Watch Lin-Manuel Miranda Get Super Emotional As His Son Sings A Modern Disney Hit

Watching your child perform onstage is always a proud moment, but how would it feel to see them sing something you wrote? Not every parent will have that happen, but this acclaimed songwriter can add that amazing moment to his list of achievements that few will ever experience.

Lin-Manuel Miranda has enough accolades to fill a book, winning multiple Tony Awards, Emmys, Grammys, and more for his work as a creator of hit Broadway productions like Hamilton and In The Heights, and songwriter for films like Disney’s Moana and Encanto. However, his numerous prizes might now take second place in his heart after what happened to him on the final school night before winter break.

The Line Where The Sky Meets The Sea

While attending a school holiday recital, Miranda posted a clip of the reactions of he and his wife, Vanessa Nadal, watching one of their sons sing with his class, happily surprised by the song choice.

As the children sing “How Far I’ll Go” from Moana (the song Miranda was nominated for an Oscar for in 2017), Vanessa wipes a tear from her cheek while Lin smiles with glassy eyes at their child. As their young voices build towards the chorus, the songwriter looks down at the camera, the wind knocked out of his sails while looking to the world in disbelief, turning back to further appreciate what’s unfolding in front of him. He swallows the lump in his throat that comes with those tears of joy and sits in this emotional and unbelievable moment. It might be one of the few times in his life this lyrical genius was at a loss for words.

Miranda emphasized the feeling on his social media post, writing, “When your kid’s winter concert comes right for your tear ducts…” It’s not as if he hasn’t seen this piece performed by kids groups around the world, but it’s something else to hear it from the voice of your child booming out on a stage.

It’s an emotional occasion when a parent witnesses something like this. The difference here is how absolutely surreal it must be to hear the song you wrote for a wildly successful Disney animated feature performed in front of your eyes by your child. It’s no wonder Lin and his wife were pushing back the swell of emotions, as the video makes it seem like both parents were about to burst out in a torrent of tears at any moment. I wouldn’t be surprised if Lin and Vanessa were the first on their feet to applaud with a standing ovation. That’s what being a proud parent is all about.

How Far They’ll Go

Lin-Manuel and Vanessa have two children, an older son Sebastian, and his younger sibling Francisco, and the gift for music may have been passed down to them. "I have two incredibly smart and brilliant and creative kids,” he explained in an interview with People, “...and who knows if they would be doing this if I didn't do what I do for a living — but they make up songs.” Perhaps the Miranda musical dynasty will be multi-generational, but only time will tell if that happens and how far they’ll go.

While the night may have been uncanny for Lin to hear his song performed by his son and their class, the situation could be reversed for his kids. When he isn’t writing and producing, Lin has also played chimney-sweep Jack in Disney’s Mary Poppin Returns, and was the voice of Fenton Crackshell and his super-powered alter ego Gizmoduck in the recent DuckTales reboot. He also played Major Tom in an episode of Bluey’s third season, making him one of the first American celebrities to voice a character in the popular Australian animated series. I’d love to be a fly on the wall on the day his kids realize their dad is a cartoon character!

Miranda is currently working on a theatrical adaptation of Sol Yurick’s novel The Warriors, which served as the inspiration for the cult-classic film of the same name from 1979. He will also appear as Hermes in the upcoming Disney+ series Percy Jackson and The Olympians.

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This article was originally published on Dec. 24, 2023

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