MY NEXT GUEST IS A TALENTED ACTOR WHO IS NOMINATED FOR A
TONY AWARD FOR HIS PERFORMANCE IN "HAMILTON."
♪ THERE IS NO MORE STATUS QUO PUT THE SUN COMES UP AND THE
WORLD STILL SPINS ♪ I HAVE LAFAYETTE DRAFT A
DECLARATION NEN I SAY I GOTTA GO ♪ GOT TO BE IN MONTICELLO
NOW THE WORK AT HOME BEGINS ♪ SO WHAT DID I MISS
WHAT DID I MISS ♪ VIRGINIA, MY HOME SWEET HOME,
I WANT TO GIVE YOU A CIZ ♪ >> Stephen: PLEASE WELCOME
DAVEED DIGGS!
( BAND PLAYING ) ( CHEERS AND APPLAUSE )
>> Stephen: NICE TO SEE YOU AGAIN.
>> GREAT TO SEE YOU.
>> Stephen: CONGRATULATIONS ON EVERYTHING.
>> THANK YOU, MAN.
>> Stephen: HOW IS IT IT FEEL TO BE PART OF SOMETHING THAT HAS
BECOME A CULTURAL MILESTONE?
>> I -- >> NO PRESSURE.
>> I KNOW, I CAN'T THINK ABOUT THAT PART OF IT.
I JUST GO TO WORK EVERY DAY.
>> Stephen: YOU PLAY BOTH JEFFERSON AND LAFAYETTE.
>> YES.
>> Stephen: IN "HAMILTON," THE MUSICAL.
AND THAT WAS JEFFERSON JUST THEN.
WHAT I LOVE.
THAT SONG, THE MOMENT WHEN YOU TURN AROUND AND SAY, "WHAT DID I
MISS?" IS A HUGE LAUGH IN THE MUSICAL
BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN AWAY WHILE HAMILTON AND OTHERS HAVE BEEN
BACK HERE FIGHTING THE REVOLUTION.
>> THOMAS JEFFERSON MISSED EVERYTHING BEING A ROCK STAR IN
FRANCE.
HE WAS A SYMBOL OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY SO HE WAS LITERALLY
LIKE ROCK STAR LIFESTYLE, AND SHOWS BACK UP IN THE U.S. AND IS
GIVEN THE THE JOB OF SECRETARY OF STATE JUST SIGHT UNSEEN.
JUST SHOWS UP, "HERE, YOU'RE SECRETARY OF STATE, COOL."
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH THOMAS JEFFERSON'S WHOLE LIFE.
>> Stephen: THE FIRST SECRETARY OF STATE.
HE DID A LITTLE BIT OF WORK.
>> AND HAD A LOT OF LEISURE TIME AND INVENTED THINGS.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW HE PLANTED ALL THOSE CROPS BY HIMSELF.
>> I KNOW.
>> Stephen: HOW DID HE HAVE ALL THAT LEISURE TIME?
>> HE WAS SO BUSY.
>> Stephen: AMAZING, AMAZING.
>> JUST PUSHING A PLOW.
>> Stephen: AND BOTH JEFFERSON AND LAFAYETTE, IS THERE ONE--
LAFAYETTE, OF COURSE, PEOPLE WHO DON'T KNOW, A FRENCHMAN WHO
FOUGHT WITH THE UNITED STATES AGAINST ENGLAND, IS THERE ONE
YOU LIKE DOING MORE BECAUSE THEY'RE BOTH FANTASTIC PART?
>> I REALLY LOVE THAT I GET TO DO THEM BOTH BECAUSE THEY
FUNCTION REALLY DIFFERENTLY IN CONTEXT OF THE PLAY.
LAFAYETTE'S ARCH, IS REALLY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO GET THROUGH.
HE'S NOT ON STAGE A TON AND HE HAS TO GO FROM SOMEBODY WHEN WE
MEET HIM IS BARELY COMPETENT IN ENGLISH TO WE SEE HIM BECOME A
GREAT GENERAL AND DOING A REALLY FAST RAP PIECE.
SO I'M VERY FOCUSED AND I'M VERY SORT OF INSIDE OF IT.
AND JEFFERSON THE FIRST THING I DO IS WAVE AT EVERYBODY AND BLOW
THEM KISSES.
YOU SAW THE THING.
THAT'S-- IT'S RARE THAT YOU GET TO DO BOTH OF THOSE THINGS IN
ONE SHOW, HAVE THESE TOTALLY DIFFERENT THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE
S.
>> Stephen: ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT, FOR
PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T SEEN "HAMILTON," IS JEFFERSON IS
ALWAYS PORTRAYED AS SORT OF A GENIUS HERO IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
HE IS NOT THE HERO OF THIS PLAY.
>> NO, NO IT'S HAMILTON'S STORY.
>> Stephen: IT'S HAMILTON'S STORY BUT HAMILTON HAS HIS OWN
FAULTS HERE.
>> RIGHT.
>> Stephen: WHY DO YOU THINK THAT THIS PLAY-- BESIDES THERE'S
BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, TREMENDOUS PERFORMANCES, A REALLY
COMPELLING STORY, BUT WHY COW THINK IT IS SO TRANSFORMATIVE?
