Ron Chernow to Adapt Lin-Manuel Miranda Biography Into Hip-Hop Musical

by Sarah Jae Leiber. @sarahjaeleiber.

BROOKLYN, New York —  Journalist and biographer Ron Chernow announced today that he will adapt Daniel Pollack-Pelzner’s newly-released biography, Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist, into a hip-hop musical aimed for Broadway. 

“I’m a big believer in natural cycles,” said Chernow, whose eyes flashed green with cartoon dollar signs that made “cha-ching” sounds several times over the course of this very short interview. “It’s only logical that I’d do for Lin what he did for Hamilton after what I did for Hamilton.” 

Pollack-Pelzner, known to his friends and enemies as “Pee-Pee,” is also attached to the buzzy project. 

“Ron and I had a big fight about which of us would be considered ‘bookwriter,’ because we both have written books before,” said Pollack-Pelzner, gesturing to a large pile of signed copies of the biography-turned-biomusical. “In the end, Chernow gets the credit for writing the Hamilton book that created the Hamilton book, so I get the credit for writing the book about the creator of the Hamilton book adapting the Hamilton book.” 

Asked about why the hell he would write a hip-hop musical after 76 years of not writing hip-hop musicals, Chernow’s agent was insistent he was the right man for the job. 

“I read an early copy of Pee-Pee’s book and my brain lit up with creativity and rhymes. I started beatboxing, and then did some freestyling, and by the end of the night my blood pressure was so high that I started exhibiting early stroke symptoms,” explained Chernow, who began beatboxing after being asked not to. “I knew something that made me this excited was something I needed to write.” 

Chernow and Pee-Pee, whose favorite hip-hop acts include Lin-Manuel Miranda, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and any actress who has successfully navigated the “parsley, peppers, cabbages and celery” part of “The Witch’s Rap” from Into The Woods, are confident that their musical will run for years, spanning a Broadway run, a tour, a cast album, a pro-shot, and the kind of discourse that takes ten years off a life.