Brow Beat

This Three-Minute Video Is Probably the Closest You’ll Get to Seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda in Hamilton

Lin-Manuel Miranda will play the title role in Hamilton again in 2019, but the chances of actually scoring tickets are slim, so here’s the next best thing: Miranda performed the entire play in about three minutes for the Ellen Show, boiling the Broadway hit down to its bare essentials. Miranda frantically acts out the life of Alexander Hamilton with lyrics and hasty explanations like, “terrible childhood, terrible childhood” and “history spoiler: Burr shoots Hamilton.” Also, he does a pretty good Angelica Schuyler.

Miranda is assisted in his presentation by young Macey Hensley, an Ellen Show regular who has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of presidents, first ladies, and American history. She spits some bars and drops some presidential knowledge in a tiny Hamilton costume, which is cute, but if you really want to feel your heart grow three sizes, watch this video of Hensley meeting Barack Obama last year: