Lin-Manuel Miranda is all about decking the halls — ideally with some locally-sourced holly.The multitalented "Hamilton" playwright is a big proponent of shopping small this holiday season, which is why he's working with American Express to encourage customers to visit locally-owned neighborhood establishments as they check items off their gift lists.As we approach the 12-day countdown to Christmas, AOL's Jennifer Kline spoke with Miranda about some of his personal favorites, from the perfect spot for a winter brunch to the hilarious video of his kids he won't share on Twitter.AOL: You seem like you'd be a very good gift-giver. What's your favorite present that you've ever given?LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA: I got my wife a piece of art from her alma mater. Her alma mater is MIT, and there was a gallery of really close-up images of two nerve cells reaching for each other. My wife is a scientist, so that was very special for her.Favorite local brunch spot in Washington Heights? [Miranda grew up in the upper Manhattan neighborhood and still lives in the area today.]I have a couple of go-to's. Saggio on 181st St. is really great. That's a good brunch spot. I also love Malecon on 175 St. and Broadway.Favorite video you took of your kids this year?Oh, that's really easy. Yesterday I was working on a song for the closing credits "In The Heights." I was at the piano, and my son creeped into the shot and started doing this crazy dance party that totally usurped whatever I was writing. You ever see the video of the guy who's doing the news conference video and his daughter comes marching in? It was like that, but there was no one to usher him away.That's not on your Twitter, right? You didn't tweet that.No, because his face is very visible. I never show my kids' faces on Twitter.PHOTOS: Lin-Manuel Miranda through the years
Source : aol.com/entertainment
Source : aol.com/entertainment