Travon Free hosted the Great Performances Facebook Live from the red carpet at the 3,400-seat United Palace theater in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s home neighborhood, Washington Heights, on Monday, October 17 at 6pm.

Current and former stars of Hamilton — including Lin-Manuel Miranda and Ariana DeBose (soon to be in Broadway’s A Bronx Tale) — Ron Chernow, author of the biography that inspired the hit musical, and Alex Horwitz, Miranda’s longtime friend and director of Hamilton’s America, were among those who spoke to Travon at the premiere PBS event screening of Hamilton’s America. The documentary Hamilton’s America — the story behind the revolutionary musical — premieres nationally Friday, October 21 at 9pm ET on PBS stations via broadcast, streaming online and on Great Performances Facebook page.

(l to r) Travon Free and Lin-Manuel Miranda on the red carpet of the PBS and Great Performances premiere of Hamilton’s America. Photo: Christina Knight/WNET

Travon Free, an Emmy Award-winning comedy writer from The Daily Show and current host of the all-Hamilton podcast The Room Where It’s Happening, proved the perfect host and fan for the exciting event. His first interviewee: Joanne Freeman, Assistant Professor of History, Yale University, who specializes in early U.S. politics and culture. Among the interesting commentary she shares is to point out the striking similarities between the Founding Fathers in Hamilton the Musical and today’s political arena.

Other guests speaking with Travon about all things Hamilton include WNET President & CEO Neal Shapiro, Great Performances Executive Producer David Horn, actor Ben Rappaport, currently starring in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway, and actor Nicholas Ashe (Queen Sugar), who made his Broadway debut at the age of 10 as the young Simba in The Lion King.

See what all the excitement is about on Friday, October 21 at 9pm: on Great Performances Facebook page, broadcast and streaming online! Great Performances is a series created right here at THIRTEEN in New York City.