The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast

About The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast

In this podcast about all things Hamilton, host Gillian Pensavalle speaks with guests, and sometimes co-host/all time husband Michael Paul Smith, about the innerworkings of the show, how it came together, what it takes to put on all around the world, finding Hamilton references in everyday life, and much more. The Hamilcast has played host to every member of the original creative team, aka "The Cabinet", including repeat visits from Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The Hamilcast features interviews with cast members from every Hamilton tour, Broadway, and UK company--crew members, musicians, creatives, and the hard working people behind-the-scenes that keep the production alive. Plus: historians, super fans, celebrity Hamilton enthusiasts, and group cast recordings! When I started this podcast in January of 2016, I could not have imagined the incredible community that has grown around the show and the amazing experiences that have come my way. Thank you to everyone who has listened, appeared on the show, contributed, or reached out in any way. This podcast is for you and I absolutely love making it. If you have any great Ham stories or funny references that you've come across, let me know! Email TheHamilcast [at] gmail [dot] com, or contact me on social media @TheHamilcast. I also have a Patreon that has given rise to the loveliest corner of the internet, ever. You can learn more about how to be a part of that lovely corner, and how to submit questions to guests, and to be part of my monthly AMA's at https://www.patreon.com/TheHamilcast

Publisher

Gillian Pensavalle

Category

arts · arts

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

31 Jan 2016

Latest episode

26 Jan 2026

Latest episodes

95 of 514 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   26 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT

   #500: Lin-Manuel Miranda Returns! // Part Two

   Here we are! We've hit the 500th and final episode of The Hamilcast (at least for now). Please excuse the shameless reference, but I am honored and thrilled that in this episode, Lin-Manuel Miranda really and sincerely teaches me how to say goodbye. And honestly, we have a blast! This episode is beyond packed! We talk about how much we love Renee Elise Goldsberry (including Co-Op and Girls5Eva), the Dawson's Creek reunion, we cast movies (and Hamilton!) with The Muppets, you'll learn about Lin's very specific favorite parts of Hamilton including references that were cut almost immediately and the things that really are just coincidences because in a show with layers on layers on layers, some things really are just happy accidents. Lin also talks about The Hamilton Mixtape, that time Steven Sondheim visited his high school and shared a bunch of West Side Story secrets with the class, and there are at least TWO deep dives: one is Lin's writing process with Warriors: The Concept Album and working on bringing it to the stage, and the other is about professional wrestling AND WHEN I TELL YOU I WAS ON THE EDGE OF MY SEAT. I'm not even kidding; it is fascinating and so much fun. And speaking of fun... I mean it 100% when I say I've had the time of my life making this podcast for you. The Hamilcast has changed my life, full stop. It's been a decade of stories and memories and friendships and "skitch, how did we get here?" moments. Each and every one of you have really made me feel like the richest girl in town, especially as we've been celebrating the end of the show and the journey we've all been on together. I also mean it when I say that there is always a possibility the show will drop more episodes in the future (Mariska, call me!), so you never know what the future may hold. The Hamilcast website is staying up, the episodes will live online forever, and @TheHamilcast will continue to be active on socials. You can find me online @GillianWithaG and I'll still be recapping true crime documentaries with Patrick over at True Crime Obsessed. Mike - you know Mike! - is @MPSmithNYC on everything. These last eight episodes with The Cabinet were recorded at WTF Studios in Manhattan in October and November of 2025. They were produced by Natalie Grillo from Any Moment Productions, in collaboration with Meghan Miles. These two incredible women are invaluable and I am so grateful for them both. Thank you to everyone who took the time to come on this show and generously share your stories with me, sometimes more than once. I am so lucky to call so many of you my friends. And to the listeners, to quote Tommy Kail when he first came on in 2018: I made this show for you. Thank you for being excited about things with me. It has been a true honor to do this for ten years and 500 episodes and I could not have done it without you. My dearest, Patreon Peeps: you are one in a million and are definitively the kindest, warmest, and most welcoming corner of the internet. With my unending gratitude… I am G.Pen. xoxoxo /// Warriors: The Concept Album (https://www.warriorsalbum.com/) Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner Daniel Pollack-Pelzner on The Hamilcast /// #88: Lin-Manuel Miranda // Part One (2017) #89: Lin-Manuel Miranda // Part Two (2017) #90: Lin-Manuel Miranda // Part Three (2017) #91: Lin-Manuel Miranda // Part Four // The B-Sides (2017) #92: Lin-Manuel Miranda // Part Five // The B-Sides (2017) #225: Lin-Manuel Miranda Returns! // Part One (2020) #226: Lin-Manuel Miranda Returns! // Part Two (2020) /// Gillian's Website (https://gillianwithag.com/) The Hamilcast on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@thehamilcast) The Hamilcast on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thehamilcast/?hl=en) Join the Patreon Peeps (https://www.patreon.com/TheHamilcast)

2. 

