Banner Image: Joan Marcus
by Brookelynn Mason
Freestyle Love Supreme is the freestyle improv group co-founded by Lin-Manuel Miranda that combines freestyle, comedy, and music through audience suggestions. The group predates Hamilton AND In the Heights and is back, this time on Broadway (!), after a sold-out Off-Broadway run last year. Special guests that pop in sometimes unannounced include Lin himself, James Monroe Iglehart, and your favorite George Washington and mine, Christopher Jackson.
If you can’t be in the room where it’s happening during the Broadway run (no, we don’t get tired of that phrasing), or if you’d like to check out what FLS is all about before buying tickets, we put together some videos that might ease your FOMO.
An oldie but a goodie! FLS originals Lin-Manuel Miranda, Shockwave, and Utkarsh Ambudkar are used as weapons in a work-related roast against two employees, and well…we’ll let you see who wins for yourself.
A popular part of every FLS show: The group picks a member of the audience, and freestyles about their day. In this case, Olivia went to see…Hamilton! Featured in this video are FLS OGs Lin-Manuel Miranda, Shockwave, Utkarsh Ambudkar, and Anthony Veneziale…as well as Hamilton Lafayette/Jefferson James Monroe Iglehart! There are, of course, tons of Hamilton references. It’s perfect.
This is balls to the walls hilarious. Lin and Shockwave, rapping about a heatwave in New York City. While not an official FLS video, it has all of the comedy gold that makes an FLS show, well…an FLS show. Balls.
What’ch’y’all know?! An FLS staple. Audience members shout out a person, place, or a thing, and each MC takes a suggestion they like and does a freestyle about it. The combinations always end up being hilarious, clever, and perfectly in sync with each other.
Chris Jackson watering our crops and curing all disease with that smooth ass voice. Lin-Manuel Miranda giving us a groove worthy of any slow jam. One singer, one MC, Arthur and Ben bringing the keys and percussion…does this even need a description? Didn’t think so.
Freestyle Love Supreme runs on Broadway through January 5.