The inevitable has come, with reports surfacing that Lin-Manuel Miranda will be leaving Hamilton after one final performance on July 9. Miranda has reportedly told friends and coworkers that he’s leaving the show to pursue other avenues in his career, something that should come as no surprise to anyone who’s been following that career. Over the past 12 months or so, the Hamilton star and creator has landed gigs doing everything from writing songs for Disney’s Moana to starring opposite Emily Blunt in Mary Poppins Returns, and one of Miranda’s other Broadway shows, In The Heights, was just tapped for a film adaptation. Hamilton itself is even about to start moving past Broadway, with a whole new production coming to Chicago in the fall and a touring production expected to launch in 2017.
While the show will no doubt continue to run in New York, most Broadway insiders seem certain that a good portion of the rest of the cast might walk away from the production soon as well, with most demanding bigger paychecks and seeking greener pastures now that they’re in the spotlight.
Hamilton is up for a record-breaking 16 Tony Awards at this year’s ceremony, held later this month. The show has made millions upon millions of dollars, with The Hollywood Reporter noting that it grossed $1.9 million over eight shows last week alone.