'Hamilton' wins musicals award; Stephen Paulus and Boston Symphony honored in classical category

Music director Alex Lacamoire, left, and actor-composer Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of "Hamilton" celebrate on stage after receiving as Grammy award

Feb. 15, 2016 9 PM PT

Los Angeles Times

“Hamilton” fever took hold at the Grammy Awards on Monday when cast members of the hip-hop Broadway phenomenon performed live on the CBS broadcast and took home the award for musical theater album.

The performance marked a rare instance in which a Broadway musical was allowed to occupy precious airtime at the Grammys. In past years, Grammy producers have relegated the musical category to the pre-telecast ceremony held just before the main event.

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A look at the show highlights from the 2016 Grammys. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for NARAS;Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for NARAS; Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

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Taylor Swift accepts the award for album of the year for “1989.” (Matt Sayles / Invision/Associated Press)

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Philip Bailey, from left, Verdine White and Ralph Johnson of Earth Wind & Fire present the award for album of the year. (Matt Sayles / Invision/Associated Press)

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Pitbull performs “Taxi” with actress Sofia Vergara dancing to close out the show. (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Pitbull performs “Taxi.” (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Mark Ronson accepts the award for the record of the year, for “Uptown Funk,” with Bruno Mars, center. (Robyn Beck/ AFP/Getty Images)

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Bruno Mars holds up the award for record of the year for “Uptown Funk” as he thanks the fans. (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Beyonce presents the final award of the night, record of the year. (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Lady Gaga pays tribute to David Bowie by singing through nearly half a dozen of his songs, including “Ziggy Stardust,” “Fashion” and “Heroes.” (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Lady Gaga pays tribute to David Bowie by singing nearly half a dozen of his songs, including “Space Oddity,” “Rebel Rebel” and “Under Pressure.”
(Robyn Becl / AFP/Getty Images)

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A teary Meghan Trainor recieves the award for best new artist. (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Sam Smith presents the award for best new artist onstage. (Robyn Beck/ AFP/Getty Images)

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Rapper Kendrick Lamar, center, performs a rendition of his songs “The Blacker the Berry” and “Alright.” (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images for NARAS)

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Rapper Kendrick Lamar, center, performs a rendition of his songs “The Blacker the Berry” and “Alright.” (Matt Sayles/Invision/Associated Press)

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Rapper Kendrick Lamar, center, performs a rendition of his songs “The Blacker the Berry” and “Alright.” (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images for NARAS)

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Musician Dave Grohl takes the stage. (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Alice Cooper, left, and Joe Perry of Hollywood Vampires perform songs including “As Bad As I Am” and “Ace of Spades.” (Matt Sayles / Invision/AP)

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Johnny Deppy performs onstage with Hollywood Vampires. (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Kaley Cuoco introduces Justin Bieber and Jack U. (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Justin Bieber performs “Love Yourself” and “Where Are U Now” onstage with Jack U. (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Skrillex of Jack U performs onstage with Justin Bieber. (Matt Sayles / Invision/AP)

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Adele takes the stage with a performance of her song “All I Ask.” (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images for NARAS)

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Don Cheadle introduces a performance by Kendrick Lamar. (Matt Sayles/Invision/Associated Press)

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Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes accepts the award for rock performance for “Don’t Wanna Fight.” (Matt Sayles / Invision/AP)

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Bruno Mars hits the stage. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Twelve-year-old jazz pianist Joey Alexander smiles as the audience cheers after his performance. (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Singer Tori Kelly sings a rendition of her song “Hollow” with James Bay. (Robyn Beck/ AFP/Getty Images)

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Tori Kelly, left, and James Bay embrace after perfoming a rendition of their songs “Hollow” and “Let It Go.” (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images for NARAS)

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Miguel performs the song “Off the Wall” onstage. (Matt Sayles / Invision/AP)

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Ed Sheeran recieves the award for song of the year, “Thinking Out Loud.” (Robyn Beck/ AFP / Getty Images)

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Stevie Wonder, center, and Mitch Grassing, left, Kristin Maldonado and Kevin Olusola of Pentatonix present the award for song of the year. (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

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Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes offers up a powerful performance with the song “Don’t Wanna Fight.” (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

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Actor-filmmaker Seth MacFarlane speaks onstage. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images for NARAS)

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The Eagles perform onstage in a tribute to the late Glenn Frey. (Robyn Beck/ AFP/Getty Images)

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The Eagles perform onstage in a tribute to the late Glenn Frey. (Robyn Beck/ AFP/Getty Images)

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tribute to MusiCares Person of the Year honoree Richie. (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

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during a tribute to MusiCares Person of the Year honoree Richie. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images for NARAS)

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tribute to MusiCares Person of the Year honoree Lionel Richie. (Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)

