This Saturday, the curtains at the Richard Rogers Theatre will close on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s last performance in Hamilton. Unbelieving fans have been grieving for weeks, while tickets to the performance have climbed to $20,000 each on StubHub. The show that electrified audiences on stage and screen, and had critics urging theatre-goers to mortgage their homes for tickets, will surely not be the same without its irrepressible star.
While Miranda’s departure may be too soon for the throngs that pack 46th Street to catch a glimpse of him during the weekly #Ham4Ham shows, there is hope that one day we may all see him perform in the titular role. Miranda has promised that the original cast performance will be recorded for posterity, although it’s unclear how and when it would be released. As for a film version of the musical, we may be two decades older by the time that it’s ready, he admitted in an interview with Rolling Stone.
Fans can rest assured that Miranda will not drop from view. He and Jennifer Lopez have released a musical tribute on iTunes to benefit the survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando. Meanwhile, his work on Disney’s Moana and a starring role in a Mary Poppins sequel will bring him to the big screen soon, at a much more affordable price. And for future audiences of Hamilton, there’s always the possibility that, for one night only, Miranda will be back, not throwing away his shot.