Backstage On 'Hamilton': New England Native Lights The Way
NEW YORK (CBS) -- This year, the biggest night in music also means the biggest night for fans of the hit Broadway musical "Hamilton."
It's unusual for a Broadway show to perform on the GRAMMYs, but "Hamilton" isn't your average musical.
The hip-hop production about founding father Alexander Hamilton is nominated for a GRAMMY for best music theater album. The entire cast will perform live on stage from Broadway in New York during the GRAMMYs on CBS Monday night.
"Just when you think we can't get any bigger they announce that you're doing the GRAMMY Awards live from the theater!" New Hampshire native Sandy Paradise says.
Paradise has the daunting job of lighting the creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda, who plays Hamilton. She has to make sure everything goes right for the performance in front of millions of viewers.
"It's super exciting, it's totally exhilarating, and it's also very scary because you want everything to work and be perfect! You just hope nothing goes wrong," Paradise says.
Even for the big starts, the GRAMMYs are a thrill. Take it from the actor who plays President George Washington, who wouldn't tell a lie.
"I'm a little excited. I knew what a GRAMMY was before I knew what a Tony was, you know I grew up as a kid that was the pinnacle. I knew the Oscars and I knew the GRAMMYs so it's incredible," actor Chris Jackson said.
Sold out until next fall, it's impossible to get a ticket to "Hamilton," so watching the GRAMMYs will be the only way for fans to see a live glimpse for now, and Sandy will be lighting the way.
"We do this live eight times a week but this GRAMMY is a whole 'nothing situation – lots and lots of people are going to see this!" Paradise says.
On Monday evening at 6 on WBZ-TV, see how Sandy went from a small New England town to a career on Broadway.
