NEW YORK—The musical “Hamilton” is taking the subway uptown.
Creators of the hip-hop-based musical on Alexander Hamilton, the first treasury secretary of the United States, said Tuesday they will move the downtown hit from the Public Theater to Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre starting July 13. Opening night is Aug. 6. Tickets go on sale March 8.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the show’s book, music and lyrics and stars in the title role, noted that the show’s next home will be the same one that housed his “In the Heights.” At the announcement at the Public, he wore a T-shirt that read “Go Hamilton or Go Home” and, looking out at his cast, said: “This is insane.”
The show is a retelling of the 18th-century story of America’s birth by a nontraditional cast using rap and song. It stresses the orphan, immigrant roots of “the $10 Founding Father without a father,” his vices and ambition, and his almost Greek tragedy of a death. It’s narrated by Aaron Burr, the man who would kill Hamilton.
Director Thomas Kail said he stopped by the show this weekend and spotted an 11-year-old excitedly running up and down the aisles. “Why don’t they teach me like that?” the boy told Kail. “What I hope happens is that someone comes to see this who says, ‘You know what? Now I’m going to write.’”
The new musical reunites the team from “In the Heights” — Kail, choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler and Miranda. Reviews were strong when it opened Feb. 17, and the Public has extended the show through May 3.
Kail opened the door to the possibility of changes for Broadway, and there will be at least one cast change when Brian d'Arcy James, who plays a foppish and peevish King George, jumps to another musical by next month.
“This gives us a chance to go in and continue to work. That’s the only thing we know how to do. We just work until we say we have to put our pencils down,” said Kail, whose other credits include “Magic/Bird” and “Lombardi.” ‘'We’ve given ourselves more time. I hope inspiration continues to strike.”
