There are few people who know the music to Hamlton better than Ian Weinberger.

He was introduced to the complex, revolutionary hip-hop score back in 2015 when Hamilton was still an off-Broadway production. Alex Lacamoire, the show’s music director, orchestrator, and conductor (as well as co-arranger of the score) invited Ian to the show because he needed musical assistance moving forward, and he thought Ian could provide the help he desperately was looking for.

In other words, Lacamoire was looking for his right-hand man.

He found it in Ian.

At first Ian played rehearsals, then when the show moved to Broadway, he played keyboard and was a substitute conductor. In January 2020, he became the show’s full-time musical director, a role he held until leaving the production this past August.

In total, Ian conducted 1,199 shows — nearly one-third of all of Hamilton‘s Broadway performances. When he looks back on the show — and the music behind it — what he believes made it so transcendent was the power of its storytelling.

“I think one of the things Hamilton does so well is without really trying, it asks the audience to identify with all these people who they may not have anything in common with,” he said. “And along the way, it shows that there’s a lot more that connects us in this country than doesn’t.”

Using music to advance a story

Ian has always been drawn to music. As a 2-year-old he routinely made his way over to the piano in his family’s living room, climbed up on the bench, and tried to pick out little melodies. At 3 he begged to take piano lessons.

With every class he took or musical event he attended, Ian became more enthralled.

That early interest led him to the theater, where he discovered how music can support what happens on stage.

“Music can evoke feelings and moods and temperatures, and it can remind us either consciously or subconsciously of things we know or foreshadow things we don’t know,” Ian said. “There are so many ways in which we use music to advance and help color a story.”

Arguably no production epitomizes that idea more than Hamilton. From the opening rhythmic motif — that “DUN-DUNDUNDUNDUN-DUN-DUN” — the show’s music serves as a key contributor to the overall story.

Ian still remembers the first time he read over the score, sitting beside Lacamoire and the band in a loft during an off-Broadway production at The Public Theater.

“I saw the first measure of music and was thrown because it was such a weird way to start a musical,” Ian said. “Right away I was struck by the unusual nature of it.”

He was also taken by the sheer length of the score, a byproduct of the fact that, as he quickly discovered, the music never really stops in the nearly three-hour production.

“There was a small monitor on which I could see the stage, and I remember looking at it a few times but being so overwhelmed with the music that I quickly lost the plot and wasn’t paying attention to it,” Ian said. “There wasn’t an opportunity that whole night to sit back and enjoy the show. I was just trying to keep up with the music.”

Growing as a musician

When Ian joined Hamilton, he was also involved with the Broadway productions of The Book of Mormon and Kinky Boots. For more than a year he juggled the three shows, proudly admitting that he never once showed up at the wrong theater.

As he became more involved with Hamilton, Ian also spent more time with the show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. Ian developed MOANA JR. — a stage adaptation of the Disney film, tailoring Miranda’s songs for young performers — and he proudly joined Miranda’s hip hop improv group, Freestyle Love Supreme.

“That really pushed me and challenged me to grow as a musician,” Ian said. “Part of the reason I got into theater in the first place is that it’s a team sport, and Freestyle Love Supreme was a collaborative process at its rawest.”

It’s easy to associate only actors with improv, but as one of the group’s two keyboard players, Ian played a key role in helping move every performance forward. That included when the group got the change to show off its talents at the 2021 Tony Awards.

“There is no checking out during freestyle,” Ian said. “The challenge was constantly remaining open to whatever may come next.”

Ian reminded himself of that idea this past summer when he decided to walk away from Hamilton. His final performance came two weeks after the show celebrated its 10th anniversary on Broadway.

Ian currently serves as the music director of the Broadway revival of Chess, and he spends as much time as possible teaching others about the power of music.

A crucial lesson he shares is how intertwined music and storytelling can be.

“If we do it right, music in theater is never distracting,” Ian said. “It is never a focus of what’s happening, but it is always helping move the emotional beats of the story forward. The possibilities, if you do it right, are limitless.”

​

3 storytelling tips for you

1) “Lay a strong enough foundation”

In Hamilton, the music never really stops. That continuous flow mirrors the non-stop action of the story itself. When you’re creating content, no matter the format, think about how structure, pace, or rhythm can echo or even enhance the story.

2) “Blow us all away”

Ian explained that music is a tool that moves the emotional beat forward. It shouldn’t just sound good — it should have a purpose. As you craft a piece of content, it’s imperative to keep the audience’s emotion front and center at all times.

3) Don’t throw away your shot

Ian could have turned down the opportunity to join Hamilton because he was too busy or confused by the musical’s uniqueness, but he didn’t. Don’t let excuses or attempts at perfection get in the way of crafting a story you want to share.