As Hamilton: An American Musical continues to dominate the cultural zeitgeist, references have popped up all over television this year. As the show evolves, the content of the jokes will have change as well. How will The Mindy Project react to Lin-Manuel Miranda leaving Hamilton ? It is reported, not confirmed, that Miranda will exit the show on July 9 to pursue other projects, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Since the Broadway smash is always getting a shout out on the sitcom, I have some ideas for how they can handle the transition.
To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure that the fictional Mindy Lahiri knows who Lin-Manuel Miranda is. Hamilton references The Mindy Project have been a bit strange. First, Mindy literally threw away her shot and skipped the show to hook up with her ex, Danny — which is so offensive to me, a normal person who has been trying to get tickets for over a year, but whatever. In a later episode, Jeremy references Mindy getting thrown out of Hamilton for getting onstage and free-styling. I would call that unrealistic, but according to Playbill, someone did once try to charge their phone on a Broadway stage.
The show introduced a Hamilton rip-off about James Buchanan. In Tuesday's episode, Jody gave away a free Hamilton CD, not tickets, because to afford that would be insane. That was the whole joke, even though we've established that Mindy has paid that ridiculously high price at least twice. Also, I'm pretty sure that it's people like Jody who are buying up those seats. Dude is rich!
However, get this. Remember, Pitch Perfect star Utkarsh Ambudkar, who plays Mindy's brother Rishi on the show and an aspiring rapper himself? In real life, that actor is great friends with Lin-Manuel Miranda. He joined his hip hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme (with Hamilton's George Washington, Chris Jackson as well). If that's not enough, Ambudkar also originated the role of Aaron Burr in the 2013 workshop production of Hamilton at Vassar. There is a built-in Hamilton and Mindy Project connection.
What if, in the fictional world of The Mindy Project, Rishi starred on Broadway as Alexander Hamilton as Miranda's replacement? How cool would that be? He could even be an understudy or audition and not get it — whatever's funniest. Either way would be a really cute homage to that history, in my humble opinion. Hamilton and the endless jokes about rapping historical figures aren't going anywhere. The Mindy Project just happens to be well-poised to stay current and take it to the next level.
Image: Evans Vestal Ward/Universal Television
