Brian d’Arcy James, the Tony Award-nominated actor behind the title role of Shrek and as Nick Bottom in Something’s Rotten!, is finally getting the opportunity to play the role of British King George III in Hamilton: An American Musical on Broadway, starting on April 14. It just took a few years.
James originated the role when Hamilton was playing to sold-out audiences at the off-Broadway Public Theatre. However, he had to give up the role in March of 2015 after he had committed to his leading role in Something’s Rotten! When Hamilton transferred to the Richard Rodgers Theater in July of 2015, Jonathan Groff originated the Broadway role for which he received a Tony Award nomination. Andrew Rannels stepped in for a five-week period temporarily replacing Groff due to a film project commitment, but Groff returned to play King George until April of 2016.
In recent years Rory O’Malley also played the British monarch. James will take over the role from Saturday Night Live alumnus Taran Killam, who departs on April 13. O’Malley has been named to take over the role of the king when the national tour begins.
While regional runs in Chicago and, most recently, in San Francisco have opened, the Broadway cast of Hamilton is still going strong. Javier Muñoz continues in the title role with Brandon Victor Dixon playing Aaron Burr. Lexi Lawson stars as Eliza Hamilton, while Mandy Gonzalez plays her sister Angelica Schuyler. Bryan Terrell Clark has replaced Christopher Jackson as George Washington, while Seth Stewart plays the dual roles of the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. Jordan Fisher is featured as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, while J. Quinton Johnson portrays both Hercules Mulligan and James Madison.
