The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast

Desmond Sean Ellington spent five years on tour with Hamilton as a Standby and recently made his Broadway debut in Hell’s Kitchen, after starting with the show down at The Public.  Desmond’s story is so interesting because it’s a case study in what can happen when you make the hard decision to leave something behind that you know deep down isn’t meant for you - even if it’s terrifying! In Desmond’s case, he left college without a plan and even though he had no interest in theatre at the time, he always knew he “was going to be a star.” Once he walked away from what didn’t serve him, the whole world opened up. And to be fair, Desmond has an uncanny ability to speak what he wants into existence, like when he gave himself two years to be cast in Hamilton and found himself on tour with the show two months later.  From performing in Atlanta (shout out to The Alliance Theatre) to seeing the world as a background vocalist for renowned gospel/R&B recording artists, to being bit with the Broadway bug when he saw his first Broadway show at 33 years old, Desmond brings his life experiences to every creative thing he does.  Desmond Sean Ellington on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/desmondseanellington] /// Gillian's Website [https://gillianwithag.com/] The Hamilcast on Twitter [https://twitter.com/TheHamilcast] The Hamilcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thehamilcast/?hl=en] Join the Patreon Peeps [https://www.patreon.com/TheHamilcast]

Award-winning and prolific Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller has finally made it to the podcast! Jeffery has produced Rent, Avenue Q, In the Heights, Hamilton, The Cher Show, and revivals of West Side Story and Sweeney Todd, just to name a few. Altogether his shows (currently) have 22 Tony Awards, and he's the only Broadway producer to have put up two Pulitzer Prize winning musicals: Hamilton and Rent. Jeffrey is the author of Theater Kid: A Broadway Memoir [https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Theater-Kid/Jeffrey-Seller/9781668064184], which the New York Times describes as “a combination coming-of-age and rags-to-riches story that is unsparing in its description of his colorfully challenged-and-challenging father, unabashed in its description of his sexual awakening, and packed with behind-the-scenes detail, especially about the birth of Rent.” Not to mention the audiobook is voiced by a stellar cast of Broadway voices, and talking about them gives Jeffrey an idea *in real time *during our recording.  In our hour-long conversation, Jeffrey expands on his experience producing Rent with Jonathan Larson, including an emotional retelling of what it was like working on the show after Jonathan’s tragic and unexpected death. He also discusses working with Lin-Manuel Miranda on In the Heights and Hamilton, expounds on Hamilton’s social and political responsibilities (rejecting the current administration's hostile takeover of The Kennedy Center, for example), discusses ways around Broadway’s current ticket prices, and candidly opens up about Andrew Lippa’s The Wild Party and The Last Ship with Sting in never-before-heard specificity.  Plus, Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme, the power of writing a letter to get what you want, and how when it  comes down to it... it’s all about making shows with your friends.  Jeffrey Seller on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jseller/] JeffreySeller.com [http://jeffreyseller.com] /// Gillian's Website [https://gillianwithag.com/] The Hamilcast on Twitter [https://twitter.com/TheHamilcast] The Hamilcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thehamilcast/?hl=en] Join the Patreon Peeps [https://www.patreon.com/TheHamilcast]

In Nevin Steinberg's second episode, the award winning Broadway sound designer gives even more insight to some of your favorite Hamilton moments including The Yorktown dance break and the stuttering gunshots heard throughout the show. And get ready to have your mind blown as Nevin shares the evolution of the Satisfied rewind, from Lin-Manuel Miranda's very first demo to the layered masterpiece we all know and love today anddddddd he shares a secret (and creepy! and awesome!) Easter egg that I promise you don't know about. While taking questions from the Patreon Peeps, Nevin talks a lot about how each sound is specifically chosen to tell a story, and even accents like cannon explosions and snare drums each have "their own personality."   Plus, Nevin talks about the steam whistle in 2023's Sweeney Todd revival, shares his thoughts on new cinema sound, explains his fascination with what it takes to be a great leader, and why when it comes down to it Nevin is only in it for the banter. Lin-Manuel Miranda on Soundcloud [http://Lin-Manuel%20Miranda%20on%20Soundcloud%20https:] The Town Hall in New York City [https://www.thetownhall.org/about/about-the-hall] /// Gillian's Website [https://gillianwithag.com/] The Hamilcast on Twitter [https://twitter.com/TheHamilcast] The Hamilcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thehamilcast/?hl=en] Join the Patreon Peeps [https://www.patreon.com/TheHamilcast]

Award winning sound designer Nevin Steinberg has made it to the pod! Nevin is such a captivating storyteller and everything he talks about is infused with gorgeous detail and a palpable feeling of both awe and gratitude. You know how they say "how can you not be romantic about baseball?" How can you not be romantic about sound design?! That's what I say, anyway. In his first episode, Nevin walks us through his early career from working all night editing reel to reel tape with nothing but the ghost light and a healthy fear of the shadows (This is so fascinating and cinematic!! He can still taste the metal of the razor! That will make sense when you listen, I promise! I love it so much!) to dinner theatre and Sunset Boulevard and eventually a chance meeting on 42nd Street when he heard about a project called In the Heights.  Nevin has the most beautiful things to say about his experience working on Hamilton, including how it saved his career and reinstalled his faith in art and the people he gets to make it with.  Plus, Nevin explains audio details in songs like "Wait For It", "My Shot", "Yorktown", and "Satisfied" including how they changed from the workshops to what you hear on stage today (no matter where you see the show). The Wrong Man [https://thewrongman.com/] /// Gillian's Website [https://gillianwithag.com/] The Hamilcast on Twitter [https://twitter.com/TheHamilcast] The Hamilcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thehamilcast/?hl=en] Join the Patreon Peeps [https://www.patreon.com/TheHamilcast]

After a quick detour talking about the magic of Rush, Jonathan Dinklage is back for round two and we’re diving into his Hamilton story. After participating in that reading he almost didn’t go to, Jonny says it was all over for him. He knew Hamilton was phenomenal and now he gets to be a part of it. From working with Alex Lacamoire to perfect the material, to getting the now legendary group of musicians together, Jonny is still not over how awesome it is that he gets to do this for a living.  This week, Jonny talks about why the Hamilton arrangements are so perfect, what it was like playing with legends like Barbra Streisand and Lady Gaga, and explains why karaoke is just the best, especially when Paul Rudd is involved.  UPTOWN MAMAS: A BENEFIT FOR MOMS IN NEED Comes To The Green Room 42 In May [https://www.broadwayworld.com/cabaret/article/UPTOWN-MAMAS-A-BENEFIT-FOR-MOMS-IN-NEED-Comes-To-The-Green-Room-42-In-May-20250422] King Crimson - The Court of the Crimson King [https://open.spotify.com/track/3kzbkZtBqamTgyO31DO1Sn?si=6716e4de162f4130] One More Once - No Middle Ground [https://open.spotify.com/track/21LDfzh8flGcolSDAw2VcV?si=X1d3sKKDTeqP9c8h79ldTw] Jonathan Dinklage [https://www.jonathandinklage.com/] /// Gillian's Website [https://gillianwithag.com/] The Hamilcast on Twitter [https://twitter.com/TheHamilcast] The Hamilcast on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thehamilcast/?hl=en] Join the Patreon Peeps [https://www.patreon.com/TheHamilcast]