Lin-Manuel Miranda & Family

BROADWAY MADE LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA A STAR, BUT GIVING BACK—FROM DISASTER RELIEF IN PUERTO RICO TO ARTS EDUCATION AT HOME IN NEW YORK—IS TRULY THE FAMILY BUSINESS.

- Oprah Winfrey & Quiara Alegria Hudes

People throw words around left and right: This person’s a genius, that guy’s a visionary, she’s a force of nature, he’s amazing. But until someone comes up with a brand new vocabulary, those are the truest words I know for Lin-Manuel Miranda. The irony is, with his groundbreaking musical Hamilton, Lin actually did bring a new language to Broadway. He spoke truth to immigration and race and power, and he did it with hip-hop—the poetry of the street.

Lin builds sinuous rhythms that intersect with gorgeous melodies that create a magic realism that melds our complex past with our tangled present, all the while elevating art and consciousness. And did I mention he’s a mensch? Where others would be perfectly content to rest on their box office, Lin dedicates his talent to aiding hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico, with 100 percent of the profits from his single “Almost Like Praying” going to rebuild the island he loves.

The man is a living, breathing call to action—proof of what you can accomplish when you don’t throw away your shot!

—Oprah Winfrey

I first met the Mirandas in 2004, when I began collaborating with Lin-Manuel on the Broadway-bound musical In the Heights. Recently I sat down with the entire family—Luz and Luis, their children Lin-Manuel and Luz, and their spouses Vanessa and Luis—at their home in Upper Manhattan to discuss how the idea of giving back has become central to their identities. They have been a philanthropic force for years, but thanks to the success of Lin-Manuel’s musical theater sensation Hamilton, the family has seen its philanthropic mission grow exponentially, and now they’re raising the next generation of Mirandas to continue their work.

—Quiara Alegría Hudes