The American Dream

One of the reasons I love working with young people--I am a community college librarian--is that I get to see the American dream in action. I am surrounded by young people who have dreams and goals. They are willing to work hard to make their dreams become a reality. What others see as roadblocks--no money, a houseful of kids, no transportation--these kids see as a challenge to overcome. Whether it’s a young girl who wants to become a nurse or a student who dreams of becoming the first college graduate in his family, the dream of succeeding in America is the same.

Yesterday, the musical In The Heights received 13 Tony nominations. This show is the dream of a remarkable young man, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who grew up in the Washington Heights section of New York City and began working on this musical in college. He is now 28, and the musical is a Broadway sensation. Not only did he write the score and conceive the book for the play, but he also plays the lead and has a really endearing stage presence. He received Tony nominations for Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Musical and for the Best Original Score.

The CultureBuddies saw the play Off- Broadway in a small theater over a year ago. Before the end of the opening number, we knew we were in the presence of greatness. The energy and the cool mix of rap and hip hop music along with fantastic choreography and energetic dancing were so exciting to us that we have been following the show ever since. We were thrilled when they made the transition from Off-Broadway to Broadway.
Yesterday’s 13 Tony nominations for this show is proof that hard work and talent can lead to success, and Lin-Manuel Mirandos is living proof that the American Dream is still alive and well.