‘Hamilton’ original cast and creatives: Where are they now?
Two years ago “Hamilton†opened on Broadway — and launched a playbill’s worth of careers skyward. Here’s a quick rundown of the original cast and crew: where they went and where they’re headed next.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, show creator and actor (Alexander Hamilton): The man who wrote the music, lyrics and book of “Hamilton†has gotten only busier. Disney fans heard Miranda’s songs in the 2016 animated film “
Phillipa Soo, actress (Eliza Hamilton): After her Tony-nominated performance as one of the Schuyler sistersr, Soo could be heard in the voice cast of “Moana.†The Juilliard graduate scored the lead in “Amélie,†the new musical adaptation of the 2001 French indie film that played at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles before moving on to Broadway. The show closed in New York after two months of regular performances.
Leslie Odom Jr., actor (Aaron Burr): After winning the Tony for lead actor in a musical, Odom has continued to perform songs, this time in concerts around the country, including last fall in L.A., the Hollywood Bowl last month (“Ella and Dizzy: 100 Years, 1,000 Memoriesâ€) and Walt Disney Concert Hall in December. He hits the big screen this fall as Dr. Arbuthnot in the remake of “Murder on the Orient Express,†directed by
Daveed Diggs, actor (Thomas Jefferson and Marquis de Lafayette): Tony winner for featured actor in a musical, Diggs landed recurring roles on Netflix’s “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and
Renée Elise Goldsberry, actress (Angelica Schuyler): After her Tony win for featured actress, Renée Elise Goldsberry played the title role in HBO’s “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,†costarring producer Oprah Winfrey. Beginning Aug. 21, the mother of two will be a voice on “Sunny Day,†a new Nickelodeon animated series for preschoolers. Next year: She’s been cast for Netflix’s “Altered Carbon,†based on the 2002 cyberpunk novel by Richard K. Morgan.
Okieriete Onaodowan, actor (Hercules Mulligan and James Madison): Known affectionately as “Oke,†the actor gave a TEDx Talk on empathy in Palo Alto, Calif., this year. On TV he played a therapist in the final season of HBO’s “Girls†and appeared on the short-lived “The Get Down†from Baz Luhrmann. This summer, he made headlines when his stint in the Broadway musical “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812†(taking over from Josh Groban) was cut short; facing sluggish ticket sales, producers announced that Mandy Patinkin would take over the role, much to Oke’s fans’ dismay. Patinkin subsequently bowed out.
Jonathan Groff, actor (King George): The man who delivered some royal levity to “Hamilton†starred in the too-short-lived HBO series “Looking.†He went off-off-off-Broadway this summer with a three-part “musical podcast†called “36 Questions.†This fall, the former “Glee†performer is back on TV as an FBI agent and criminal profiler in the Netflix series “Mindhunter,†produced by David Fincher and Charlize Theron.
Thomas Kail, director: The Tony-winning director of “Hamilton†made a swift transition to high-profile television with “Grease Live†for Fox in 2016. The same year, he was back at the Public Theater — the off-Broadway incubator of “Hamilton†— to direct “Dry Powder,†a high-stakes comedy-drama about the financial sector. He is set to direct the feature film “Silver Wings,†about American female pilots in World War II, and is collaborating with rapper Common on the upcoming TV comedy series “93 Til Infinity.â€
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David Korins, set designer: Aside from working on the “Hamilton†national tour, Korins has further expanded his long list of credits to include the Broadway shows “Bandstand,†“Motown: The Musical†and “Warpaint,†the last of which earned him his second Tony nomination. “Dear Evan Hansen,†the big winner at the 2017 Tonys, reunited Korins with “Hamilton†music supervisor Alex Lacamoire.
Andy Blankenbuehler, choreographer: The longtime Miranda collaborator who won his first Tony for “In the Heights†in 2008 and his second for “Hamilton†in 2016 went on to earn his third for “Bandstand†this year. The current revival of “Cats†means he has three concurrent productions on Broadway. And though the ABC musical reboot of “Dirty Dancing†this year was generally regarded as one big misstep, Blankenbuehler earned praise for his choreographic foray into TV.
Paul Tazewell, costume designer: Tazewell had five Tony nominations — “Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk,†“The Color Purple,†“In the Heights,†“Memphis†and “A Streetcar Named Desire†— before he finally won for “Hamilton.†He’s back for the U.S. tour of the show, and his other projects include this summer’s run of “The Unsinkable Molly Brown†at the Muny in St. Louis and Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg: The Temptations Musical,†which may move to Broadway next year.
Charles G. LaPointe, hair and wig designer: The man behind the hair of “Hamilton†will have, by year’s end, gathered 10 additional major credits. A sampling of the range: Broadway’s “Anastasia†(based on the 1997 animated film), a revival of “Six Degrees of Separation,†the whimsical “Amélie†and two upcoming shows: “The Band’s Visit,†a musical from the composer of “The Full Monty,†and “SpongeBob SquarePants,†in which his sculptural styling will bring the likes of Patrick and Squidward to life.
You can find all of our latest “Hamilton†coverage at latimes.com/hamilton.
MORE ‘HAMILTON’:
Behind the scenes of the national tour
Meet Aaron Burr: Why ‘Hamilton’ brings actor Joshua Henry to tears
Meet Angelica Schuyler: How Emmy Raver-Lampman rose into the spotlight
A critic’s take on why ‘Hamilton’ matters more than ever
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