Lin-Manuel Miranda's new musical based on a cult movie — and for your ears only

Lin-Manuel Miranda, its creator Hamilton, And playwright Issa Davis, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, has created a new Broadway musical — one that's not actually on Broadway.

Instead, it's a concept album, meant to be listened to in one sitting The idea came because Miranda wanted to write something about warriors, The 1979 cult-classic movie follows members of a Coney Island street gang who try to return home to Brooklyn after being accused of murdering a peace leader.

It is one of his favorite movies. And he couldn't stop thinking about how he could do this to his love letter. Then he brought Davis on board — and they started thinking about the 1970s.

“We were inspired by the '70s concept albums that we love,” says Miranda, “where you'd sit on your living room floor reading the liner notes on your vinyl. And we wanted to create that feeling.”

The album tells the Warriors' story using music that crosses genres, including hip hop, rock, ska and salsa; It was sung by a cast that included artists such as Lauryn Hill, Nas, Ghostface Killah and Billy Porter, to Broadway stars Philippa Sue, Jasmine Cephas Jones and Amber Grey.

“We just got this dream team” of musicians, Miranda said. “So it was very freeing, always full of joy.”

Mix it up

Miranda and Davis flipped the genders of the Warriors so that, in their version, the gang is all female. This means that a central romance is also one between women.

Davis said, “The gender transition made us look at the sexism and homophobia in the film and make sure we left it in '79”. “Here we are in 2024.”

Miranda and Davis say they have no plans the warriors to come to Broadway, but “we'd love to see a stage adaptation of it down the road.”

There probably won't be a movie version, though, because, says Miranda, “it already exists.”

Sierra Crawford Edited the audio and digital versions of this story. Chloe Weiner Mix the audio.