HAMILTON Principal Cast Replacements- Page 41

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 9/4/17 at 12:57am

^ It's probably a bit more tricky than simply replacing him. Who wants to be the production that fires someone who has been through as much as Javi when he's doing the best that he can? I can see the articles, statements, and interviews now. What a headache. That's a bit business minded, but with all the actor blog posts, and tweeting, and blah blah blah, replacing an actor with two terminal illinessss and an injury based on an attendance can be very merky territory.

To another end he's friends with Lin. He's an original Broadway cast member, maybe Lin and the producers are being empathetic to him given his relationship to the show and his circumstances.

Lastly, he's quite sensational in the role when he is there. I wouldn't be surprised if the quality of his work when he is present outweighs his absences. I don't think many non theater people are going to see him in the show. There are cavalcades of people who would see Hamilton with anyone in any role.

His personal circumstances, relationship to Lin and the show, and lack of audience disappointment/effect on the the box office probably all weigh in ultimately making it either a preparable or non issue for production.

[Rainah]

Posted: 9/4/17 at 10:48am

Hamilton also poured a huge amount of resources into promoting Javi as the one to see once the OBC left. So many headlines about "Meet the new Hamilton" and "See Javier, the sexy Hamilton". The general theatregoing audience know Javi's name more than most of the cast, and they want to see him. Last january I attended a performance he called out and I was startled at how unhappy people were at getting a replacement.

 

I can definitely see them not wanting to throw that away. Especially when Javi's not billed above the title, no one's getting a refund if he's not in, and he is still putting out an incredible performance every night he is in.

[akmiller_98]

Posted: 9/4/17 at 12:21pm

That's a bit business minded, but with all the actor blog posts, and tweeting, and blah blah blah, replacing an actor with two terminal illinessss and an injury based on an attendance can be very merky territory.

He does NOT have two terminal illnesses. As far as I know, he did not disclose what kind of cancer he had but his treatments were successful. He is also HIV positive, hardly considered terminal anymore. It is a chronic but managable illness and people live complete full lives with it. 
 

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 9/4/17 at 4:04pm

He does NOT have two terminal illnesses. As far as I know, he did not disclose what kind of cancer he had but his treatments were successful. He is also HIV positive, hardly considered terminal anymore. It is a chronic but managable illness and people live complete full lives with it. 

You are absolutely right. Thank you for that call out. It was late and I was speaking more broadly than I realized. I somehow forgot that HIV was reclassified as an infectious disease a few years ago. My apologies.

[Hairspray0901]

Posted: 9/4/17 at 8:54pm

I'm seeing Hamilton for the 2nd time next month (Oct 17th); It will be my Dad's first time seeing the show. Can't wait! I'm REALLY hoping Javier (who I saw in March '16), James and Mandy are still with the production by then. Anyone have any insight?

I was hoping to catch Brian D'Arcy James as King George but that didn't happen.

[Rainah]

Posted: 9/4/17 at 9:55pm

Javi's extended and it seems Mandy has as well, so you should stand a good chance of seeing all of them in the roles (Barring illness/vacation)

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 9/4/17 at 9:59pm

Barring any unforeseen circumstance, James will be in the show in October. He's having a blast with the role.

[secretschuylersister]

Posted: 9/5/17 at 2:31am

I come back to this thread on the daily in hopes of seeing some sort of announcement about Lexi leaving. Eliza is my favorite character and after traveling over 18 hours to see the show and waiting for 10 months, I was so disappointed with her portrayal of Eliza and also her vocals. It sounds like she was great before, even in ITH, and the videos I've seen of her were good but hearing her in person I felt so empty and disappointed. Maybe she was just having an off day? I'll be going back next July and I doubt she'll be there, but you never know!

Updated On: 9/5/17 at 02:31 AM

[Rainah]

Posted: 9/5/17 at 7:28am

I saw Lexi twice - once in Jan and once about a month and a half ago. She has improved significantly, but it's still not a portrayal that thrills me.

[nmlhats]

Posted: 9/5/17 at 2:42pm

I saw it in March with Javi (first time back after the injury), BVD, and Lexi; and I'm not gonna lie, I would not mind seeing a different Eliza when I go back in January and June. Seems like Breaker would make a good Burr, so I'd be happy to see him if he is still there in January.

But I'm still waiting for Cynthia Erivo to be cast as Burr!

[Visceral_Fella]

Posted: 9/5/17 at 3:16pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "nightnic001 said: "In Chicago, Aubin Wise will be taking over full time as Peggy/Maria sometime toward the end of September."

^ Here's alink to her post confirming that."

Is this no longer true? Samantha Ware tweeted something along the lines of I'll be on my knees belting an F until further notice, and Aubin has taken down this post.

Also, does anyone know who has been playing Angelica in Chicago since Karen left and when Montego starts? I know Jenni Harney played the role a few days ago, but there's no other info.

