Broadway Heavyweights Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt Teamed Up for a Powerful Collaboration Inspired by Parkland Students
In the wake of last month’s devastating school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the surviving students have emerged as gun control advocates as the nation has rallied behind them with classroom walkouts and the upcoming March for Our Lives rally. Broadway heavyweights Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt have thrown their support behind the movement too, dedicating their new collaboration to the young activists and donating its proceeds to March for Our Lives.
The song, “Found Tonight,” is a newly performed mashup of songs from both of the stars’ hit musicals, Hamilton’s “The Story of Tonight” and Dear Evan Hansen‘s “You Will Be Found,” and serves as March’s Hamildrop release.
“In the wake of Parkland, I was awestruck by the strength and leadership of the students and their ability to speak truth to power,” Miranda said in a press release for the song, according to People. “In the midst of their grief, they mobilized the youth of our nation and created a movement. This is their moment. Not just for themselves, but for all of us. This song is my way of helping to raise funds and awareness for their efforts, and to say thank you, and that we are with you, so let’s keep fighting, together.”
The lyrics are especially poignant given the timing of the release. “Even when the dark comes crashing through/When you need a friend to carry you/When you’re broken on the ground/You will be found,” Miranda and Platt sing, trading lyrics from the others’ song. It has already resonated with those affected by the tragedy in Parkland; Emma Gonzalez, a teen survivor who has emerged as a leader in the fight for gun control following the shooting, tweeted that she couldn’t stop crying when she heard the song.
I just listened to it and I can’t stop crying I’m gonna listen to this forever holy heck https://t.co/QO7PlyaAOx
— Emma González (@Emma4Change) March 19, 2018
Proceeds from the song will be donated to the March for Our Lives organization and rally demanding gun control reform, which is set to take place in Washington DC on Saturday, March 24. Download “Found Tonight” from any of your favorite streaming services, or, if you wish to donate directly to March for Our Lives, you can do so through their website.
What do you think of Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ben Platt’s collaboration? Let us know @BritandCo.
(Photo by Craig Barritt/Getty Images for PEOPLE En Espanol )
