A big part of growing up is bringing all of yourself into a space, not just the parts of yourself that relate to the people in the room.

That's being yourself. Chasing wherever inspiration goes, even if it's radically different from the thing that people know you as.

The reason I make that distinction cassette before CD is you have to listen to it in the order in which I've curated it for you. You know, side A to side B is our act break.

Dying is easy, young man. Living is harder.

A lot of the reason the Universal version of 'Heights' went away is that they were afraid they didn't have a big enough Latino star to bankroll this movie. The people I dealt with at the studio who wanted to make this movie were very passionate about it.

I think one of the things that makes theater special is first of all, it's one of the last places you put your phone away. And second of all, it's one of the last places where we all have a common experience together.

I remind myself Vincent van Gogh died without having sold a single painting. Like, art is not measured by the trappings that people attached to it. It's the thing itself, and so, as you know, it's been a dream of mine to write songs for Disney, and so, it's really exciting to finally hear. It's two and a half years.

I'm not going to hang out with celebrities, I'm not going to parties. I have two songs due for Moana next week, and I'm going to go and spend some time with Maui and Moana in the ocean, in my mind.

In your corner even in the roundest of rooms, on your side even when it makes the see-saw kind of boring.

Sometimes a line enters your head, and you're so grateful for it. You go online to check to see if anyone wrote it before you. You must have stolen it.

I grew up in an immigrant neighborhood. We just knew the rule was you're going to have to work twice as hard.

History is so subjective. The teller of it determines it.

My sister is as responsible for anyone for giving me good taste in music.

I like the quiet it takes to pursue an idea the way I pursued Hamilton, but I couldn't write a book, because there's no applause at the end of writing a book.

Pretty much anything William Shatner is in is great. He's great at playing that 'I'm the only one sane in the world' character.

I'm honored to have been chosen as a fellow of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. I am hugely appreciative for the support I have had throughout my life, and I look forward to using the grant to help institutions that have fed my soul and to support new work that inspires me.

The biggest secret weapon we had in regards to really being true to this part of the world, and making sure this part of the world could see themselves in this film Moana in a way that felt positive and accurate, was Opetaia, my co-writer, Opetaia Foa'i, who has a great band called Te Vaka and is an amazing musical and cultural ambassador.

If you think in terms of topping, you're in the wrong business. You can't think that way.

I am the one thing in life I can control. I am inimitable; I am an original. I'm not falling behind or running late. I'm not standing still: I am lying in wait.

I think every writer's had the experience of having a really good idea, waiting to write it, and then once you write it, you're like, Oh I kind of got past the sell by date on this. I'm not connected to the initial spark that was the idea. A lot of that's about staying open.