VIDEO: Fran Lebowitz To Frank Rich: HAMILTON Is 'The Only Good Musical In My Lifetime'

It's probably of little surprise that sardonic social commentator Fran Lebowitz, best known for her two bestselling essay collections "Metropolitan Life" and "Social Studies," is the type of person who readily acknowledges that she hates musicals.

During his stint as chief drama critic for The New York Times, there were those who claimed that Frank Rich hated musicals as well, but that was more a case of his insistence that they be done well.

When the two of them sat down last March at BAM's Howard Gilman Opera House for what was billed as "A Conversation on Art and Politics," the art coverage naturally included Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway smash, HAMILTON.

Rich, who recalls his friend as one who usually needs to be dragged to the theatre, was surprised to find out that Fran Lebowitz not only saw HAMILTON, but thought it was great.

"What I find shocking," she notes, "is that something that great is a big success... People tend not to love the great thing until like a hundred years later."

While Lebowitz's remarks about musical theatre as a whole are not exactly complimentary, they are still rather amusing.

The new musical Hamilton has book, music and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also plays the title role. The musical is directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and music direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. Hamilton is inspired by Ron Chernow's biography "Alexander Hamilton."

The cast of Hamilton is comprised of Lin-Manuel Miranda (Alexander Hamilton), Daveed Diggs (Marquis De Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler), Christopher Jackson (George Washington), Rory O'Malley (King George), Jasmine Cephas Jones (Peggy Schuyler, Maria Reynolds), Javier Muñoz (Hamilton alternate), Okieriete Onaodowan (Hercules Mulligan, James Madison), Leslie Odom, Jr. (Aaron Burr), Anthony Ramos (John Laurens, PhilipHamilton) and Phillipa Soo (Eliza Hamilton).

HAMILTON is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions. During his life cut too short, he served as George Washington's chief aide, was the first Treasury Secretary, a loving husband and father, despised by his fellow Founding Fathers and shot to death by Aaron Burr in their legendary duel.