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Demi Lovato sings “Hello” for a tribute to MusiCares Person of the Year honoree Lionel Richie. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images for NARAS)

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John Legend performs “East” for a tribute to MusiCares Person of the Year honoree Lionel Richie. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images for NARAS)

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LL Cool J, left, and James Corden introduce a tribute to Lionel Richie. (Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press)

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Little Big Town performs the song “Girl Crush.” (Robyn Beck/ AFP/Getty Images)

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Chris Stapleton receives the Grammy country album for “Traveller” onstage. (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Singer Andra Day, right, and Ellie Goulding team up to sing “Rise Up” and “Love Me Like You Do.” (Robyn Beck / AFP/Getty Images)

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Host LL Cool J greets the crowd. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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The Weeknd performs two hit songs, including “Can’t Feel My Face” and “In the Night.” (Matt Sayles / Invision/AP)

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Ariana Grande introduces a performance by the Weeknd, and does her own rendition of his hit song “Earned It.” (Matt Sayles / Invision/AP)

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Actor O’Shea Jackson, left, and rapper/actor Ice Cube announce the nominees for rap album. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images for NARAS)

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Kendrick Lamar recieves the Grammy for his rap album “To Pimp a Butterfly” as Ice Cube looks on. (Robyn Beck/ AFP/Getty Images)

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Singers Sam Hunt and Carrie Underwood perform “Take Your Time” and “Heartbeat” onstage. (Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images for NARAS)

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NFL player Anquan Boldin and NFL player Von Miller announce nominees onstage. (Robyn Beck/ AFP/Getty Images)

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Taylor Swift opens the show with her song “Out of the Woods.” (Matt Sayles/Invision/Associated Press)

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“Girl Crush” by Little Big Town takes home the Grammy for country duo/group performance. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Jazz pianist Joey Alexander, 12, takes a bow following his performance at the pre-telecast show. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Musicians Peter “Peetah” Morgan, left, Roy “Gramps” Morgan and Nakamyah “Lukes” Morgan of Morgan Heritage accept the award for reggae album for “Strictly Roots” at the pre-telecast show. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap accept the Grammy for traditional pop vocal album for “Tony Bennett & Bill Charlap, the Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern.” (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

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Abigail Washburn and Bela Fleck head for the stage to accept their Grammy for folk album at the pre-telecast show. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Taking the stage from the musical’s home at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote “Hamilton,” joined the ensemble cast to perform the show’s opening sequence.

Miranda later accepted the Grammy, delivering a rap-like list of thank-yous.

WATCH Lin-Manuel Miranda deliver his ‘inimitable’ Grammys speech>>

Since opening last year at the Public Theater and then transferring to Broadway, “Hamilton” has been one of the hottest theater tickets in New York, drawing a long list of celebrities to its audience. The musical uses hip-hop and rap to recount the life story of Alexander Hamilton, the Federalist founding father and first Secretary of the Treasury. A multiracial cast of actors portrays the show’s historical characters, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Aaron Burr and King George III.

The national tour year will come to the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood starting in August 2017.

“Hamilton” beat out cast albums from “Fun Home,” “An American in Paris,” “The King and I” and “Something Rotten.”

In the classical music field, Stephen Paulus, the prolific Minnesota composer who died in 2014, won Grammys in two categories, including the award for contemporary composition for his choral piece “Prayers and Remembrances,” which appears in the album “Far in the Heavens.”

The somber, hymn-like work in multiple movements debuted in 2011 as a commission to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The album was recorded by Arizona’s True Concord Voices & Orchestra.

The composer’s widow, Patricia, and her sons, accepted the award Monday afternoon at the Grammy pre-telecast ceremony.

Paulus was also recognized for his album “Three Places of Enlightenment; Veil Of Tears & Grand Concerto,” recorded by the Nashville Symphony, which won for the classical compendium category.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra took home the top orchestral Grammy for its album “Shostakovich: Under Stalin’s Shadow,” which features the Russian composer’s Symphony No. 10, conducted by Andris Nelsons.

Seiji Ozawa won a Grammy in the opera category for the album of Ravel’s “L’Enfant Et Les Sortilèges” and “Shéhérazade,” from Japan’s Saito Kinen Orchestra.

The award for choral performance went to the Kansas City Chorale and Phoenix Chorale’s recording of Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil.”

Other classical winners included mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato for classical solo vocal album (“Joyce & Tony: Live From Wigmore Hall”) and violinist Augustin Hadelich for classical instrumental solo (for the Seattle Symphony’s album of music by Henri Dutilleux).

The new music group eighth blackbird added to its Grammy collection, winning its fourth award in the category of chamber music or small ensemble performance for its album “Filament,” which spotlights music by Bryce Dessner, as well as Nico Muhly, Son Lux and Philip Glass.

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