We all knew this day was coming. The day that Lin-Manuel Miranda would step back from his role as Alexander Hamilton in his smash Broadway musical Hamilton. Now that we finally have an official date for Miranda’s final performance, July 9, Hamilfans are left wondering: what comes next?
Fear not, because Miranda is teaching us to say goodbye by leaving the show in truly capable hands. As The Washington Post reports, Javier Muñoz, Miranda’s understudy who played Hamilton on Sundays, has officially been given his shot to take on the role full-time (sorrynotsorry for the Hamilpuns) starting July 11. If you’ve never gotten the chance to see Muñoz as Hamilton, he’s got the chops to get the job done. The New York Times even went as far as to say the actor made the Founding Father sexy, so it seems like the Broadway smash will more than definitely continue to be a strong and amazing show after Miranda’s gone.
This isn’t the first time Miranda and Muñoz have worked together like this, either. Back when Miranda was working on his other Tony Award-winning show, In the Heights, Miranda and Muñoz had a similar arrangement, with Muñoz acting as Miranda’s understudy and ultimately taking over for Miranda.
Of course Miranda isn’t completely done with the role. He recently told fans on his Twitter that he’ll always be Hamilton, and will be playing the role until he needs help jumping on the desk. So even though he’s officially handing over the reins, it seems like he’ll return to it frequently for the rest of the foreseeable future. Still, with Alexander Hamilton in the hands of actors like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Javier Muñoz, I think we’ll be enjoying this show on Broadway for a long time.
Have you gotten to see Hamilton on Broadway? Did you see a Lin night or a Javier night? Are you excited for Javilton, or do you think no one can replace Lin? Let’s talk about it in the comments!
Featured Image: Pete Souza