If you have tickets to see Hamilton this January, you can expect King George to have a new, but familiar face. According to Variety, former Saturday Night Live star Taran Killam begins his Hamilton run on Jan. 17. The SNL fan favorite is not wasting any time stepping into the role of King George, aka the man who inadvertently inspires Hamilton and his friends to start the American Revolution. King George will be Killam's first Broadway role — and yes, nabbing a major role in Hamilton is an unbelievable way to kick off a stage career.
Hamilton is going through a number of cast changes at the beginning of the year. If you are lucky enough to have tickets in January or March, you will be among the first people to see Killam and his fellow new recruits take the stage. The cast will also welcome J. Quinton Johnson as Hercules Mulligan and James Madison, and Bryan Terrell Clark as George Washington in January. On top of that, Anthony Lee Medina joins as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in March. Killam is by far the most high-profile new member of the cast, thanks to his six year-run on SNL. And when he joins the show in January, he is sure to draw even more new fans to the mega hit that is Hamilton .
If it's possible, tickets may be even harder to get in 2017, but knowing Hamilton is adding bright stars like Killam to the cast makes the high demand all the more understandable.
While it may seem odd for an actor to begin their Broadway career starring in the hottest show around, Killam is more than prepared to take on the role of King George. SNL gave him the experience needed to handle the hectic world of live theater. He knows the pressures of performing in front of a live audience, and he played everyone from Senator Ted Cruz to Game of Thrones' Ser Davos during his time on SNL. Getting into character as King George should be no problem for Killam. I can already imagine him using his superb comic timing to leave audiences giggling during the show's funniest number, "You'll Be Back."
Killam's extensive résumé includes 12 Years a Slave, a concert staging of Little Shop of Horrors with Jake Gyllenhaal, and several episodes of Drunk History. The diversity of his career choices so far proves he is always up for a new challenge. Rest assured, King George — who was previously played to perfection by Rory O'Malley — is in good hands.
Hamilton is going through some changes at the beginning of 2017, but with stars like Killam joining the cast, the show is going to continue to be a phenomenon for a long time to come.