[Babe_Williams]

Posted: 9/5/17 at 3:42pm

secretschuylersister said: "I come back to this thread on the daily in hopes of seeing some sort of announcement about Lexi leaving. Eliza is my favorite character and after traveling over 18 hours to see the show and waiting for 10 months, I was so disappointed with her portrayal of Eliza and also her vocals. It sounds like she was great before, even in ITH, and the videos I've seen of her were good but hearing her in person I felt so empty and disappointed. Maybe she was just having an off day? I'll be going back next July and I doubt she'll be there, but you never know!"

I was  pretty underwhelmed with Lexi too. I felt like in a lot of the songs, her voice was completely drowned out. When I saw Ari Afsar in Chicago, I thought she was amazing and brought everything to the role that Lexi did not.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 9/5/17 at 4:00pm

Visceral_Fella said: "Also, does anyone know who has been playing Angelica in Chicagosince Karen left and when Montego starts? I know Jenni Harney played the role a few days ago, but there's no other info."

Candace Quarrels, Aubin Wise, and Jennie Harney have been on for the role since Karen's departure. Eager to hear when Montego officially starts. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 9/10/17 at 10:30pm

Joanna A. Jones is now listed as Broadway's Peggy/Maria on the show's website (with two sets of parentheses), even though there hasn't been a peep of official casting news from their press team. Why do they do this.

[Rainah]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 1:30am

Honestly in some cases this show seems to be on another level (Marketing, wow) and in others they seem to just be winging it completely (casting info, keeping the damn site updated, people going on for roles they're barely prepared for). It is... both frustrating and mildly amusing. Come on Hamilton, you gross something like 8 million dollars a week, you can hire a guy to do this stuff

[Ahmy]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 2:38pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "Joanna A. Jones is now listed as Broadway's Peggy/Maria on the show's website(with two sets of parentheses), even though there hasn't been a peep of official casting news from their press team. Why do they do this."

I noticed they've added Erin Clemons, who's listed as being in the ensemble and an understudy for the 3 sisters. But I can't recall anyone in the ensemble announcing they're leaving the show.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 2:39pm

^sydnee winters?

[MyLife]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 4:09pm

From the sound of Erin Clemons's bio it looks like she would be the W5 track, currently played by Elizabeth Judd. Judd is still listed though and I haven't heard about whether she was leaving.

They also added Amber Ardolino as a swing. I believe she is from the Chicago cast. And I imagine she's replacing Kamille Upshaw, who I adored and whose last performance was yesterday.

[HennySlay]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 4:23pm

MyLife said: "From the sound of Erin Clemons's bio it looks like she would be the W5 track, currently played by Elizabeth Judd. Judd is still listed though and I haven't heard about whether she was leaving.

They also added Amber Ardolino as a swing. I believe she is from the Chicago cast. And I imagine she's replacing Kamille Upshaw, who I adored and whose last performance was yesterday."

Actually, Amber Ardolino is a new universal swing. I think Eliza Ohman is replacing Kamille Upshaw. Ohman was a univerisal swing, and now she is just the Broadway Swing. 

[Ahmy]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 4:28pm

MyLife said: "From the sound of Erin Clemons's bio it looks like she would be the W5 track, currently played by Elizabeth Judd. Judd is still listed though and I haven't heard about whether she was leaving.

They also added Amber Ardolino as a swing. I believe she is from the Chicago cast. And I imagine she's replacing Kamille Upshaw, who I adored and whose last performance was yesterday."

Eliza Ohman is replacing Kamille, and Amber seems to have taken Eliza's place as a universal swing. I assumed Erin would be replacing Elizabeth, but like you said she hasn't said anything about leaving.
She could be one of the people who prefer to leave without an announcement of any kind.
 

[HennySlay]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 5:30pm

I wouldn't be suprised if Judd is joining the second national tour as one of the sisters. 

[Rainah]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 6:36pm

HennySlay said: "I wouldn't be suprised if Judd is joining the second national tour as one of the sisters."

File under "things that would make me travel to see the 2NT"

I hope she's not leaving, I've been dying to see her and it hasn't happened yet

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 7:17pm

Syndee is leaving this weekend. I wonder if Erin Clemons is being brought in as the new Schuyler sister stand by. I know her listing on the website is basically the W5 track, but I don't hold a lot of stock in Hamilton's website.

[hamiltonstradition]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 8:31pm

Judd must be leaving. Erin is the new W5 + Sisters U/S. Maybe Judd is moving to Standby after Syndee leaves.

As I said in the Chicago thread, something is telling me to keep an eye out for Samantha Ware, learning an Eliza track seems like they want her to take the role eventually....

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 9/11/17 at 11:07pm

hamiltonstradition said: "As I said in the Chicago thread, something is telling me to keep an eye out for Samantha Ware, learning an Eliza track seems like they want her to take the role eventually...."

Isn't it peculiar to train your principal Peggy/Maria for the entire Eliza track (and have her go on for it several times, too)? I feel like nobody's really talked about how unprecedented that is, given how many backups are already in the cast (a full-time standby, several understudies, and at least one universal swing...).

In my personal opinion, I'd hope she doesn't advance on the Eliza track. A friend who saw her said she played Eliza as angry, which is my least favorite way for an actor to portray that role.