SophieGolka

Many who have grown up in Omaha see the city as one that no one would come to. Surprisingly, there are many celebrities who visit Omaha. Lady GaGa, for example, recorded the Grammy nominated song “You and I” at Ware House Productions in Omaha since the song was about her boyfriend at the time who was a Nebraska native.

This past October, another celebrity made a big splash in Omaha.

Singer, songwriter, actor and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda, known for his composition and acting in “Hamilton” and music for “Encanto,” among many others, visited Omaha to endorse Democratic congressional candidate Denise Powell. While in the city, Miranda talked with high school theatre students at the Rose Theater in downtown Omaha.

The Q&A event occurred on Oct. 3 with about 100 Omaha high school theatre students in attendance. For two hours, the students had the opportunity to ask questions about acting, writing and never giving up on your passions. He connected with the students by talking about his high school experience.

Two days prior to the event, Assistant to the Principal Mrs. Michelle Delisi got a call from former state senator Tony Vargas about the opportunity to send two students to the Rose and meet Miranda. Vargas is now with the organization Nebraska Thespians, the state’s chapter of the Educational Theatre Association, which organized the event. Delisi emailed the senior actresses and stage manager from the fall musical, “Anastasia.” Of the seven girls contacted, those who wanted to attend emailed back. Their names were put in a hat and two names, Violet Christen and Brigid McFall, were drawn.

Both girls wanted to meet Miranda not just because of his fame, but because of his talent and impact in the theatre world. “He’s one of the big names in theatre; even those outside of theatre know who he is,” McFall said. McFall said she was nervous walking in, especially since she had never been to the Rose, but going with Christen helped.

Both girls didn’t know what to expect, but Christen said, “He gave us the opportunity to ask him questions… and he answered openly and honestly.”

McFall described Miranda as “personable” and “humble,” saying, “it seemed like he really wanted to talk to us and answer our questions.”

Even though neither of the girls were able to personally ask any questions, they said that the questions posed insightful advice. They learned more about the industry and how to use your passions for a career. Christen and McFall said they were glad they got to be a part of this unique opportunity.