Alex Lacamoire | |
|---|---|
.png) Lacamoire accepting his 2016 Tony Award | |
| Born | (1975-05-24)May 24, 1975 (age 49) Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Berklee College of Music |
| Occupation(s) | Composer,orchestrator,arranger,conductor,musical director,music copyist,record producer |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Spouse | |
Alex Lacamoire (born May 24, 1975) is a Cuban-Americancomposer,arranger,conductor,musical director,music copyist, andorchestrator who has worked on many shows bothon andoff-Broadway. He is the recipient of multipleTony andGrammy Awards for his work on shows such asIn the Heights (2008),Hamilton (2016), andDear Evan Hansen (2017).[1] Lacamoire was awarded theKennedy Center Honor in 2018.
Lacamoire was born inLos Angeles, California and began to playpiano at age four. He and his family moved toMiami, Florida when he was nine. He enteredSouthwood Middle School, a school known for itsfine arts program, and went on toNew World School of the Arts. He then attendedBerklee College of Music, graduating in 1995 with the highest GPA in the class (3.97). At Berklee he studiedjazz,arranging, andfilm scoring.[2]
Lacamoire hashearing loss and uses hearing aids.[3]
Lacamoire's early theatrical credits as music director, arranger, and/or orchestrator includeBat Boy: The Musical (for which he also served as musical director of the 2001 Original Cast Recording); the 2001 National Tour ofGodspell;Stephen Schwartz'sCaptain Louie (for which he also orchestrated the 2005 original cast recording); andLegally Blonde. He also conducted the cast recording of the 2000 touring cast ofGodspell.[4] Lacamoire was also the music director ofWicked in 2005, andmusic supervisor for the musicalHigh Fidelity in 2006, as well as assisting with the orchestrations for that show.
Prior to working onIn the Heights, Lacamoire wasbilled for additional musical arrangements for the original Broadway production ofWicked, and later became the production's Music Director. "After graduation, Lacamoire became first the associate conductor then the musical director for the hit musical Wicked," citesBerklee, where he received a Doctorate in Music.
In 2007, Lacamoire received aDrama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Orchestrations for theOff-Broadway production ofLin-Manuel Miranda'sIn the Heights. Following its successful Off-Broadway run,In The Heights transferred to theRichard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. Lacamoire, along withBill Sherman, won the 2008Tony Award for Best Orchestrations and the 2009Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for their combined work onIn The Heights.[5]
In 2012, Lacamoire andTom Kitt were the Co-Orchestrators ofBring It On the Musical — another collaboration with Lin-Manuel Miranda — for which Lacamoire also served as music supervisor and arranger. Additionally, Lacamoire wrote the dance arrangements for the 2012 Broadway revival ofAnnie.
Lacamoire was the music director, orchestrator, and conductor for the Broadway production ofHamilton at theRichard Rodgers Theatre, continuing in the roles he held during the show's Off-Broadway production atThe Public Theater, as well as the Co-Arranger (along with Lin-Manuel Miranda) of the show's score. In late 2016 Lacamoire transitioned to the role of music supervisor, ending his stint of conducting each show, and instead supervising the music at all of the different productions.[6] Lacamoire won his second Tony Awardfor Best Orchestrations in 2016 for the Broadway production ofHamilton.[7][8][9]
The show'sOriginal Broadway Cast Recording was released digitally on September 25, 2015, and byAtlantic Records as a two-disc set on October 25, 2015.[10] It won aGrammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2016, earning Lacamoire his second Grammy as a record producer.[11]
Lacamoire is a regular participant in the well-receivedHam4Ham performances which have taken place outside the Richard Rodgers Theatre on days when there are both matinee and evening performances ofHamilton.[12]
Lacamoire is the Music Supervisor ofDear Evan Hansen, a musical for which he won his third Tony award and his third Grammy award. He was the music director, orchestrator and co-arranger ofCarmen Jones, later known asCarmen La Cubana, a 2016 Cuban adaptation ofGeorges Bizet'sCarmen. The adaptation features the classic opera score using all-new Cuban musical arrangements. For that Cuban-American production, Lacamoire related it entailed channeling music that's “in my blood.”[1] The show began a European tour in July 2018.
In late 2017, Lacamoire reunited with Lin-Manuel Miranda on his song "Almost Like Praying" to benefitHurricane Maria relief and recovery operations in Puerto Rico.[13]
Lacamoire was the Executive Music Producer on the filmThe Greatest Showman in late 2017.[14]
In March 2018, Lacamoire produced Lin-Manuel Miranda's March 2018 Hamildrop, "Found/Tonight". The song also featuredBen Platt. In April 2018, Lacamoire arranged Miranda's April 2018 Hamildrop, "First Burn". The song featured the 5 Elizas who took on the role afterPhillipa Soo left the show in July 2016.[15]
In July 2018, Alex Lacamoire appeared onThe Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast for a series of three episodes. The episodes included a musical breakdown of "The Schuyler Sisters" as well as an in-depth discussion of the music fromHamilton.[16]
In May 2019, Lacamoire received an honorary Doctor of Music degree fromBerklee College of Music.
In April 2021, Lacamoire worked as score composer and executive music producer forLin-Manuel Miranda's animated movie,Sony Pictures Animation'sVivo, which was released onNetflix on August 6, 2021.
Along withBill Sherman andKurt Crowley, Lacamoire produced the music for the 2021 filmTick, Tick... Boom!, arranging and adapting songs by composerJonathan Larson.
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Orchestrations | In the Heights | Nominated | [17] |
| 2008 | Tony Award | Best Orchestrations | Won | [18] | |
| 2009 | Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Won | [19] | |
| 2010 | 9 to 5 | Nominated | [20] | ||
| 2015 | Drama Desk Award | Outstanding Orchestrations | Hamilton | Nominated | [21] |
| 2016 | Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Won | [20] | |
| Tony Award | Best Orchestrations | Won | [22] | ||
| 2017 | Dear Evan Hansen | Won | [23] | ||
| 2018 | Grammy Award | Best Musical Theater Album | Won | [20] | |
| Olivier Award | Outstanding Achievement in Music(shared withLin-Manuel Miranda) | Hamilton | Won | [24] | |
| Kennedy Center Honors | (shared withAndy Blankenbuehler,Lin-Manuel Miranda andThomas Kail) | Won | [25] | ||
| 2019 | Grammy Award | Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media(Executive Producer) | The Greatest Showman | Won | [26] |
| 2019 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Music Direction | Fosse/Verdon(for "Life Is A Cabaret") | Won | [27] |
| 2020 | Olivier Awards | Best New Orchestration | Dear Evan Hansen | Won | [28] |
