LAFS Alum, Joseph Morales, Stars as Hamilton in 2nd National Tour

Joseph Morales, Hamilton
Joseph Morales as Hamilton: Photo from Broadway World

Hamilton, the now ubiquitous Broadway phenomenon, has cast a familiar face from The Los Angeles Film School.

Los Angeles Film School alum and star of Hamilton’s second national tour, Joseph Morales, takes center stage for the Philip Tour. Morales landed the lead role as Alexander Hamilton, but wasn’t a stranger to the show or its famous composer, Lin-Manuel Miranda.

In a recent article from the Beacon Journal, Morales talked about his journey from studying Business and Recording Arts at LAFS to life on the big stage.

Joseph Morales graduated from LAFS back in 2013 with his Associates in the Recording Arts (now Audio Production). After graduation, he joined the national tour of If/Then as an understudy. Morales spent any free time memorizing Hamilton and learning all that he could about the new musical.

Before headlining in Hamilton, Morales had a hunch that anything Lin-Manuel Miranda created would be successful. Morales became acquainted with Miranda back in 2009 on the Broadway musical, In the Heights (Miranda composed the music for the show). Morales tried out for Chicago’s production of Hamilton and was later casted as a Hamilton alternate in 2017.

“I knew coming from Lin it would be brilliant, but I had no idea that it would be this huge thing, and definitely no idea that I’d be a part of it,” he said. “Heights was kind of a boot camp for Hamilton.” Quoted from Beacon Journal.

His hard work both inside and outside the classroom paid off as he eventually landed the Hamilton role after making connections from his previous shows.

Morales told Beacon Journal that portraying the highly ambitious yet flawed Hamilton each night is challenging and rewarding: “His drive and his passions, tapping into that every night, especially doing it for over a year now, I’ve really gotten to know him and understand at least my version of him.’’

For full article, click here.

The Philip Tour opened in February 2018 and is currently running nationwide. Check the show schedule here.

We are extremely proud of our talented alumni network. If you are an alumni of The Los Angeles Film School, we’d love to hear from you! To get in touch, email mike@lafilm.edu.