Leslie Odom, Jr. in ‘Hamilton’ on Broadway. Photo:
Theo Wargo/WireImage
When King George sings “You’ll Be Back” in Hamilton, turns out, he was talking about Leslie Odom, Jr.
A decade after his debut, the Oscar-nominated actor will return to the Broadway production of the hit Lin-Manuel Miranda musical for a strictly limited 12-week run at New York City’s Richard Rodgers Theatre from Sept. 9 through Nov. 23.
Odom, Jr., 43, made the announcement during an appearance on the Today show on Monday, April 14.
Once again, he will play Aaron Burr — the role that he created in Hamilton. Odom, Jr. earned both a leading actor in a musical Tony Award for the part, and a Grammy Award for being a principal soloist on the show’s original cast recording.
“Returning to Hamilton is a deeply meaningful homecoming,” Odom, Jr. said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “I’m so grateful for the chance to step back into the room—especially during this anniversary moment — and to revisit this brilliant piece that forever changed my life and the lives of so many.”
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Hamilton began performances on Broadway in July 2015, officially opening that August. Odom, Jr., who also played Burr during its workshops and Off-Broadway run, made his final bow in the musical in July 2016.
The actor made his Broadway debut in Rent when he was just 17. That musical was also produced by Hamilton’s lead producer Jeffrey Seller.
“The fact that I’m still doing it and I get to do it in these pieces that mean so much to me is just very meaningful,” Odom, Jr. told Savannah Guthrie on Today.
“Jeffrey invited me to Broadway 25 years ago, I joined his Broadway company of Rent, and now to rejoin the Broadway company of Hamilton — you don’t get shows that run 10+ years,” he continued. “There’s a lot of shows we love, great shows… they come and they go, that’s the nature of the theater. So for something to be embraced by the public and the culture in the way that Hamilton has and the way that Rent was? It’s twice in a lifetime.”
Leslie Odom, Jr. and Lin-Manuel Miranda in ‘Hamilton’ on Broadway. Theo Wargo/Getty Images
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Since his time in Hamilton, Odom, Jr. has returned to Broadway stage once more — in the acclaimed 2023 revival of Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch by Ossie Davis. He earned a Tony nomination for his performance in the production, which was captured for part of PBS’ Great Performances.
On screen, the actor received two Academy Award nominations for his portrayal of Sam Cooke in One Night in Miami, directed by Regina King. He’s starred in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, The Many Saints of Newark, Harriet, and has been seen on the small screen in Abbott Elementary, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, Central Park and more.
Odom, Jr. has also released five albums — his most recent being 2023’s When a Crooner Dies — and dropped a memoir, Failing Up: How to Take Risks, Aim Higher, and Never Stop Learning, which is out now in paperback.
Leslie Odom, Jr. at opening night of ‘Purlie Victorious’ in 2023. Bruce Glikas/Getty
But without a doubt, Hamilton changed the trajectory of Odom, Jr.’s career. His performance was even captured alongside the original cast in a filmed version of the musical, streaming on Disney+ now.
And while the children Odom, Jr. shares with wife Nicolette Robinson — daughter Lucille Ruby, 8, and son Able Phineas, 4 — can surely watch that, the actor said on Today that his return to Hamilton will be the first time he’s played the role on stage.
“My kids weren’t even born when we did Hamilton, so the fact that these kids are going to come to see it this time…” Odom, Jr. said. “That’s been the surprise.”
Tickets for Hamilton are now on sale.
