Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, along with his family and longtime producer Jeffrey Seller, have joined forces with the Flamboyan Foundation to create the Flamboyan Arts Fund.
Monies from the fund will be used to support arts institutions, as well as individual artists, musicians, galleries, and more in order to ensure the artistic and cultural future of Miranda’s ancestral home of Puerto Rico. According to a statement, “one of the Flamboyan Arts Fund’s first philanthropic goals is to leave behind a new Actors’ Equity-approved theatre at the University of Puerto Rico to entice future professional touring productions to come to the island.
Inaugural grants from Warner Bros., Loretta and Victor Kaufman, and anonymous donors have already been made to kickstart the Fund. Airbnb has announced it will donate a percent of fees from stays booked in Puerto Rico from June through September 2018. Banco Popular and Church’s Chicken will provide sponsorships to support the Fund, and Marriott International will pledge a portion of each hotel room reservation at its 11 Puerto Rican properties from December 2018–February 2019 to the Flamboyan Arts Fund.
As the island continues to rebuild following the devastation of Hurricane Maria, Miranda and company want to ensure the spirit and lifeblood of Puerto Rico thrives, as well. “As someone whose life has been transformed by the power of the arts, and who has witnessed the incredible healing, growth, stability and wellbeing that cultural institutions can bring to local communities, I cannot stand idly by and watch Puerto Rico’s arts and culture scene suffer,” said Miranda in a statement.
On October 5, 2017, Miranda released a star-packed recording “Almost Like Praying” to raise money for the Hispanic Federation in support of Puerto Rico. Miranda is also set to star at the title role in the Puerto Rican production of Hamilton January 8–27, 2019.
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With the announcement of the founding of the Flamboyan Arts Fund, Miranda and Hamilton lead producer Seller have decided all profits from Hamilton’s run in Puerto Rico will be donated to the Fund. Additionally, some 9,600 tickets will be made available via digital lottery at $10 per ticket.
Initial recipients of grants from the Fund include Andanza Dance School & Company, Crearte Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, Y No Había Luz Theater Company, an d Teatro of the University of Puerto Rico.
