Lin Manuel Miranda Releases New Concept Album Inspired by 1970s Movie

By Elizabeth Forsatz

Lin Manuel Miranda, along with playwright Eisa Davis, have released a new concept album inspired by the 1970s movie The Warriors. Originally a novel written by Sol Yurik, this film focuses on a Coney Island gang wrongfully accused of killing another gang leader, forcing them on an eventful journey back home to Brooklyn. The movie focuses on themes like violence, friendship, sacrifice, and toxic masculinity as the dynamic of the all-male gang is portrayed. 

Miranda and Davis’s concept album takes a new approach to telling this story. The new album features an all-female cast that highlights new aspects of the story. Davis, when speaking about the album, says, “The gender flipping allowed us to angle in on the sexism and homophobia in the film and make sure that we left that in ’79.” Both Miranda and Davis wanted to show an appreciation for the original story while integrating modern day.

This album, which focuses on music culture in the 1970s and includes artists like Lauryn Hill, Nas, Ghostface Killah, and Billy Porter and Broadway stars like Phillipa Soo, Jasmine Cephas Jones, and Amber Gray, has a song and genre for everyone. This includes hip-hop, rock, ska, and salsa. While this concept album can only be listened to individually, many hope to see this music on the stage to join the amazing musical masterpieces that Miranda has previously put on Broadway.

Lin Manuel Miranda, in the past few years, has become a household name known for his many amazing musical achievements. While writing the two Broadway musicals Hamilton and In the Heights, he also created the soundtracks for some fan favorite Disney films like Moana and Ecanto. Miranda has accumulated a Pulitzer Prize, three Tony Awards, two Laurence Olivier Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, five Grammy Awards, and The Kennedy Center Honors.