Lin-Manuel Miranda is best known for his popular musicals “Hamilton” and “In The Heights,” but he claims that his most recent film, “Vivo,” is his children’s “favorite thing I’ve ever worked on.”
Miranda remarked Saturday during a special showing of the film in New York City, “I am so thrilled that your kids will now all get to hear the thing that has been playing on a loop in my house for years.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda is best known for his hit musicals “Hamilton” and “In The Heights,” but he says his latest film, “Vivo,” is his children’s “favorite thing I’ve ever worked on.”
“I am so delighted that your kids will now all get to hear the item that has been playing on a loop in my house for years,” Miranda said at a special screening of the film in New York City on Saturday.
Miranda had been working on the story since 2009, when he began writing music for the film while it was still in development at DreamWorks. After Miranda’s second smash Broadway musical, “Hamilton,” the project was shelved and resurrected by Sony Pictures Animation in 2015.
Vivo is voiced by Miranda, who also served as an executive producer and created eight original songs for the film. He brought along his usual collaborators: Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegra Hudes, who penned the book for the musical “In The Heights” as well as the screenplay for the film adaptation, and Alex Lacamoire, who collaborated with Miranda on “Hamilton.”
Vivo’s relationship with his beloved owner, Andrés, is voiced by the legendary Cuban bandleader Juan de Marcos, best known for his work with the Buena Vista Social Club, and Alegra Hudes said during Saturday’s screening that when she got her hands on the script’s original draft, she quickly realized that “the beating heart of the movie” was Vivo’s relationship with Andrés, who is voiced by the legendary Cuban bandleader Juan de Marcos, best known for his work with
The film’s opening tune, “One of a Kind,” depicts Andrés and Vivo’s close connection as they spend their days playing music to raucous crowds in Havana’s Plaza Vieja. According to Netflix, the opening number’s scenes were directly inspired by the creative team’s trip to Havana, as well as extensive photographic and archive data.
“One of a Kind,” the film’s opening track, showcases Andrés and Vivo’s tight friendship as they spend their days performing music for rowdy crowds in Havana’s Plaza Vieja. The opening number’s scenes were inspired by the creative team’s trip to Havana, as well as substantial photographic and historical data, according to Netflix.
Following unanticipated occurrences that lead them to go to Miami and present a secret love song to Andrés’ long-lost love, Marta Sandoval, a famous singer voiced by Latin music great Gloria Estefan, Gabi, who is played by Dominican American rising artist Ynairaly Simo, offers to help Vivo.
Estefan stated in a press release that the love ballad “Inside Your Heart (Para Marta)” was the major reason she decided to participate in the production.
“I just fell in love with this tune that Marta would be singing,” Estefan stated. “Marta reminds me of Celia Cruz, who was one of my favorite people in the world, and I adore how Vivo pays tribute to Cuban music.”
Simo’s larger-than-life personality shines through as she portrays Gabi, a delightfully eccentric tween girl. That is clear in the lively and catchy song “My Own Drum,” which features Missy Elliott. Beatboxing, viral social media videos, K-pop music, Katy Perry’s over-the-top live performances, and Elliott’s rapping style are all influences on the youngsters bop.
Gabi’s boisterous confidence hides her desire to blend in and form meaningful friendships, despite the fact that the character stands out for her eccentric and cheery nature.
The character’s infectious enthusiasm, Miranda observed, “hide[s] a lot of resilience.”
He said, “I think that’s kind of the secret to Gabi.” “Every setback, she just rolls with it and keeps moving forward. I can’t tell you how much joy it was for me to write ‘My Own Drum.'”
Working on the musical piece “Mambo Cabana” seemed personal to Lacamoire and his family, who grew up in Miami with his Cuban parents. Andrés’ ambition of coming to Miami to reconnect with Marta during her retirement concert is the focus of the scene.
“This is a very beautiful, joyful song, but when my mother heard the chorus and discovered the movie was set in Cuba, she started crying for the delight of just feeling that sort of representation,” Lacamoire said after the screening on Saturday. “I adore being able to go into this aspect of my heritage, my family, and my ancestors.”
“Vivo” is about how “music and love are the exact same thing” for the characters, according to Miranda. “It’s love’s timeless quality, music’s timeless quality, and improbable friendships.”
During the coronavirus pandemic, “we’ve all been touched by grief in some way or another,” Miranda said, the film also deals on issues of loss. “I think it couldn’t be more timely” to talk about how to move on and remember people we’ve lost with affection.
