Financial History Issue 119 (Fall 2016) | Page 7

MUSEUM NEWS

THE TICKER

On October 21, PBS premiered Hamilton’ s America, one of the most eagerly-anticipated films of the year. The documentary follows the development of the Broadway hit“ Alexander Hamilton: An American Musical” from its roots in 2008 through 2016, weaving Hamilton’ s life story with that of the show’ s creator and star, Lin- Manuel Miranda.

The Museum began working with Alex Horwitz, the film’ s director( and Miranda’ s college roommate), on the documentary in 2014. The segment featuring the Museum can be seen towards the end of the film, as the show’ s stars Miranda( Alexander Hamilton) and Leslie Odom, Jr.( Aaron Burr) read aloud letters exchanged between Hamilton and Burr from the Museum’ s collection that led up to the duel in which Hamilton was killed.

David Cowen, the Museum’ s president, discusses the significance of these letters and allows the actors to hold the replica dueling pistols on display in the Alexander Hamilton Room. The scene culminates with Miranda and Odom, Jr. reenacting the duel alongside statues of the historical figures they portray in the show. The dueling statues had been on loan to the Museum for several years from the New-York Historical Society before being moved to The Public Theater, where“ Hamilton” premiered.

Keen observers will notice the Museum’ s grand mezzanine exhibit hall was also the backdrop for the interview with former US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, shown earlier in the film.

For those who missed Hamilton’ s America when it originally aired, it can be viewed in its entirety on PBS’ s Great Performances website at: http:// www. pbs. org / wnet / gperf / hamiltonfullfilm / 5801 /.

Actors Lin-Manuel Miranda( Hamilton) and Leslie Odom, Jr.( Burr) re-enact the duel in the Museum gallery for the PBS documentary.

Deputy Director Kristin Aguilera and Dave White at the gala premier of Hamilton’ s America.

www. MoAF. org | Fall 2016 | FINANCIAL HISTORY 5