Recently, three of the leads of the 11-Tony Award winning musical Hamilton on Broadway departed the show and had their final performance (Lin Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, and Leslie Odom Jr.). Also recently, there have been a few more announcements of cast members' departures from the show. Recently I have read multiple comments and heard from quite a few people that they think that the show is going to go "downhill" now that the original cast members are starting to leave. As someone who is very involved in theatre, and is also a huge Broadway nerd, I can say that although I'm sad to see so many of the originals leave the show (because I dream of the day I see Lin Manuel Miranda perform in person, and because so many of them are talented as well), that's just show business everyone!
If you weren't aware, actors have normal lives too! They have families they go home to and friends they want to have time for too. When you're a Broadway actor who's performing 8 shows a week, you're lucky if you even get to see your family for a few hours every day. The life of an actor is not easy. Sometimes doing a show 8 times a week can take a toll on your energy, and on your normal life, or you simply just need a break. And sometimes it's just the simple need to move on. That's why these actors decided to leave a show... not because they dislike the show or they dislike acting, they just really need to move on or need a break.
Believe me, I've definitely had my time of heartbreak every time I see one of my favorite actors leave a show I didn't get a chance to see yet. I've been heartbroken so many times now that I think I've kind of gotten used to it. I see articles all over the place announcing replacements of certain actors or the departure of other actors from a show. It's not always easy for a theatre nerd like me to hear this news. When Bryce Pinkham left "A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder" just a couple of weeks before I was supposed to go see it? I was so angry and heartbroken that I had this mindset that the show was not going to be as good anymore because he was no longer in it. That's where I learned that I was SO wrong! The performance was amazing and now that show has become one of my favorite musicals I've ever seen. The actor who replaced Bryce Pinkham did a great job, and we even got to meet him after the show as well!
Just because an actor leaves a show doesn't mean the show is going to be terrible now. The success of 'Hamilton' wasn't just because of the actors who were in it (though that was a good part of it's success, as with many other shows) but the show has had so much success because of what it is about and so many other aspects of the show that are amazing that don't even have to do with the actors. From set design, light design, sound design, and costume design to music score, direction, choreography, and more... I could go on and on!
But to the people who are saying that the show is going to go "down hill" (or that they don't even want to see it anymore) now that Lin, Phillipa, Leslie (and soon to be Daveed) have left the show, I would love for you to look at other aspects of the show that you might not think about normally.
Might I remind you of some of the other Broadway shows that are still running years later without the originals? Phantom of the Opera has gone through how many Phantoms' since it opened? What about "Wicked?" That show is still running and Idina Menzel hasn't been Elphaba in years! Wicked and Phantom continue to thrive in the Broadway world and are considered "must see" shows to any theatre goer, and they are constantly changing their cast. Each actor that has played Elphaba has had their success... as will each Phantom, each Jean Valjean, each Elder Price, and each Alexander Hamilton, etc. etc.
I'm not hating on actors and saying they're not the reason a show is successful, they're just not the only reason a show is successful. Actors are very important to a show, and as an actor myself, I can say that the work of an actor can be difficult. You really have to work hard to accurately portray a character on stage, and especially with shows like Hamilton, where the entire show is about the life of a historical figure and these people actually existed, it's much more crucial that you get it right.
But actors also need a break, and they need to move on. That's a part of showbiz! Do you really think that the man who wrote the show and also played the lead in it would play the role forever? No matter what, 'Hamilton' will be as successful as it has been since it opened for previews a little more than one year ago. Show business is a busy and crazy world to live in, but join me in loving and supporting this beautiful art we call theatre!
