Lin-Manuel Miranda to star in limited run of "Hamilton" in Puerto Rico
Lin-Manuel's going home.
Pulitzer- and Tony-winning actor and composer Lin-Manuel Miranda will reprise the leading role in his blockbuster musical "Hamilton" during a limited three-week run in Puerto Rico in early 2019, he announced on Wednesday. Miranda, who is of Puerto Rican descent, has been deeply involved in efforts to rebuild the storm-ravaged island in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
"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," Miranda said in a statement. "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."
The show will run for three weeks in January 2019 at the Teatro UPR at the University of Puerto Rico in San Juan. The venue is in need of repairs ahead of the show's opening as a result of damage sustained during the category 4 storm in September. The island of 3.4 million people was left almost entirely without power and many residents still lack access to clean water and basic services.
A "large proportion" of seats for the show's run will be awarded by lottery for just $10 each, producer Jeffrey Seller said. Prices for other tickets have not been announced.
Visiting the island on Tuesday, Miranda announced a partnership with a non-profit to establish a $2.5 million recovery fund to help Puerto Ricans recover from the storm.
Born and raised in New York to Puerto Rican parents, Miranda spent much of his childhood visiting his grandparents on the island.
His first musical, "," was the story of life growing up in a largely Latino neighborhood in upper Manhattan, and he brought the show to Puerto Rico in 2010.
Miranda achieved breakout success for his lead performance as Alexander Hamilton in the musical, which he wrote and scored. The musical rocketed him to international fame when it debuted on Broadway in August 2015. He played the lead role for almost a year before bowing out, which he alluded to in a tweet Wednesday:
Miranda also responded to a tweet from CBS News correspondent David Begnaud about his costume.
He has recently been assisting in the recovery effort in Puerto Rico, assembling an all-star group of artists to record "Almost Like Praying," a song based on the towns of Puerto Rico. Proceeds from the single benefit the Hispanic Federation's UNIDOS Disaster Relief Fund for Puerto Rico.