Let's Give This Dude A Tony For His 'Hamilton'-Inspired Wedding Speech

Lin-Manuel Miranda would be damn proud.

When Matt Rotner was tasked with giving a speech at his sister’s wedding, he was not about to throw away his shot.

Instead of giving some boring old speech, Matt blew everyone away with a surprise performance inspired by the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” at his sister Jenna’s wedding to Ross Drucker at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Saturday.

He re-wrote the words to “Alexander Hamilton,” the opening song from the show, tailoring them to fit the details of the bride and groom’s love story.

Matt works as the head of analytics for Casamigos Tequila. "After my toast, people kept telling me I'm in the wrong industry."
Matt works as the head of analytics for Casamigos Tequila. "After my toast, people kept telling me I'm in the wrong industry."

According to Matt, the Rotner family shares a love of Broadway shows and saw “Hamilton” together in October 2015 ― just a few weeks after Ross and Jenna got engaged. After watching the opening number, Matt knew he had found the inspiration for his speech.

“I turned to my mom and said, ‘Well, I know exactly what I’m doing for the wedding,’” he told The Huffington Post. “I thought, ‘Hey, I might not be able to sing well anymore, but I know I can write these rhymes and put on one hell of a show.’”

Below, a sample of the well-crafted lyrics Matt penned for the occasion:

How does a Met fan, golfer, Long Island boy, an accountant, dropped right in the meltin’ pot. Yes, New York City, ain’t it pretty, the fancy lights and shows. Go meet this Jew from California ― you know where this story goes?

Yes, Jenna Rotner, the oldest daughter of my father. Moved to The Big Apple with some pressure from her mother said time to be a wife. Said this year you start your life. Israeli mothers, a sharper edge than any knife.

Matt first spent time gathering the information he needed to write the lyrics, namely the particulars of the bride and groom’s “how we met” story, which began on JDate in New York City. In July, Matt started writing the rhymes on the train while commuting to and from work.

The night of the wedding was the first time Matt had ever done the performance all out. "You really don’t have the real estate to move around and do that whole song in full force like that on the Metro North Train."
The night of the wedding was the first time Matt had ever done the performance all out. "You really don’t have the real estate to move around and do that whole song in full force like that on the Metro North Train."

Throughout the process, Matt made sure to keep his plans a secret from the bride and groom.

“I told Jenna I had something very special planned and I have been hyping it up to her and Ross for the last year, but I never gave her an inkling of what it could be,” he told HuffPost.

All of Matt’s dedication paid off when he saw the look on his sister’s face during the performance.

“When the first first few notes of the track hit after my intro, I saw her face and she was in shock,” he said. “I’ll never forget her reaction and I’m so happy it was caught on camera.”

"If you couldn't tell by the video I really like being in front of people," Matt said.
"If you couldn't tell by the video I really like being in front of people," Matt said.
The bride and groom were more than "Satisfied" with the surprise.
The bride and groom were more than "Satisfied" with the surprise.

Growing up, Matt, Jenna and their little sister Maddison would perform musical numbers together at family parties, weddings, birthdays ― you name it.

“It was my first time I really ever did something like that without my sisters by my side, so everyone was kind of dumbfounded when it was all said and done that I did that alone,” he said.

The Rotners pose for a family photo.
The Rotners pose for a family photo.

Watch the Tony-award-worthy speech, shot by Vidicam Productions, above.

Before You Go

Hamilton

Close

HuffPost Shopping’s Best Finds

MORE IN LIFE