For the majority of the United States, apart from those deemed essential workers, social distancing has become the new normal. Paired with social distancing and not leaving one’s home comes with a 24/7 news feed filled with information that although necessary, can break one’s spirits down. In comes John Krasinski who decided he needed to do something himself.
John Krasinski is an actor known for “A Quiet Place,” “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” and most notably, starred as Jim in the hit NBC series “The Office.” He’s married to actress Emily Blunt and has two children. In 2018, he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine. Now that the majority of Americans, and people from around the world, are quarantined in their houses with new stations announcing anxiety-inducing statistics around the clock, Krasinski decided he needed to do something. So, he started a weekly news show called “Some Good News” where he discusses strictly the good news that has occurred around the world.
On April 5, 2020, Krasinski uploaded the second episode of the news show. He begins by showcasing heartwarming stories, like the one about a restaurant in Dallas providing free meals to restaurant industry workers who were furloughed. About halfway through the episode, we meet a little girl named Aubrey. For Aubrey’s ninth birthday, she was supposed to go see the hit musical “Hamilton” in Jacksonville, FL. However, due to the current pandemic, Aubrey and her family were home watching “Mary Poppins Returns” starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of “Hamilton.”
If you don’t know, “Hamilton” is a hit Broadway musical that incorporates rap to tell the story of the founding fathers of the United States. One of the most important facts about the show is that every main character is played by a person of color. Miranda says casting is done like this because “in Hamilton, we’re telling the stories of old, dead white men but we’re using actors of color, and that makes the story more immediate and more accessible to a contemporary audience.” The musical opened in 2015 at the Richard Rodgers Theater and received a record-breaking 16 nominations at the Tony Awards, including Best Musical, which it won.
Krasinski begins a Zoom call with Aubrey, where he surprises her with tickets to see the show on Broadway once it reopens. However, her surprise doesn’t end there. Krasinski invites his wife, Emily Blunt, who played Mary Poppins to come and join their chat. Eventually, Lin-Manuel Miranda also joins the call and gives Audrey an extra special surprise – the original Broadway cast of “Hamilton” singing the title song “Alexander Hamilton.” Reprising their original roles includes Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr, Phillipa Soo as Eliza Schuyler/Hamilton, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler, Christopher Jackson as George Washington, Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafeyette, Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan, Anthony Ramos as John Laurens, Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler and Jonathan Groff as King George III. Some of the original ensemble and swings, most notably Javier Muñoz who took over playing Alexander Hamilton when Miranda wrapped his role, also joined the Zoom call.
All in all, this was an amazing surprise not just for Aubrey, but for many “Hamilton” fans around the world. The original Broadway cast recording of “Hamilton” is scheduled to be released in theaters on Oct. 15, 2021.
You can watch the full episode of “Some Good News” on YouTube!
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