BECAUSE IT REALLY DOES FEEL LIKE YOU'RE WATCHING SOMETHING
DIFFERENT HAPPEN ON STAGE?
>> I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH THAT WE, THE PERFORMERS ARE,
SORT OF ASKED TO ELIMINATE ALL OF THE DISTANCE BETWEEN
OURSELVES AND THE AUDIENCE, RIGHT.
SO THAT'S CULTURALLY, AS WELL AS EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S HIP-HOP IN THE PLAY.
HIP-HOP IS A VERY CONTEMPORARY STYLE OF MUSIC.
AND THAT MAKES THESE CHARACTERS FEEL CONTEMPORARY AND FEEL LIKE
PEOPLE YOU WOULD KNOW AND MEET.
>> Stephen: IT DOES REMOVE THE BETWEEN NOT ONLY YOU AND THE
AUDIENCE BUT ALSO BETWEEN THE AUDIENCE AND THE FOUNDING
FATHERS.
>> I THINK THAT'S THE THING.
IF THAT I EVER-- WE'RE USED TO LEARNING ABOUT THEM AS STATUES
OR PAINTs.
>> Stephen: VERY WHITE STATUES.
>> VERY WHITE STATUE S.
>> Stephen: HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT?
>> I-- I-- I'M PART OF THIS GROUP FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME
THAT IS LIN FOUNDED WITH TOMMY KALE, OUR DIRECTOR, AND CHRIS
JACKSON IS ALSO A PART OF THIS GROUP.
AND WE WERE ASKED TO PERFORM-- IT'S AN IMPROVISED RAP PROJECT,
AND WE WERE ASKED TO PERFORM AT THE SUPER BOWL IN NEW ORLEANS
RAPPING LIVE ABOUT SPORTS CELEBRITIES ON SPORTS NATION AS
THEY WERE BRINGING PEOPLE OUT.
YEAH, YEAH.
IT WAS A TOTALLY CRAZY TIME.
AND WE'RE THERE, AND TOMMY KALE, COMES UP TO ME SORT OF AFTER ALL
THIS IS DONE AND SAYS, "HEY, LIN, IS WORKING ON A NEW THING.
WE'RE GOING TO DO A READING, IT'S A RAP MUSICAL ABOUT
ALEXANDER HAMILTON.
WILL YOU COME AND BE A PART OF IT?"
>> Stephen: WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST REACTION, A RAP MUSICAL
ABOUT THE FOUNDER OF THE FEDERAL BANKING SYSTEM?
>> IT IMMEDIATELY MADE PERFECT SENSE AND I KNEW EXACTLY-- I
ACTUALLY TOLD TOMMY TO HIS FACE IT WAS A TERRIBLE IDEA.
AND THEN TOLD HIM TO SEND ME THE SCRIPT BECAUSE I WAS FOR SURE
MOTT-- MY FRIEND'S WRITING A PLAY AND THEY WANT TO PAY ME?
YEAH.
AS SOON AS THEY SENT ME THE MUSIC, IT WAS-- ALL OF A SUDDEN
IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE.
THAT'S THE FUNNY THING ABOUT THIS SHOW, THE PITCH IS NOT
GREAT, YOU KNOW.
>> Stephen: MY REACTION-- I HEARD ABOUT IT, AND EVERYBODY
SAID, "YOU HAVE TO GO SEE IT."
I THINK YOU GUYS WERE STILL IN PREVIEWS-- YOU HAD MOVED TO
BROADWAY BUT HADN'T OPENED YET, AND MY REACTION IS WHAT I THINK
A LOT OF PEOPLE'S REACTION IS.
THE FIRST 15 MINUTE YOU GO, "THIS IS GOOD.
THIS IS GOOD.
I WONDER HOW LONG THEY CAN SUSTAIN THIS?"
BECAUSE IT IS SO DIFFERENT.
YOU'RE NOT USED TO SEEING CERTAINLY HISTORY OR MUSICAL
PRESENTED THIS WAY ON PRAUD WAY.
AND THE NEXT 15 MINUTE THEY GO, "WOW, THAT IS REALLY
EXTRAORDINARY."
AND 15 MINUTES LATER YOU'VE COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN IT'S A NEW
FORM AND TWO HOURS LATER YOU'RE SAYING, "WHY AM I CRYING OVER
ALEXANDER HAMILTON?" WHY AM I CRYING OVER ALEXANDER
HAMILTON, DAVEED DIGGS?
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
MAYBE BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T DONE IT 500 TIMES.
( LAUGHTER ) ( APPLAUSE ).
>> Stephen: YOU'RE LOOK, "ALEXANDER HAMILTON, ENOUGH,
ENOUGH!
" >> Stephen: WELL, I WOULD SEE
IT 500 TIMES.
>> PLEASE DO.
>> Stephen: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
GOOD LUCK WITH THE TONIES ON JUNE 12 RIGHT HERE ON CBS.
DAVEED DIGGS, EVERYBODY.