Mandy Gonzalez knew Lin-Manuel Miranda before he was Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Gonzalez, who won a Drama Desk Award for originating the role of Nina Rosario in the Tony-winning “In The Heights,” came up alongside Miranda as he was honing his unique style.
“On Off Broadway, I remember handing out flyers to people, saying, ‘Please come and see the show, it’s really special and we love it.’ ” Gonzalez told the Boston Herald. “We didn’t know then if it would go all the way.”
“In the Heights” did go all the way. The hip hop, salsa and Latin pop-infused musical became a minor sensation on Broadway in 2008 paving the way for the unprecedented success of Miranda’s “Hamilton” seven years later.
On Sept. 20, Gonzalez will team with the Boston Pops to present the world premiere of “Everything I Know,” a night of Miranda’s music at Symphony Hall.
“Lin-Manuel is not only my dear friend but one of the most transformative voices of a generation, perhaps of this century,” she said. “It’s such a pleasure and gift to present this music. Then when Keith Lockhart said yes to doing it with the Boston Pops, it’s the best of the best, which is what I want the first time I put this show out.”
“And the fact that Lin-Manuel said yes to (me doing) this,” she added with a laugh. “That was the first gift.”
Beyond selections from “In the Heights,” the program will feature Miranda-penned songs from blockbuster movies including “Moana,” “Encanto,” and “The Little Mermaid,” along with lesser known gems such as the mini-musical “21 Chump Street.”
And, of course, there will be songs from “Hamilton,” which Gonzalez knows well from first-hand experience — she played Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway production.
“Javier Muñoz was playing Hamilton at the time… and I remember we were sitting at the back of the house and Javier, who was in ‘In the Heights’ with me, looked over at me and said, ‘We are in Hamilton,’” Gonzalez said. “We were giggling like kids because it was so exciting. It was the show, it still is the show, that everybody wants to get a ticket to.”
Since her breakout in “In the Heights,” Gonzales has been busy. Beyond her work with Miranda, she starred on Broadway as Elphaba in “Wicked,” acted as Nicole Scherzinger’s alternate in the hit “Sunset Boulevard,” had a recurring role on CBS’ “Madam Secretary,” and much more. Whatever comes up in the future, she knows she’ll need to make time for “Everything I Know.”
“Creating my own project was very, very important to me and I feel like there’s always room for everything,” she said with a laugh. “If that means that on this day I do a Broadway show and on another I do ‘Everything I Know,’ hopefully the audience will follow.”
For tickets and details, visit bso.org
