Lin-Manuel Miranda promises Chicago ‘Hamilton’ performance for Oscar López Rivera
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s break from playing Alexander Hamilton will be over soon.
The creator and former star of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton tweeted Tuesday he would return for one night in Chicago’s production to celebrate the release of Oscar López Rivera, a Puerto Rican nationalist whose 70-year prison sentence was commuted by President Barack Obama on Tuesday.
“Sobbing with gratitude here in London. OSCAR LOPEZ RIVERA IS COMING HOME. THANK YOU, @POTUS,” Miranda, who is of Puerto Rican descent, tweeted. “I wish I was with every in Chicago RIGHT NOOWWWWW.”
“Y @MMViverito, when you talk to Don Oscar, díle I’ve got a show for him in Chicago. It’ll be my honor to play Hamilton the night he goes,” Miranda added.
Rivera moved to the United States as a child, several years later landing in Chicago with his sister, and drafted to serve in the Vietnam War when he was 18. After his return, he eventually became a leader of the pro-Puerto Rican independence group FALN, which was responsible for over 100 bombings in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1981, Rivera was sentenced to 55 years in prison for seditious conspiracy to overthrow the United States government, with 15 years added in after a failed escape attempt in 1988.
The Chicago Hamilton production has created enough buzz on its own. Last week, Wayne Brady announced he would play Aaron Burr for a limited engagement through April. Miguel Cervantes plays the current Hamilton.
Sobbing with gratitude here in London.
OSCAR LOPEZ RIVERA IS COMING HOME.
THANK YOU, @POTUS.— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 17, 2017
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I wish I was with every
in Chicago RIGHT NOOWWWWW
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 17, 2017
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Y @MMViverito, when you talk to Don Oscar, díle I've got a show for him in Chicago. It'll be my honor to play Hamilton the night he goes.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 17, 2017
