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Excitement Continues To Surround 'Hamilton' With Javier Munoz In The Lead

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- It's been almost a month since Lin Manuel Miranda stepped down as the star of Hamilton.

With high expectations, Javier Munoz took over his role, and fans are excited.

As CBS2's Jill Nicolini reported, Munoz is no stranger to theater, and to Lin Manuel Miranda. The Brooklyn native worked with Miranda on 'In The Heights' and was his alternate in the Broadway phenomenon. He admits he was hesitant about the show's concept.

"Okay, well first thing I thought was 'this sounds a little strange.' But you know it's Lin and I trust him so I of course went in the room and it was upon hearing the music for the first time that it was clear this was going to be great. It just wasn't clear it was going to become what it has," he said.

The musical won 11 Tony awards, and Munoz said it relates to the audience.

"I think we've just touched upon something that I think audiences have been wanting for, for so long, right? It's diversity on stage, it's a living history, and it's something familiar to us," Munoz said.

He has performed for President Obama, and didn't even know Beyonce and Jaz-Z were in the audience one night.

"Thank goodness I did not know because I don't know if I would've opened my mouth. It was exciting, that was exciting to find out," he said.

The Broadway star spoke publicly about being HIV positive and being a cancer survivor.

"That's an honest truth. There are days where it's like okay I get it, I'm good. How do I do it? It's my family. My family is my root, they're my support, they're my everything. And without them I honestly don't know that I'd be here," he said.

The Hamilton craze still hasn't died out.

"I would really be excited to see it with Javier. I heard he's the smoking Hamilton," Elizabeth Cohen said.

"It's going to be fabulous no matter who is doing it. the show itself is great, the message is great," Leighanne Salter said.

Prices are still expensive. For Monday night's show, Ticketmaster listed tickets from $400 up to $2500.

Publicists for Hamilton said the show continues to sell out every performance now that Munoz is on board and theatre goers are encouraged to sign up for the daily lottery where they can win front row seats for $10 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre.

 

 

 

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