West Orange’s Okieriete Onaodowan, part of the original Broadway cast of the blockbuster “Hamilton,” is following up with another major hit, replacing Josh Groban in “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” this summer.
Onaodowan, also known as Oak, created the dual roles of brash spy Hercules Mulligan and the handkerchief-clutching politician James Madison in “Hamilton,” and was the last of the original cast to leave the production, making his final bow in December.
We’re thrilled to announce one of the original stars of @HamiltonMusical joins @GreatCometBway as Pierre starting July 3! #WhatAboutPierre pic.twitter.com/iV9Uf5HXn9
— The Great Comet (@GreatCometBway) February 15, 2017
Onaodowan, whose Broadway credits include small roles in “Rocky” and “Cyrano de Bergerac” and who toured in “American Idiot,” will play Pierre opposed Denee Benton as Natasha starting July 3. Groban had made his Broadway debut as Pierre last year, is leaving the production the day before.
The show is based on a section of “War and Peace” and has won raves, with The Star-Ledger’s Christopher Kelly saying it “redefines the boundaries of traditional musical theater.”
Onaodowan, whose parents immigrated here from Nigeria, was part of a purposefully diverse cast of “Hamilton.” In ‘The Great Comet,” he is once again cast in the role of a white character (as is his future co-star Benton), which director Rachel Chavkin tells the New York Times is “emblematic of the world we have worked to put together, which is utopic and multiracial and pluralistic — it’s a world that has space for everyone.”
Onaodowan will also appear on HBO’s “Girls” next month, and also has a role in the upcoming thriller “The Super,” starring Val Kilmer.
Tickets for “The Great Comet” are on sale via Telecharge.com or by visiting the Imperial Theater box office, 249 West 45th Street). Tickets are $59 to $169.
Vicki Hyman may be reached at vhyman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @vickihy or like her on Facebook. Find NJ.com/Entertainment on Facebook, and check out Remote Possibilities, the podcast from Vicki Hyman and co-host Erin Medley on iTunes, Stitcher or listen here or below.
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