Brandon Victor Dixon, Hamilton’s new Aaron Burr, got his start as Adult Simba in the national tour of The Lion King before making his Broadway debut as Harpo in the 2005 production of The Color Purple, earning a 2006 Featured Actor Tony nomination. In 2010, he originated the role of Haywood Patterson in The Scottsboro Boys (a role that went to his Shuffle Along co-star Joshua Henry when the show transferred to Broadway). Watch Dixon perform “Go Back Home” from The Scottsboro Boys below.

More Off-Broadway work followed, with performances in Cotton Club Parade at New York City Center (the show that became Broadway’s After Midnight) and the New World Stages revival of Rent. In 2013, he originated the role of Berry Gordy in Motown the Musical.

Watch his performance of “Can I Just Close the Door on Love” and “Get Ready,” beginning at 1:45, below from Broadway in Bryant Park; and click here to read more about him taking on the role of Gordy for Broadway.

He went to the West End in 2014 to reprise his performance as Haywood Patterson in The Scottsboro Boys before returning to Broadway as Eubie Blake in Shuffle Along and earning his second Tony nomination. Watch highlights from Shuffle Along below.

The performer has also been active in the New York concert scene. Check out concert performances of Adele’s “One and Only” and Company’s “Being Alive.”

Lexi Lawson, who will make her Broadway debut as Eliza Hamilton—taking over for Tony nominee Phillipa Soo—performed as Mimi in the national tour of Rent and Vanessa in the national tour of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. Watch Lawson sing “It Won’t Be Long Now” from In the Heights.

The actress was also seen on the eighth season of American Idol. Below is a clip of Lawson making it through to Hollywood week after her initial audition.

Lawson is also a songwriter. Watch a performance of her original song “Someday” from a concert performance at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall.

Michael Luwoye, who will take over for Javier Muñoz (Muñoz succeeds Miranda in the lead role) as the Alexander Hamilton alternate, was last seen Off-Broadway in the new musical Invisible Thread. He received a 2016 Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor for his performance as Jacob. Watch highlights from the show below.

Before his Off-Broadway debut, he received a B.A. from the University of Alabama. Watch his performance of “Make Them Hear You” from Ragtime during his college years in Alabama.