Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony- and Pulitzer-winning Hamilton will play San Juan, Puerto Rico, in January 2019. The composer himself will star in the title role, reprising his performance for the first time since ending his run in the Broadway production in July 2016.
Lin-Manuel Miranda and cast of HamiltonJoan Marcus
Performances will run at the University of Puerto Rico's Teatro UPR January 8–27. Miranda and producer Jeffrey Seller made the announcement November 8 on the Teatro UPR stage, which suffered damage as Hurricane Maria devastated the island in September. The theatre, built in 1939, will undergo restorations and repairs prior to Hamilton's 2019 bow.
“Bringing [Hamilton] to Puerto Rico is a dream that I’ve had since we first opened at The Public Theater in 2015,” said Miranda 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.”
Seller added, “In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, we hope Hamilton can play a positive role in bringing the artistic pulse of the community back to life. Arts and culture are pillars for economic development, cultural tourism, community empowerment and growth.”
Additional casting for the Puerto Rico engagement, presented in a partnership with the Acisum Group, will be announced at a later date.
Miranda, whose parents were both born in Puerto Rico, also announced during his visit to the island a partnership with the Hispanic Federation, with the intention of donating $2.5 million in grants for a variety of nonprofit projects focused on recovery following Hurricane Maria.
The composer's benefit single, “Almost Like Praying,” claimed the top spot of Billboard's Digital Songs Sales chart in the week following its debut, selling over 100,000 downloads and reaching over 5 million streams. Proceeds went to the Hispanic Federation's UNIDOS Disaster Relief and Recovery Program.
Hamilton earned 11 Tony Awards in 2016, including wins for Best Musical, Miranda's book and score, and Thomas Kail's direction. Performances continue at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre. Additional productions include a sit-down engagement Chicago's CIBC Theatre, the North American national tour (currently in Los Angeles), and an upcoming London premiere at the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End.
Miranda will also star in Disney's upcoming Mary Poppins sequel, Mary Poppins Returns, which will premiere in 2018. Additional projects in the pipeline include executive producing and contributing music to Showtime's Kingkiller Chronicle series and collaborating with Alan Menken on Disney's live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid.
