Alex Lacamoire

Alex Lacamoire (born May 24, 1975) is an American musician, arranger, conductor, musical director, music copyist, and orchestrator who has worked on many shows both on and off Broadway. He is the recipient of multiple Tony and Grammy Awards for his work on shows such as In the Heights (2008), Hamilton (2016), and Dear Evan Hansen (2017).[1] Lacamoire was awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 2018.

Alex Lacamoire
Lacamoire accepting his 2016 Tony Award
Born (1975-05-24) May 24, 1975
Los Angeles, California, United States
Alma materBerklee College of Music
OccupationComposer, orchestrator, arranger, conductor, musical director, music copyist, record producer
Years active2001–present
Spouse(s)
Ileana Ferreras
(m. 2011)

Early life and education

Lacamoire was born in Los Angeles, California, and began to play piano at age four. He and his family moved to Miami, Florida when he was 9. He entered Southwood Middle School, a school known for its fine arts program, and went on to New World School of the Arts. He then attended Berklee College of Music, graduating in 1995 with the highest GPA in the class (3.97). At Berklee he studied jazz, arranging, and film scoring.[2]

Lacamoire has hearing loss and uses hearing aids.[3]

Career

Lacamoire's early theatrical credits as Music Director, Arranger, and/or Orchestrator include: Bat Boy: The Musical (for which he also served as Musical Director of the 2001 Original Cast Recording); the 2001 National Tour of Godspell; Stephen Schwartz's Captain Louie (for which he also orchestrated the 2005 original cast recording); and Legally Blonde. He also conducted the cast recording of the 2000 touring cast of Godspell.[4] Lacamoire was also the Music Director of Wicked in 2005, and Music Supervisor for the musical High Fidelity in 2006, as well as assisting with the orchestrations for that show.

In 2007, Lacamoire received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Orchestrations as Music Director for the Off-Broadway production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights. Following its successful Off-Broadway run, In The Heights transferred to the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. Lacamoire, along with Bill Sherman, won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations and the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album for their combined work on In The Heights.[5]

In 2012, Lacamoire and Tom Kitt were the Co-Orchestrators of Bring 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 of Annie.

Lacamoire was the Music Director, Orchestrator, and Conductor for the Broadway production of Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, continuing in the roles he held during the show's Off-Broadway production at The 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 Award for Best Orchestrations in 2016 for the Broadway production of Hamilton.[7][8][9]

The show's Original Broadway Cast Recording was released digitally on September 25, 2015, and by Atlantic Records as a two-disc set on October 25, 2015.[10] It won a Grammy 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-received Ham4Ham performances which have taken place outside the Richard Rodgers Theatre on days when there are both matinee and evening performances of Hamilton[12]

Lacamoire is the Music Supervisor of Dear Evan Hansen, a musical for which he won his third Tony award and his third Grammy award. He was the Music Director of Carmen Jones, a 2016 Cuban adaptation of Georges Bizet's Carmen. For that Cuban-American production, Lacamoire related it entailed channeling music that's “in my blood.”[1]

In late 2017, Lacamoire reunited with Lin-Manuel Miranda on his song "Almost Like Praying" to benefit Hurricane Maria relief and recovery operations in Puerto Rico.[13]

Lacamoire was the Executive Music Producer on the film The Greatest Showman in late 2017.[14]

In March 2018, Lacamoire produced Lin-Manuel Miranda's March 2018 Hamildrop, "Found/Tonight". The song also featured Ben Platt. In April 2018, Lacamoire arranged Miranda's April 2018 Hamildrop, "First Burn". The song featured the 5 Elizas who took on the role after Phillipa Soo left the show in July 2016.[15]

Lacamoire is also the orchestrator and co-arranger of Carmen La Cubana, a stage adaptation of Bizet's Carmen that features the classic opera score using all-new Cuban musical arrangements. It began a European tour in July 2018.

In July 2018, Alex Lacamoire appeared on The 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 from Hamilton.[16]

In May 2019, Lacamoire received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music.

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated workResult
2007 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestrations In the Heights Nominated
2008 Tony Award Best Orchestrations Won
2009 Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Won
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestrations 9 to 5 Nominated
2010 Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Nominated
2015 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Orchestrations Hamilton Nominated
2016 Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Won
Tony Award Best Orchestrations Won
2017 Dear Evan Hansen Won
2018 Grammy Award Best Musical Theater Album Won
Olivier Award Outstanding Achievement in Music (shared with Lin-Manuel Miranda) Hamilton Won
Kennedy Center Honors (shared with Andy Blankenbuehler, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail) Hamilton Won [17]
2019 Grammy Award Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media (Executive Producer) The Greatest Showman Won
2019 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Music Direction Fosse/Verdon Won
2020 Olivier Awards Best New Orchestration Dear Evan Hansen Won

References

  1. "Behind the Music of 'Hamilton' with Alumnus Alex Lacamoire | Berklee College of Music". Berklee.edu. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
  2. "Field Effect CD Bios". Gary Fieldman Quartet. Archived from the original on 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  3. Frías, Carlos (October 13, 2016). "How a Miami musician overcame hearing loss to help create the music to 'Hamilton'". Miami Herald. Retrieved February 11, 2019.
  4. Staff writers (2008). "Alex Lacamoire Biography". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2008-06-06. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  5. Alex Lacamoire. "Acceptance Speeches". Tony Night Headquarters. Archived from the original on 2008-06-20. Retrieved 2008-06-23.
  6. "Alex Lacamoire: Musical Mastermind, episode #14 of Private: The Room Where It's Happening: A Hamilton Fan Podcast on Earwolf". Earwolf.com. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  7. "Alex Lacamoire Theatre Credits, News, Bio and Photos". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  8. "Alex Lacamoire". The Stage. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  9. Boston, 22 The Fenway; Maps, MA 02115 United States See map: Google. "Alex Lacamoire | Berklee College of Music". Berklee.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  10. "Satisfied?! Release Dates Set for Hamilton Cast Album". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2016-01-04.
  11. "Alex Lacamoire – Broadway Cast & Staff". IBDb.com. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  12. Wickman, Forrest (24 November 2015). "#Ham4Ham, the Joyous Free Shows the Cast of Hamilton Puts on Twice a Week on the Sidewalk". Slate.com. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  13. "Lin-Manuel Miranda releases "Almost Like Praying," a star-studded new single for Puerto Rico relief". Vox. Retrieved 2017-10-12.
  14. McNary, Dave (2017-07-27). "'Greatest Showman' Taps Alex Lacamoire as Executive Music Producer (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2017-12-27.
  15. "Lin-Manuel Miranda Releases Soulful 'First Burn' as Latest Hamildrop Offering". Billboard.com. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  16. "Alex Lacamoire | The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast". Thehamilcast.com. 9 July 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  17. Gans, Andrew (July 25, 2018). "Hamilton Creators Lin-Manuel Miranda, Thomas Kail, Andy Blankenbuehler, Alex Lacamoire Will Receive Special Kennedy Center Honors". Playbill. Retrieved 2018-07-26.
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