   19 Jan 2026TRANSCRIPT

   #499: Lin-Manuel Miranda Returns! // Part One

   Lin-Manuel Miranda returns to The Hamilcast for the third and final time… at least for now. Lin was first on the show in 2017, and it was true Russell Hammond partying with "real Topeka people" moment when he came over to a then-stranger's apartment and recorded in my living room for about four hours. In this penultimate episode, we're talking about HamilTEN, HamilTEEN, and HamilTIME. Translation: the ways the show did and didn't celebrate the ten year anniversary, the fact that Hamilton will be the high school play in a few years (!!!), and how things and people have changed over the last decade of Hamilton being out in the world. We also talk about Lin's experience with Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!, from having his mind blown after seeing it for the first time over 20 years ago, to directing the film adaptation ("Andrew Garfield was the other hand on the ouija board" - whaaaat?!), and the similarities and differences in Lin's and Jonathan's writing styles. And hey boppers, I hope you're ready because we get into Lin's work on Warriors: The Concept Album with Eisa Davis and I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS. Lin talks about how the concept album came to be, what it was like to work on this extremely women-centric project, how 1979 is "fertile" for music, our mutual love for Aneesa Folds, and the fact that Lin asked super famous MCs like Nas to rap lyrics THEY DIDN'T WRITE about the BOROUGH. THEY. ARE. FROM. Incredible. We wrap it all up talking about Basketcase, Lin's nineties jukebox musical that lives in the hearts of millennials and Gen Xers everywhere. This episode was recorded in November of 2025 at WTF Media Studios in Manhattan and produced with Natalie Grillo from Any Moment Productions in collaboration with Meghan Miles. Warriors: The Concept Album (https://www.warriorsalbum.com/) Lin-Manuel Miranda: The Education of an Artist by Daniel Pollack-Pelzner /// #88: Lin-Manuel Miranda // Part One (2017) #89: Lin-Manuel Miranda // Part Two (2017) #90: Lin-Manuel Miranda // Part Three (2017) #91: Lin-Manuel Miranda // Part Four // The B-Sides (2017) #92: Lin-Manuel Miranda // Part Five // The B-Sides (2017) #225: Lin-Manuel Miranda Returns! // Part One (2020) #226: Lin-Manuel Miranda Returns! // Part Two (2020) /// Gillian's Website (https://gillianwithag.com/) The Hamilcast on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@thehamilcast) The Hamilcast on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thehamilcast/?hl=en) Join the Patreon Peeps (https://www.patreon.com/TheHamilcast)

3. 

   12 Jan 2026

   #498: Thomas Kail Returns! // Part Two

   Hamilton director Thomas Kail is back for round two and he usually makes me cry at the end of the episode, but this time he's switching it up and doing it at the top of the second episode. But don't worry, I deflect and change the subject pretty quickly! Whew! Tommy is as thoughtful as he is honest, so while he talks about the power of live theatre and offers insight into how and why he works the way he does, he also asks the questions that permeate almost every single project he works on: How much time do I have? And what do I do with my time? Those questions, and the fact that he takes such amazing care of the audience (regardless of the medium) are two of the reasons why I'm so honored he took the time to record with me again, almost seven years after his first visit to the pod. I've said it a million times on this podcast, but I'll say it again because it's true: if you want to truly be seen and heard, have a conversation with Thomas Kail. And yes, we also laugh a lot and have fun! Tommy talks about his kids, It's a Wonderful Life, upcoming projects (live action Moana!), and why he's never leaving New York City. It's all about balance, mostly because "sometimes you're the Tommy, and sometimes you're the Lin." This episode was recorded in November of 2025 at WTF Media Studios in Manhattan and produced with Natalie Grillo from Any Moment Productions in collaboration with Meghan Miles. #124: Thomas Kail // Part One (2018) #125: Thomas Kail // Part Two (2018) /// Gillian's Website (https://gillianwithag.com/) The Hamilcast on TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@thehamilcast) The Hamilcast on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/thehamilcast/?hl=en) Join the Patreon Peeps (https://www.patreon.com/TheHamilcast)

Inside a recent episode

#500: Lin-Manuel Miranda Returns! // Part Two

Published 26 Jan 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] Like I just don't really see how that. I just more than anything good or bad, they're just kids. They're growing up. And the job is just to be there and be present as much as possible. And I'm grateful that I get to be here. I'm around a lot more than my folks could be around because my folks had to work a lot more and had to work longer hours to make less than I do. I'm in a position to make my own schedule in large part. I'm really grateful for that. So I'm around for a lot of these conversations. Yeah. Shifting gears, Kelly would love to know all about the Dawson's Creek reunion. Who suggested that you replace James Vanderbeek when he couldn't make it? […]

Who has been a guest on The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jonathan Dinklage
• Manny Schvartzman
• Robbie Rozelle
• Vanessa Magula
• Paul Louis Lessard

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.3 / 5

1,834 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 78 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

97

Social presence

97

YouTube

0

Engagement

99

Contact The Hamilcast: A Hamilton Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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