Lin-Manuel Miranda Rocks American History With Hamilton, Premiering Off-Broadway Tonight

Hamilton, the new musical by Tony Award-winning In the Heights star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, which explores the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, premieres Jan. 20 at the Public Theater. The Off-Broadway production also stars Brian d'Arcy James, Phillipa Soo, Christopher Jackson and Leslie Odom Jr.





The new musical features Miranda in the title role, under the direction of Tony Award-nominated In the Heights director Thomas Kail. Hamilton begins previews Jan. 20 toward a Feb. 17 opening night. Performances will now continue through April 5.

The Public Theater engagement is supported by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs and Jill Furman, all of whom helped usher Miranda's In the Heights to Broadway in 2008.

Inspired by the book "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow, the musical incorporates historical figures such as George Washington, Aaron Burr, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson. Miranda previously performed a song from Hamilton for President Obama and the First Family at the White House in 2009.

The cast also includes Brian d'Arcy James (Shrek, Sweet Smell of Success) as King George, Phillipa Soo (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812) as Eliza Hamilton, Christopher Jackson (In the Heights) as George Washington, Leslie Odom Jr. ("Smash") as Aaron Burr, Renée Elise Goldsberry (The Color Purple) as Angelica Schuyler, Daveed Diggs (In the Red and Brown Water) as Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, Anthony Ramos (Sideways Stories from Wayside School) as John Laurens/Phillip Hamilton, Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, Javier Muñoz as Hamilton standby and Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison.

A late-run replacement for d'Arcy James is expected to be named shortly. D'Arcy James is also one of the stars of the new Broadway musical Something Rotten!, which begins previews March 23. Also cast are Andrew Chappelle, Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana DeBose, Alysha Deslorieux, Sydney James Harcourt, Sasha Hutchings, Thayne Jasperson, Stephanie Klemons, Jon Rua, Seth Stewart, Betsy Struxness, Ephraim Sykes and Voltaire Wade-Greene.

According to the Public, "From the creative team behind the Tony Award-winning In The Heights comes a wildly inventive new musical about the scrappy young immigrant who forever changed America: Alexander Hamilton. Tony and Grammy Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda wields his pen and takes the stage as the unlikely founding father determined to make his mark on a new nation as hungry and ambitious as he is. From bastard orphan to Washington's right hand man, rebel to war hero, loving husband caught in the country's first sex scandal to Treasury head who made an untrusting world believe in the American economy, Hamilton is an exploration of a political mastermind. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Eliza Hamilton, and lifelong Hamilton friend and foe, Aaron Burr, all attend this revolutionary tale of America’s fiery past told through the sounds of the ever-changing nation we’ve become. Tony Award nominee Thomas Kail directs this new musical about taking your shot, speaking your mind, and turning the world upside down."

The musical has scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, music direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire and choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler.

Miranda is the Tony and Grammy Award-winning composer-lyricist of In the Heights. The musical earned four 2008 Tony Awards, including Best Score and Best Musical. Miranda also earned a Best Actor Tony nomination for his performance as Usnavi. In the Heights was also recognized as a Finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Miranda is the co-composer (with Tom Kitt) and co-lyricist (with Amanda Green) of the Tony-nominated Bring it On: The Musical. In addition, Miranda translated some of Stephen Sondheim's original lyrics into Spanish for the 2009 Broadway revival of West Side Story and wrote additional songs for the Off-Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz's Working.

The Public is also offering free tickets to the first preview of Hamilton via a mobile lottery using the app TodayTix. Winners will be notified by email and push notifications between noon and 3 PM on the day of the first preview. You must confirm your winning tickets in the TodayTix app within one hour of being notified. A limited number of tickets will also be distributed, beginning at noon, via lottery in the lobby of The Public Theater.

For tickets phone (212) 967-7555 or visit PublicTheater. The Public Theater is located at 425 Lafayette Street in Manhattan.