Over the weekend, “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda chopped off his hair and said goodbye to Broadway ... for now.
In a waterfall of tears, he, Leslie Odom Jr. and Phillipa Soo bid farewell to the Richard Rodgers Theatre, the home of “Hamilton,” a hip-hop-inspired musical about the Founding Fathers that captured the attention of just about anyone with a penchant for good ol’ theatricality, American history or Biggie Smalls. Ever heard of it?
Judging by the noticeable cloud hanging over Twitter following Sunday’s performance, “Hamilton” fans are taking the news pretty hard. To ease your pain, dear Hamilgrams, here are all the things you need to hear this week, so you can go from Crying Lin-Manuel Miranda to this:
1. Lin, Leslie and Phillipa left, but the show will go on!
Let’s begin with the most important thing “Hamilton” fans need keep in mind this week: the show’s not over. In fact, the show will probably dominate Richard Rodgers Theatre for some time. Think of “Phantom of the Opera,” which started its run in 1988 and hasn’t stopped since. Could “Hamilton” see over 10,000 shows in its future? Possibly. Booking your tickets for a 2017 or even 2018 performance might not be such a bad idea.
2. There are new cast members. And, yes, they are patiently waiting to smash all your expectations.
Sure, a few of the original cast members are leaving the show. But this just means loyal fans have something to look forward to in the form of at least three new cast mates ― most notably, Tony-nominated Brandon Victor Dixon as Aaron Burr, Lexi Lawson as Eliza Schuyler, and Michael Luwoye as an alternate Alexander Hamilton.
3. For those fans not ready to let go — we still have Lafayette!
Also known as Daveed Diggs, who also plays Thomas Jefferson. Diggs renewed his contract, along with Tony-winning actress Renee Elise Goldsberry, Christopher Jackson, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos and Jasmine Cephas Jones. Lafayette 4eva, though.
UPDATE: I am very sorry to report that Daveed Diggs and Renee Elise Goldsberry are leaving.
4. “Sexy” Alexander Hamilton is here to stay.
Before stepping into Miranda’s boots officially, Javier Muñoz served as the star’s alternate, reprieving him of his duties every Sunday. And apparently, he did so with a swagger that has not gone unnoticed. “Alexander Hamilton is sexy on Sundays,” The New York Times reported. Also of note: Miranda might have cut his locks this weekend, but Muñoz is definitely still rocking a ponytail. Long live ponytails.
5. Your “Hamilton” creator won’t stop tweeting any time soon, so it’ll be like he never left!
Right? Miranda’s account is a literal wealth of inspiration, from roughly 7 a.m to 1 a.m. Here’s a light suggestion for you, Miranda: I vote for more photos of dogs.
6. Bonus: According to Lin-Manuel Miranda, Lin-Manuel Miranda will likely come back to “Hamilton” at some point.
In his own words: “I have written this insane part that I can’t seem to get tired of, that is new every night ... I think this is a role I will be going back to again and again. I know it feels like the end of the world to a very small number of people now, but I plan to revisit this role a lot. “
7. Ham4Ham will continue. THERE WILL BE HAM4HAM.
Rory O’Malley, aka King George III, will be hosting. Take a deep breath, you’ll still get your “Ham”-inspired lunch break entertainment for the foreseeable future.
8. And so will the lottery.
Never give up on your dream of waiting in line (or online) all day to be rejected once again getting a “Hamilton” ticket! And remember: you can always try the cancellation line.
9. Chicagoans need only wait until September before “Hamilton” mania is upon them.
This is big. A whole new Chicago-based cast will begin “Hamilton” performances at the PrivateBank Theatre in Chicago on Sept. 27. This is not a drill, Illinois. You are getting your very own show. “’Hamilton’ will run in Chicago as long as there’s a market for it,” Lou Raizin, president of Broadway in Chicago, explained, “so it’s not a matter of if you get a ticket, but simply when.”
10. A PBS documentary is going to let us go behind the scenes of “Hamilton.” It’ll be here in October.
Behind. The. Scenes. “Hamilton’s America” will be part of PBS’s “Great Performances” schedule this fall. Want a teaser? Of you do:
Audiences will sit with Miranda as he composes songs in Aaron Burr’s Manhattan bedroom. They’ll take a trip to Virginia with Chris Jackson — the African-American actor who portrays George Washington — and watch him place a wreath on Washington’s grave, as he discusses the difficulty of grappling with our founders’ legacy of slavery. Back in New York, Miranda and Leslie Odom, Jr. — who plays Aaron Burr — visit the Museum of American Finance to get their hands on some 19th-century dueling pistols and stage a quick re-enactment.
11. The “Hamilton” mixtape is coming out this November.
Questlove is producing it. QUESTLOVE. Who’s on it? “Busta Rhymes, Ben Folds, Regina Spektor, Latifah, Common, Chance the Rapper and others,” Questlove told Vanity Fair. And Lin tweeted this:
12. “Hamilton” is going national this coming spring. America, get ready.
Come Spring 2017, a touring “Hamilton” cast will head to the following cities: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cleveland, Costa Mesa, Denver, Des Moines, Houston, Las Vegas, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis, and Tempe.
All you New York fans: who’s up for a road trip?
13. Oh, and the production is headed to London in the fall of 2017.
All you New York fans: who’s up for an overseas trip?
14. Kids, kids, kids, kids, kids — the #EduHam program is expanding.
Around 100,000 students across the country will probably see “Hamilton” before you do, thanks to a Rockefeller Foundation initiative lovingly called EduHam. But that’s definitely OK. Miranda’s commitment to arts education is just another reason we love him.
15. We have so many Miranda-related projects to look forward to — including a Disney film.
Or two.
16. Finally, at the end of the day, you can look forward to the movie version of “Hamilton.” It just might take a decade or two.
According to Miranda himself, a film version of “Hamilton” will happen “someday.” We just might be waiting awhile ― “like, 20 years.”
17. Plus, we’ll always have the Rose Garden. guys.
This post was updated on July 14, 2016.
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