LinManuel Miranda Is Returning to Hamilton for This Limited Run
Lin-Manuel Miranda is bringing Hamilton to Puerto Rico. The Pulitzer-winning creator of the musical phenomenon announced from Puerto Rico Wednesday that, in January 2019, he'll reprise his role as Founding Father Alexander Hamilton for a limited stage run. Miranda, who was born in New York City, is of Puerto Rican descent and regularly visited his grandparents' hometown of Vega Alta as a child. In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which devastated the island region, he forcefully denounced the Trump administration for what he deemed an insufficient federal response and championed relief efforts. "Bringing Hamilton to Puerto Rico is a dream that I've had since we first opened at The Public Theater in 2015," Miranda said in a statement. "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.", Miranda's turn as Hamilton formally began in January 2015, during the musical's off-Broadway run at the Public Theater, before transitioning to Broadway in July. He played the role on the Great White Way for approximately a year before being replaced by Javier Muoz. Miranda earned a Tony nomination for his performance, in addition to his wins for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score. In addition to touring productions, a production of Hamilton has opened in Chicago, and it's set to premiere on London's West End in December. In 2019, Hamilton will run at the University of Puerto Rico's Teatro UPR from Jan. 8-27. Miranda made the announcement Wednesday with producer Jeffrey Seller from the Teatro UPR's stage. Built in 1939, the theater was severely damaged by Hurricane Maria, and will undergo restorations and repairs prior to Hamiltons 2019 bow.