Lin-Manuel Miranda Wants to Bring 'Hamilton' to Puerto Rico
*By Britt Terrell*
Oprah Winfrey is a rain maker ー she can make almost any interview subject cry. It didn't take long for the tears to start flowing during [her conversation with Lin-Manuel Miranda](http://www.oprah.com/inspiration/oprahs-interview-with-lin-manuel-miranda-may-2018#ixzz5EY3hJFF8) for this month's issue of O Magazine.
Oprah asked the Tony-winning writer and star of Broadway's "Hamilton" about his efforts to help Puerto Rico rebuild after Hurricane Maria. Cue waterworks.
"It's impossible to talk about this without crying, so I'll just cry while I talk," said Miranda, adding that he plans to take his hip-hop theatrical mega-hit to the island next year and donate all proceeds to help arts programs in Puerto Rico.
"You can see what a huge and central priority this is for him and he knows that this story will resonate with the people of Puerto Rico," said Lucy Kaylin, editor-in-chief of O Magazine, in an interview Friday with Cheddar.
The same sense of purpose that informs Miranda's commitment to Puerto Rico, his parents' homeland, motivated him to tell Alexander Hamilton's story as he did.
Alexander Hamilton was an immigrant from the Caribbean who became one of America's founding fathers, and the creator of the new country's early financial system.
"When he found out Alexander Hamilton was an immigrant, that was his 'ah-ha' moment and that made him think about this family's journey," said Kaylin. Coming from Puerto Rico, Miranda's father had the same ambition as Hamilton to do everything he could for his family and his community.
Oprah's interview with Miranda was part of O Magazine's 2018 project to ask ー and try to answer ー a different question every month. The May issue asks, "What Can We Agree On?"
Miranda answered that question by harkening back to Hamilton's time, noting that early in U.S. history, times were even more divisive than today. We can agree, Miranda told Oprah, that the country's differences help it move forward.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/o-magizine-features-lin-manuel-miranda-in-may-issue).
Crystal Etienne, Founder and CEO of period apparel company Ruby Love and Co-Founder of VC firm CaJE, joins ChedHER to discuss her experience bootstrapping her company to $10 million, and how she's creating a new era of venture capital and empowering Black women with 'soil' funding to start and grow their businesses.
E-commerce platform for construction and building materials RenoRun has raised $142 million in a Series B round, which the company says is the fourth largest Series B round in Canadian history. RenoRun’s platform offers same-day delivery of construction materials to job sites in Canada and the United States. The company aims to revolutionize the construction industry by maximizing productivity and efficiency. RenoRun co-founder and CEO Eamonn O’Rourke joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Like so many other cities, Miami experienced a tourism boom over the summer after vaccines were distributed. But, the Omicron variant has thrown the travel industry for a loop. David Whitaker, president and CEO of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, joined Cheddar to discuss the city as a tourist destination, and how it has handled headwinds from the pandemic.
Rockstar Energy, a subsidiary of Pepsico, unveiled its new beverage brand, Rockstar Unplugged, changing up the energy drink formula with hemp seed oil as an ingredient. PepsiCo Energy CMO Fabiola Torres joined Cheddar News to talk about how the product promotes “good vibes” and allows consumers to unwind and discuss partnering with "MTV Unplugged" for a concert series. "We couldn't find a better partnership that MTV," she said. "MTV Unplugged has been such an iconic proposition … and we believe that we're the right partners because the insight of our proposition for Rockstar Unplugged comes from music.
Eight months after the National Football League announced $1 million in research into cannabinoids, the NFL-NFLPA Joint Pain Management Committee has awarded the funding to two teams of medical researchers at the University of California San Diego and the University of Regina. The NFL says the studies will investigate the effects of cannabinoids on pain management and neuroprotection from concussion in elite football players, respectively. Cheddar correspondent Chloe Ailello spoke with Jeff Miller, the executive vice president of communications, public affairs, and policy for the NFL, about the studies, as well as the recent lawsuit filed against the NFL by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores. "Maybe we can learn things from other alternative pain approaches that are going to benefit our player population and then sports medicine as a whole," Miller said.
Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, NJ and Ayana Morris, co-director of the documentary 'Why Is We Americans?,' join Cheddar News to discuss the new documentary highlighting the impact of the Baraka family.
Former New York City mayor and lawyer to Donald Trump Rudy Giuliani made his singing debut on a taping of Fox’s The Masked Singer. However, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke, two judges on the competition show, reportedly left in protest when Giuliani was unmasked upon being eliminated.
All Hands celebrates Black History Month by highlighting achievements in inclusivity and paying homage to those who have fought for equal rights. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) joins Cheddar News to discuss voter suppression; Damali Peterman, CEO of Breakthrough ADR, elaborates on the biggest barriers for Black professionals; Andre Perry, senior fellow of Brookings Institution, dives into student loans and the racial wealth divide; and lastly, BET CEO Scott Mills discusses the company's initiatives for 2022.
Hinge users who have children can opt-in to a $100 stipend up to $25,000 for childcare. Logan Ury, the director of relationship science for the online dating platform, noted the issue as an obstacle for single parents who want to go out on dates. "We have heard that singles with children have a hard time going on dates for one of the reasons being that it's just hard to find childcare and it's hard to be able to afford it," she said. Ury also said that the hot topic among Hinge's users is mental health and the prioritizing of mental health.
