Four Questions for Eric Kuhn ’09, Lin-Manuel Miranda Great Names Moderator

To date, Kuhn has produced such Tony Award-winning shows as the revival of Oklahoma! (2019), the play The Inheritance (2021), and the musical A Strange Loop (2022).

Now Kuhn is preparing for yet another on-stage responsibility: hosting Hamilton musical composer, creator, and star Lin-Manuel Miranda for the Sacerdote Great Names series. In advance of Kuhn’s return to College Hill, student writer Dana Blatte ’26 caught up with him in London just as he was going into a final rehearsal of his play Invasive Species, which is directed by Michael Breslin ’13.

When you graduated from Hamilton in 2009, could you have imagined that interviewing guests for a WHCL radio show would lead to interviewing a Broadway icon on the “big stage” at Hamilton?

“No,” Kuhn said with a laugh. “When I got the call [about moderating this installment of the Sacerdote Great Names series], I couldn’t have said yes fast enough.” Since receiving that news, Kuhn’s been doggedly downloading every podcast on which Miranda appears, which Kuhn listens to while he runs throughout London (he’s preparing for a marathon, too, by the way).

Like Lin-Manuel, you are the recipient of a few Tony Awards. Which of your theatre achievements have you been most proud of so far in your career?

“First of all, there is no ‘like Lin’ as his achievements and accomplishments for creating In The Heights and then Hamilton is something I would only dream of doing! But, when he created Hamilton, so many people thought it was a crazy idea! I’m always the most proud of playing a small role in helping an idea everyone thinks is crazy come to life...” People advised Miranda that his concept was risky — but in the end, that risk propelled the show’s wild success. 

What would be the one question you'd love to ask Lin-Manuel? 

“Someone like Lin-Manuel Miranda, who’s already been interviewed by so many people, it’s really difficult, because everyone already knows his story,” Kuhn admitted. When we spoke, he was still formulating his questions. However, he does want to draw parallels between Miranda’s liberal arts education (Wesleyan University) and the experimentation encouraged in Hamilton, particularly due to the College’s open curriculum. “But you’ll have to come on September 29th to hear my final questions!”

What is it about Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda that resonates so much with audiences?  

“It’s a story that we can all relate to. The story is about time, ambition, history, relationships, legacy and more. Everyone can relate, which is one of the reasons a show about a founding father has gone so mainstream,” Kuhn said.