On Wednesday, actor, activist, and Puerto Rican native Lin-Manuel Miranda announced his play “Hamilton” will be coming to San Juan’s Teatro University of Puerto Rico (UPR). The star of the show? Miranda himself, for the first time since July 2016.
But fans will have to be patient to see Miranda back in his original role. The show will run from Jan. 8 to 27 ... of 2019, according to Playbill.
Bit of a day.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 8, 2017
I have a year and a bit to remember the words.
🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷 https://t.co/QsmelVlscX
Constant #SUPERHERO❤️❤️❤️❤️@Lin_Manuel#PuertoRicohttps://t.co/iuV1irypXb
— Javier Muñoz (@JMunozActor) November 8, 2017
Hamilton is coming to Puerto Rico, in January, 2019, for a limited run and @Lin_Manuel will play Alexander Hamilton! Time to get his costume out of the @smithsonian !
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) November 8, 2017
“Bringing ["Hamilton"] to Puerto Rico is a dream that I’ve had since we first opened at The Public Theater in 2015,” Miranda said in a statement. “In the aftermath of Maria we decided to expedite the announcement of the project to send a bold message that Puerto Rico will recover and be back in business, stronger than ever.”
Take Action: Call on World Leaders to Help Millions of People Affected by Extreme Weather
Miranda made the announcement from the Teatro UPR stage, which suffered roof and ventilation damage during Hurricane Maria, WBUR reports.
More than a month after the storm, 60% of Puerto Ricans remain without power, and 20% lack access to running water, which has led to the emergence of bacterial diseases like leptospirosis.
Global Citizen is calling on world leaders to help the millions of people who have been affected by extreme weather. You can take action on this issue here.
Roughly one in two Puerto Ricans on the island live below the federal poverty line, and 58% of Puerto Rican children live in poverty, according to Pew Research Center.
Yesterday, Miranda announced a partnership worth $2.5 million with the Hispanic Federation, which is partnering with organizations on the ground to provide relief work, AP reports.
Read More: Puerto Rico’s Crisis Is Not About ‘Broken Infrastructure.’ It’s About Poverty
“The road to recovery in Puerto Rico is not a simple one nor is it one that relies solely on aid from the American government on the mainland,” Miranda said at the time. “Together, we will cultivate, fund and execute practical and actionable solutions to kick-start and continue the island’s road to recovery for years to come.”
Miranda hopes that by bringing “Hamilton” to the island, he can help also spur tourism.
In 2015, according to Business Insider, tourism made up nearly half of Puerto Rico’s GDP. The US Travel Association estimated after the storm that tourism could decrease by half — leading to a net loss of 36,600 jobs.
“In the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, we hope Hamilton can play a positive role in bringing the artistic pulse of the community back to life,” "Hamilton" producer Jeffrey Seller said Thursday. “Arts and culture are pillars for economic development, cultural tourism, community empowerment and growth.”
In the wake of the storm, Seller and Miranda are not throwing away their shot.