ thinking how has nobody adapted this incredibly rich story? It’s so extraordinary, I couldn’t believe nobody had adapted it before.”

Having already penned the story and lyrics to Broadway musical In the Heights, it would take more than six years for the now 44-year-old to make his dream come true in bringing the story of Alexander Hamilton to the stage, having first read Chernow’s biography in 2008.

Heavily reliant on hip hop, R&B, pop, and soul – Hamilton debuted in February 2015 off-Broadway at the Public Theatre in Lower Manhattan – the story follows American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and his involvement in the American Revolution

What happened after its premiere, is a thing no advertisement can buy according to Lin-Manuel, who originally starred in the show, before overseeing its production as far away as Australia and London’s West End.

He said: “Everyone that saw the show left and told everyone they knew about it You can’t fake that, you can’t buy that, and it happened before we’d spent one dollar on advertising, people just really embraced it.

“I would get emails at three in the morning from my friends who had seen it – not like ‘I love your show’ emails – but ‘what am I doing with my life’ emails, because the questions it raises are ‘what are you doing with your life?’

“It really asks the big questions of what we’re meant to do with our time here and I think that really resonates with people.”

READ MORE: Lin-Manuel Miranda supports Mayflower Theatre redevelopment

Hamilton will debut in Southampton in March 2025 (Image: Mayflower Theatre) Recalling when Hamilton first opened on the West End in 2017, Lin-Manuel added: “I remember when we first debuted in the UK – in the production that’s still running in the Victoria Palace Theatre – reporters would ask me, ‘are you worried that we don’t really learn American history over here?’

“I would always respond: ‘I live in America, and we don’t really learn American history,’ so I think the secret sauce in the show is that I’m not some great history buff who is telling you everything I know.

“Every rap battle that happens in our show is the 1790’s version of the debate you saw between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. We’re still talking about the same issues; it’s just the specifics have changed and then underneath all that we have a protagonist who was very aware of the ticking clock of mortality.”

Hamilton will enjoy a six-week run at the Mayflower Theatre from March 18 to April 26, 2025.

After hundreds of shows across the globe, Hamilton’s creator is still enthusiastic about the show going forward, not least that it will have a lengthy residency in Southampton.

He said: “I think the theatre going experience is more vital than ever.

“I think for me the joy is in the collective experience and what’s brought me back to the theatre is that it’s the hardest art form to get right.

“You could be watching a great play, and one ugly costume pulls you out of it or one mishap breaks the spell.

“At the same time, things could happen that night that never happen again. I think of all these moments with Hamilton where something happens that then sends out a chain reaction throughout the cast and that’s the magic of live theatre. You are being entertained but we’re also being entertained by you.”