Lin-Manuel Miranda is no stranger to performing live, as the star (and composer) of Broadway's smash hit musicals Hamilton and In the Heights. So it's no wonder the Tony winner started off his stint hosting Saturday Night Live like a total pro and didn't throw away his shot. On Saturday night, Lin-Manuel Miranda's SNL rap was the perfect shout out to Hamilton, for those who miss the actor/composer/rapper extraordinaire in the musical, which he departed last summer. Miranda remixed the Hamilton tunes "My Shot" and even threw a key line from "The Reynolds Pamphlet" when he passed by a photo of Republican nominee Donald Trump in light of recent events — "Never gonna be president now!"
Miranda opened his monologue by comparing Hamilton to the current presidential election: "It's escapism. It's about two New York politicians locked in dirty fight for the Presidency." He then talks about how most people have been asking if he'll sing Hamilton in his opening — and then he totally did. Miranda took the musical's rap number "My Shot" and altered the lyrics to match his excitement for hosting the NBC late-night variety show, appear in sketches, and generally have a blast in the studio.
Miranda went on to reference the current election two more times in his performance. As he strolls down a hallway filled with photos of former SNL hosts, Miranda stops at one of Trump, glares at it, and does a little jig to the key lyric from "The Reynolds Pamphlet." If you need a Hamilton refresher, that track comes about in the musical after Alexander Hamilton confesses that he had an affair with a woman and it pretty much ruins his chances at ever being president. Hamilton may be set during revolutionary times, but right now, the story is pretty timeless.
Miranda then resumes his "My Shot" (SNL remix) and closes it with, "As long as I make sure to vote this November, I am not throwing away my shot."
And that was only just the beginning of the talented Miranda's turn on SNL.
