Lin-Manuel Miranda explains the most autobiographical moment in his 2008 musical, In the Heights. Mandy Gonzalez and Christopher Jackson sing “When You’re Home.”
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TRANSCRIPT
MANDY GONZALEZ (singing): I used to think we lived at the top of the world When the world was just a subway map And the 1 slash 9 LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA: I think one of the most autobiographical sections of the show is Nina'''s bridge in 'When You'''re Home' and when she goes, when I was younger I imagined what would happen if my parents would have stayed in Puerto Rico.
That line is like what I spent most of my childhood wondering.
CHRISTOPHER JACKSON (singing): Come with me.
LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA: That question of finding home is not only a geographical wonder but really an emotional one of you know what does it mean to be Puerto Rican if you don'''t live in Puerto Rico or Dominican if you don'''t live in the Dominican Republic.
MANDY GONZALEZ (singing): When I was younger I'd imagine what would happen if my parents had stayed in Puerto Rico. Who would I be if I had never seen Manhattan?
If I lived in Puerto Rico with my people?
My people...I feel like all my life I've tried to find the answer. Working harder, learning Spanish, learning all I can. I thought I might find the answer out at Stanford, but I'd stare out at the sea, thinking, 'where am I supposed to be?'
So please don't say you're proud of me, when I've lost my way.
[Instrumental music] CHRISTOPHER JACKSON (singing): Then can I say: I couldn't get my mind off you all day... now, listen to me... that may be how you perceive it, but Nina please believe that when you find your way again... you're gonna change the world and then we're all gonna brag and say I knew her when... Yeah...this was your home MANDY GONZALEZ (singing): I'm home CHRISTOPHER JACKSON (singing): Welcome home MANDY GONZALEZ (singing): When you're here with me CHRISTOPHER JACKSON (singing): Welcome home MANDY GONZALEZ (singing): I used to think we lived at the top of the world CHRISTOPHER JACKSON: Welcome home MANDY GONZALEZ (singing): I'm home CHRISTOPHER JACKSON (singing): You're finally home CHRISTOPHER JACKSON and MANDY GONZALEZ (singing): You're home!
(Applause)
