The creator and original cast member of 'Hamilton' will reprise his lead role as Alexander Hamilton in Puerto Rico in early 2019.
- Nov 9, 2017
AceShowbiz - Tony Award and Pulitzer-winning "Hamilton" will once again play in San Juan, Puerto Rico, for a three-week run in January 2019. Lin-Manuel Miranda, as the composer and original cast member of the musical, will reprise his role for the first time since exiting Broadway production in July 2016.
Miranda, whose parents are Puerto Rican natives, visited the island to support hurricane relief efforts. He said that the devastation of Hurricane Maria increased the urgency of a pre-existing plan to bring the show to San Juan.
In a statement, the actor said, "Bringing [Hamilton] to Puerto Rico is a dream that I've had since we first opened at The Public Theater in 2015." He continued, "When I last visited the island, a few weeks before Hurricane Maria, I had made a commitment to not only bring the show to Puerto Rico, but also return again to the title role. In the aftermath of Maria, we decided to expedite the announcement of the project to send a bold message that Puerto Rico will recover and be back in business, stronger than ever."
A run of the biggest Broadway hit in Puerto Rico will help the local economy, which is still endeavoring to recover after the hurricane. "Hamilton" producer Jeffrey Seller added, "In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, we hope Hamilton can play a positive role in bringing the artistic pulse of the community back to life. Arts and culture are pillars for economic development, cultural tourism, community empowerment and growth." Moreover, during his visit to his parents' homeland, Miranda and Hispanic Federation donated $2.5 million for a variety of non-profit projects focused on the island's rebuilding effort as well as its recovery.
The Puerto Rico musical, which currently has no further casting being set, will run from January 8 to January 27, 2019 at Teatro UPR, a theater at the University of Puerto Rico's main campus in San Juan. The show will be a stop of one of "Hamilton" tours. A London production is set to open next month at the Victoria Palace Theatre in West End, and a second U.S. tour is scheduled to commence its performances in Seattle, February 2019.
