Hamil-Swag: Alexander Hamilton Vodka

Old New York Spirits has just introduced Alexander Hamilton Vodka, which it bills as “a spirit pure and rare.”  The vodka is distilled from potatoes and is handcrafted in New York.

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Designer Steven Bonner was brought in to design the bottle and packaging and states on his website that:

“I worked directly with the client to reflect its American heritage and took inspiration from a range of sources, not least Alexander Hamilton’s life and times as well as more stylised elements like some of the gravestones surrounding Hamilton’s resting place. A mix of classic and modern, the bottle is designed to appeal to a fashionable consumer who respects tradition and craft in a premium product.”

The brand has Twitter and Instagram accounts, and tweeted this announcement picture in July 2013.  If any one has tried this or seen it in stores, let me know!

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Lin-Manuel Miranda’s HAMILTON World Premiere Winter 2015

Exciting news: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton will have it’s world premiere next winter at the Public Theater!  The New York Times reports that the production will be directed by Thomas Kail, who collaborated with Miranda on In The Heights and was nominated for a Tony.  Additionally, commercial producers Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, and Jill Furman, will be financially supporting the production.  Hamilton will begin performances on Tuesday, January 20, 2015 and run through Sunday, February 22, 2015.

The Public Theater’s press release states:

“HAMILTON, written by the Tony and Grammy Award-winning composer and lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, will have its world premiere next January as part of The Public’s 2014-15 season at Astor Place. Directed by his In The Heights collaborator Thomas Kail, this new musical features Miranda playing Alexander Hamilton, one of our country’s Founding Fathers and the first Secretary of the Treasury. ”
“Lin-Manuel Miranda is a marvel, but nothing could have prepared us for the astonishing achievement of  Hamilton,” said Artistic Director Oskar Eustis. “Alexander Hamilton was born in the West Indies, the only Founding Father who was an immigrant, and Lin’s genius is to tell the story of the birth of the United States as an immigrant’s story. The energy, the passion, joy, tragedy, and raw intelligence of this show are stunning.”
HAMILTON, featuring a cast of historical figures that includes George Washington, Aaron Burr, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson,  Miranda performed a song from HAMILTON for President Obama and the First Family at the White House in 2009 during its first-ever White House Evening of Poetry & Spoken Word. Watch it here http://1.usa.gov/1bGCQbh. Inspired by the book Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow, HAMILTON is produced with the support of Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, and Jill Furman

The Public Theater website states:

The Public Theater is the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare, the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day.  Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the company engages audiences in a variety of venues—including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe’s Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City’s five boroughs. The Public’s wide range of programming includes Free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the company’s dedication to making theater accessible to all, new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines for discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions.