Lin-Manuel Miranda has reportedly set an exit date for the hit Broadway musical, Hamilton.
The original cast has been performing the show for nearly a year-and-a-half, beginning on January 15 of last year at New York’s Public Theater. According to the Hollywood Reporter, they will perform their final show together on July 9.
Many have described Hamilton as a cultural phenomenon. It won a Pulitzer Prize and a Grammy award, and has even been credited with helping keep Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill. It’s been nominated for 16 Tony awards, which is more than any other show in history. Though 36-year-old Miranda, creator and star of Hamilton, has been criticized for the show’s “non-white” casting call, the New York Times notes that it has helped boost diversity at the Tony Awards. Out of 40 acting nominations, 14 went to black, Hispanic, and Asian-American actors—an incredible achievement, considering the controversy surrounding this year’s Oscars.
We’ll have to say goodbye to Hamilton’s original cast next month—though most of us who can’t afford to shell out thousands of dollars for tickets never got the chance to say hello. Miranda has various other projects in the works that we can look forward to. His first Broadway show, In the Heights, is making its way to the big screen, and he’ll be starring in Mary Poppins Returns alongside actress Emily Blunt.
Miranda has told friends that he has an idea for a new musical. However, Hamilton will be a tough act to follow. Michelle Obama, for one, claimed it was the “best piece of art in any form that [she has] ever seen in [her] life.”
Tickets for Hamilton have already been nearly impossible to get. With just over a month left to see it, demand will likely be driven up even higher.
