Yet another star of “Hamilton” declared his independence from the Tony-sweeping show on Sunday.
A week after he won a statuette for his depiction of Aaron Burr in the perpetually sold-out Broadway musical, actor Leslie Odom Jr. announced that he will be taking his final bow the same day as star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“I am indeed leaving on July 9,” the 34-year-old said on Facebook Live before Sunday’s matinee. “It has just been the most completely wonderful, totally healing and inspiring experience from beginning to end.”
The announcement makes him the third original cast member to ditch the history-making show.
“I will never forget the people that I’ve met here. I will never forget all of you,” Odom Jr. said. “I can’t wait to see all the guys that come after me and show me [more] about Burr.”
Last week, Miranda, who plays the title role, and Phillipa Soo, who plays Hamilton’s wife, also said they’d be leaving after that evening’s performance.
Odom Jr. took home the Best Actor in a Musical Tony, beating out Miranda for his portrayal of Hamilton’s nemesis, who also serves as the show’s narrator.
“I will cherish this,” he said as he accepted the prestigious award.
While he didn’t reveal what he had planned next, Odom Jr. did release a self-titled album earlier this month that is now topping iTunes’ jazz charts.
It is unclear how the loss of key original cast members will affect tickets, which are already sold out through next January.
“Hamilton” producers upped the cost of tickets last week in an effort to curb second-hand scalpers and resales by bringing the money into the theater. Center orchestra seats will now cost $849 with the rest of the tickets going for $179 to $199.
The new prices make the premium seats the most expensive in Broadway history, beating out the $477 tickets for “The Book of Mormon.”