Leslie Odom Jr. returns to original role in smash hit musical 'Hamilton' on Broadway
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Leslie Odom Jr. initially said 'no thank you' to 'One Night in Miami'
Leslie Odom Jr. chats with USA TODAY's Patrick Ryan about his portrayal of Sam Cooke in Regina King's "One Night in Miami."
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Leslie Odom Jr. is returning to Broadway for a much anticipated "Hamilton" reprisal.
The actor, among the founding fathers of the musical itself, will return to his role as constitutional framer Aaron Burr starting in September, he revealed in a Monday appearance on the "Today" show. A brief stint in his most defining character, Odom will embody the former vice president for just 12 weeks.
"You don't get shows that run 10 years," Odom told host Savannah Guthrie, remarking on the longevity of "Hamilton" as a Theatre District favorite. "There's a lot of shows we love, great shows, that you know they come and they go. That's the nature of the theater."
'Hamilton' producers cancel shows at Kennedy Center after Trump administration takeover
"For something to be embraced by the public and the culture in the way that 'Hamilton' has … it's twice in a lifetime," he added.
Odom, who originated the role in Lin-Manuel Miranda's smash hit, won a Tony Award for his performance in 2016. Now, he's celebrating the show's 10th anniversary in style and, while stopping short of revealing the details, teased in his appearance on "Today" that there are plenty more surprises in store for audiences heading to a performance any time over the course of the year.
The musical, a lively hip-hop infused take on early American history, has become a cultural phenomenon and catapulted both Odom and Miranda from Broadway performers to true blue Hollywood stars.
'Hamilton' star Leslie Odom Jr. shares 5 life lessons he's learned in 'Failing Up'
Odom, who started on Broadway in "Rent" when he was 17, told "Today" that this moment in his career has him feeling reflective.
"The fact that I'm still doing it and that I get to do it in these pieces that mean so much to me is just very meaningful," he said.
"I knew how I felt about it, but I could not imagine that you (the audience) would feel the way that I did," he said of its enduring success, adding that the show's release for streaming on Disney+ during the pandemic added a whole new legion of young fans.
Audiences can see Odom in the role of Burr at the Richard Rodgers Theatre starting Sept. 9 through Nov. 23.
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