It's Official: Javier Munoz Will Take Over in HAMILTON When Lin-Manuel Miranda Departs in July

Javier Muñoz - Lin-Manuel Miranda's alternate in the Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton on Broadway and the actor who portrayed Alexander Hamilton when President Barack Obama saw Hamilton last July - will step into the title role starting July 11 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre (226 W. 46 St.), it has been announced by Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller. Mr. Miranda's final performance in the Broadway production is set for July 9.

HAMILTON won 11 Tony Awards earlier this week, including Best Musical, Score, Book of a Musical, Direction of a Musical, Choreography and Orchestrations.

Mr. Muñoz has been the Hamilton alternate dating back to the musical's early development and debut at the Public Theatre in January 2015, as well as throughout the Broadway engagement. He previously took over the role of Usnavi - again, replacing Mr. Miranda - in the latter's Tony-winning Best Musical IN THE HEIGHTS.

He will perform the role of Alexander Hamilton seven performances a week. Mr. Muñoz's alternate, who will perform the role once a week as Mr. Muñoz has done, will be announced at a later date along with the alternate's performance schedule.

In his follow-up review of Hamilton on Broadway with Mr. Muñoz in the title role in November 2015, Ben Brantley of The New York Times wrote, Muñoz's performance maintains "the balance of a revolutionary show about a revolutionary era that seems better every time I see it," adding, "His Hamilton is sexy with his penetrating stare and Don Juan smile. When he's courting the ladies and other characters describe him as a tomcat, you know exactly what they mean."

Mr. Muñoz's other stage credits include the title role of VENICE in the musical at Center Theatre Group, TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA, a rock opera, at Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, DC, and RICHARD III and INTO THE WOODS at Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Javier is a native of Brooklyn, NY. He is represented by Kazarian, Measures, Ruskin and Associates and Soffer/Namoff Entertainment.

With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow's biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

HAMILTON is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation's first Treasury Secretary. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON is the story of America then, as told by America now.

The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater.

The HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Recording is available everywhere nationwide. The HAMILTON recording received a 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album.

A Chicago production of Hamilton will open in October 2016. A touring production begins a 21-week run in San Francisco in March 2017 followed by a 21-week engagement in Los Angeles. Earlier this week, a London production for 2017 was also announced.

For information on HAMILTON, visit www.HamiltonOnBroadway.com, www.Facebook.com/HamiltonMusical, www.Instagram.com/HamiltonMusical and www.Twitter.com/HamiltonMusical.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos