Jonathan Groff Takes Over as 'King George' in HAMILTON Tonight

The Public Theater welcomes Tony Award nominee Jonathan Groff to the cast of HAMILTON as "King George" tonight, March 3. Groff, who performed in The Public's recent revival of Hair as well as The Bacchae and The Singing Forest, is replacing Brian d'Arcy James, who will be starring in Something Rotten on Broadway this spring.

The world premiere musical HAMILTON, inspired by the book "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow, with book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and directed by Thomas Kail, has been extended three times at The Public due to sold-out demand and will close as scheduled on Sunday, May 3 prior to a Broadway transfer to the Richard Rodgers Theatre beginning July 13 and opening August 6.

The complete cast features Carleigh Bettiol (Ensemble); Andrew Chappelle (Swing); Ariana DeBose (Ensemble); Alysha Deslorieux (Swing); Daveed Diggs (Marquis De Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson); Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler); Jonathan Groff (King George); Sydney James Harcourt (Ensemble); Sasha Hutchings (Ensemble); Christopher Jackson (George Washington); Thayne Jasperson (Ensemble); Jasmine Cephas Jones (Peggy Schuyler, Maria Reynolds); Stephanie Klemons (Swing); Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton); Javier Muñoz (Hamilton Standby); Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr); Okieriete Onaodowan (Hercules Mulligan, James Madison); Anthony Ramos (John Laurens, Phillip Hamilton); Jon Rua (Ensemble); Phillipa Soo (Eliza Hamilton); Seth Stewart (Ensemble); Betsy Struxness (Ensemble); Ephraim Sykes (Ensemble); and Voltaire Wade-Greene (Swing).

From the creative team behind the Tony Award-winning In The Heights comes a wildly inventive new musical about the scrappy young immigrant who forever changed America: Alexander Hamilton. Tony and Grammy Award winner Lin-Manuel Miranda wields his pen and takes the stage as the unlikely founding father determined to make his mark on a new nation as hungry and ambitious as he is. From bastard orphan to Washington's right hand man, rebel to war hero, loving husband caught in the country's first sex scandal to Treasury head who made an untrusting world believe in the American economy, HAMILTON is an exploration of a political mastermind. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Eliza Hamilton, and lifelong Hamilton friend and foe, Aaron Burr, all attend this revolutionary tale of America's fiery past told through the sounds of the ever-changing nation we've become. Tony Award nominee Thomas Kail directs this new musical about taking your shot, speaking your mind, and turning the world upside down.

HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins; costume design by Paul Tazewell; lighting design by Howell Binkley; sound design by Nevin Steinberg; hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe; music direction and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire; and choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler.

LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA (Book, Music, and Lyrics/Alexander Hamilton) is the Tony and Grammy award-winning composer-lyricist-star of Broadway's In the Heights. In the Heights received four 2008 Tony Awards (including Best Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Choreography), with Miranda receiving a Tony Award for Best Score, as well as a nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. In the Heights was also recognized as a Finalist for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Drama. Miranda is the co-composer (with Tom Kitt), and co-lyricist (with Amanda Green) of Broadway's Bring it On: The Musical (2013 Tony nom., Best Musical, 2013 Drama Desk nom., Best Lyrics in a Musical). Miranda contributed new songs to the revival of Stephen Schwartz' Working and provided Spanish translations for the 2009 Broadway revival of West Side Story. Miranda, along with Kitt, won the 2014 Creative Arts Emmy for Best Original Music and Lyrics for their work on the 67th Annual Tony Awards. As an actor, Miranda appeared in the City Center Encores! productions of Merrily We Roll Along (Charley Kringas), and tick, tick... BOOM! (Jonathan). He is a co-founder and member of Freestyle Love Supreme, an improvisational hip-hop group that will launch a self-titled television series in October 2014 on Pivot TV. Additional TV and film credits include "The Electric Company," "Sesame Street," "The Sopranos," "House," "Modern Family," "Do No Harm," "Smash," "How I Met Your Mother," The Sex and the City Movie, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, and 200 Cartas.

THOMAS KAIL (Director). His Broadway credits include In the Heights (Tony nomination for Best Director); and two new plays, Lombardi and Magic/Bird. His Off-Broadway credits include In the Heights (Callaway Award, Drama Desk nom., Outer Critics nom.); at New York City Center Randy Newman's Faust and The Wiz; Lincoln Center Theater's Broke-ology and When I Come to Die; The Flea Theater's Family Furniture (Drama Desk Nom.); and Second Stage Uptown's The Tutors. Other credits include Williamstown Theater Festival's Broke-ology; Paper Mill Playhouse's Once on this Island; and the National Tour of In the Heights. He is the co-creator and director of the hip-hop improv group Freestyle Love Supreme, which played the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, US Comedy Arts Festival, Montreal Comedy Festival and Melbourne Comedy Festival. He served as the Creative Director of the 2012, 2013 & 2014 Webby Awards. For television he directed episodes of "2 Broke Girls"; "Oprah Winfrey's 2010 Primetime Oscar Special" for ABC; the pilot episode of "Storymakers" for AMC; and he served as Co-Music Director and consulting producer on first season of PBS show "The Electric Company". He is the Executive Producer and Co-Creator of new TV Series "Freestyle Love Supreme" for Pivot; and he is the recipient of the Martin E. Segal Award from Lincoln Center and is a graduate of Wesleyan University, CT.

ANDY BLAKENBUEHLER (Choreography)'s Broadway credits include In The Heights (Tony, Outer Critics, Drama Desk Awards), Bring It On, 9 To 5, The People In The Picture, The Apple Tree, Annie, The Wiz (City Center Encores). Regionally his credits include FLY (Dallas Theatre Center), Desperately Seeking Susan (West End), A Little Princess (Andrew Lippa), Joseph (National tour). Upcoming projects include Only Gold with British singer/songwriter Kate Nash.

CARLEIGH BETTIOL (Ensemble) has performed in Thoroughly Modern Millie, A Chorus Line, and the tours of Flashdance The Musical, In The Heights, A Chorus Line, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and the Virtuosity! Tour.

ANDREW CHAPPELLE (Male Swing) has performed on Broadway in Mamma Mia! His regional credits include Annie, Cinderella, A Christmas Carol, Once on this Island, Dreamgirls, and West Side Story.

ARIANA DEBOSE (Ensemble) has performed on Broadway as the Leading Player in Pippin, Motown the Musical, and Bring It On the Musical. She appeared in Stephen Sondheim's Company with the New York Philharmonic and was a Top 20 finalist on Season 6 of "So You Think You Can Dance."

ALYSHA DESLORIEUX (Swing) has appeared on Broadway in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Sister Act. She appeared in the first National Tour of Sister Act and in the regional productions of Little Shop of Horrors, Bye Bye Birdie! And Once on this Island.

DAVEED DIGGS (Marquis De Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson). His theater credits include Nobody Move, Fabulation, In The Red and Brown Water, Mirrors in Every Corner, Red Light Winter, The Comedy of Errors, Troilus and Cressida, and many others. His film credits include The Industry, Rockstar, One Hot Run, Grand Café, and Infants of Spring.

RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY (Angelica Schuyler) has performed in The Public Theater productions of As You Like It, Love's Labour's Lost, and Two Gentleman of Verona. She has appeared on Broadway in Good People, The Color Purple as the original Nettie, Rent, and The Lion King. Her film and television credits include Every Secret Thing, "Masters of Sex," "The Good Wife," "The Following," "Royal Pains," "One Life To Live," and "Ally McBeal."

JONATHAN GROFF (King George) was most recently seen starring in the second season of the hit HBO television series, "Looking." Created by Michael Lannan and directed by Andrew Haigh, the series revolves around three friends as they navigate life in modern-day San Francisco. Additionally, Groff will also star in the Encores! Off-Center production of William Finn's A New Brain at New York City Center this coming June. His Broadway credits include Spring Awakening (Theatre World Award, Tony, Drama Desk, and Drama League Award nominations). His Off-Broadway credits include The Submission (MCC Theater), The Bacchae (The Public Theater), Craig Lucas' The Singing Forest and Prayer for My Enemy (Obie Award) and The Public Theater's revival of Hair. On the West End he has been seen in Deathtrap (Noel Coward Theatre). Regionally his credits include Red (Mark Taper Forum). His additional film and television credits include "Boss," "Glee," "The Good Wife," "One Life to Live," American Sniper, HBO's The Normal Heart, Frozen, C.O.G., The Conspirator, Twelve-Thirty and Taking Woodstock.

SYDNEY JAMES HARCOURT (Ensemble) has performed on Broadway in The Lion King, American Idiot, and Bells are Ringing. Off-Broadway he has performed in Piece Of My Heart, and his additional theater credits include Rocky in The Rocky Horror Show at the Old Globe, The Wiz, West Side Story, Showboat, Camelot, and Radio City Christmas Spectacular. His television credits include "The Good Wife"; "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"; and "Person of Interest."

SASHA HUTCHINGS (Ensemble) has appeared on Broadway in Rocky, Motown The Musical, and Memphis. Additionally she appeared on NBC's "SMASH."

CHRISTOPHER JACKSON (George Washington) has appeared on Broadway in Holler If Ya Hear Me, Bronx Bombers, After Midnight, Memphis, In the Heights, and The Lion King. His Off-Broadway credits include Bronx Bombers; The Jammer; Lonely, I'm Not; In the Heights; and Cotton Club Parade. His film and television credits include Tracers, Afterlife, "Freestyle Love Supreme" on the Pivot Network, "Person of Interest," "A Gifted Man," and "Fringe." He is the co-music supervisor and writer for "The Electric Company" and he has composed and written songs for "Sesame Street," and received six Emmy nominations and one win for his song with will.i.am, "What I Am."

THAYNE JASPERSON (Ensemble) has performed on Broadway in Matilda The Musical and Newsies The Musical. His film and television credits include High School Musical, "SMASH," "Submissions Only," and he was featured on Season 4 of "So You Think You Can Dance."

JASMINE CEPHAS JONES (Peggy Schuyler, Maria Reynolds) went to Berklee College of Music for vocal performance and The Neighborhood Playhouse for Theater. She is a member of the LAByrinth Theater Company. Her theater credits include The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (Atlantic Theater). Her film and television credits include Untitled Noah Baumbach, Titus (Dakus Films UK), "Blue Bloods" (CBS), "Unforgettable" (CBS), "The Blacklist" (NBC).

STEPHANIE KLEMONS (Swing) has appeared on Broadway in If/Then; Bring It On: The Musical; and In the Heights. She has also appeared Off-Broadway in In the Heights. She has toured nationally in Bombay Dreams and Tea with Chachaji, and appeared regionally in Fly: A Peter Pan Musical, Automatic Superstar, and Zelda: An American Musical. Her film credits include Jaaneman and Pa Rum Pum.

JAVIER MUÑOZ (Hamilton Standby) has performed on Broadway in In The Heights. His Off-Broadway credits include In The Heights, The Porch, and NYMF 2006 All Is Love. His television credits include Nickelodeon's "Umizumis."

OKIERIETE ONAODOWAN (Hercules Mulligan, James Madison) has performed on Broadway in Rocky and Cyrano de Bergerac, and Off-Broadway as Luce in Luce. His film and television credits include Thanks for Sharing, "Gravity," and "Blue Bloods."

LESLIE ODOM JR. (Aaron Burr) was last seen in City Center Encores' Tick Tick...Boom! this past summer alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda. He has previously appeared at The Public in Venice. Broadway credits include Leap of Faith and Rent. His select film and television credits include Red Tails; "SMASH"; "Person of Interest"; "Supernatural"; "Grey's Anatomy"; and "Law & Order: SVU."

ANTHONY RAMOS (John Laurens, Philip Hamilton) has performed in Sideways Stories from Wayside School and in Uncle Tom's Cabin in Philadelphia, as well as in Play Pen's Mr. Wheeler's. His film credits include Smile.

JON RUA (Ensemble) has appeared on Broadway in Hands on a Hardbody and In the Heights. He has appeared Off-Broadway in Kung Fu and The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity. His film and television credits include Fall to Rise and "Law & Order."

PHILLIPA SOO (Eliza Hamilton) recently appeared Off-Broadway in Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812 and has appeared regionally in School For Wives. Her television credits include "SMASH" and "Keep the Change."

SETH STEWART (Ensemble) has appeared on Broadway in In the Heights and Sweet Charity. He has also appeared Off-Broadway in In the Heights. His film and television credits include Friends with Benefits, Inside a Change, Music and Lyrics, "SMASH," and "Saturday Night Live."

BETSY STRUXNESS (Ensemble) has appeared on Broadway in Wicked, Memphis, Leap of Faith, Scandalous, and Matilda the Musical. She has toured nationally in Wicked, All Shook Up, and Oklahoma! She has appeared on television in "Louie" and "Law & Order: SVU."

EPHRAIM SYKES (Ensemble) has appeared on Broadway in Motown the Musical, Newsies the Musical, Memphis, and The Little Mermaid. His film and television credits include Leave It on the Floor, Dance Flick, "30 Rock," "SMASH," "It Could Be Worse," and "NYC 22."

VOLTAIRE WADE-GREENE (Swing) has appeared regionally with the Charlottesville Ballet Ensemble; Circus Nexus' "Rites and Rituals" and "Sugar Plum Dreams"; Contrast Dance Theater; and the Taj Mahal New Year's Ball. He has appeared on television in "SMASH."

Photo: @Lin_Manuel/Twitter