Leslie Odom Jr. scheduled to resume HAMILTON run following mid-show exit

Leslie Odom Jr. is scheduled to resume his acclaimed performance as Aaron Burr in the West End production of HAMILTON after unexpectedly withdrawing from a matinee at London’s Victoria Palace Theatre.

The Tony and Grammy Award winner completed the first act of the musical on Thursday, 23 July, but did not return to the stage following the interval. Company member Manaia Glassey-Ohlson stepped into the role of Burr for the second act, allowing the performance to continue without cancellation. Odom was also absent from that evening’s performance.

A spokesperson for HAMILTON declined to provide further details about what prompted Odom’s departure but confirmed that he was expected to return for the Friday evening performance on 24 July. No additional changes to his limited London engagement were announced following the incident.

The unexpected substitution left some audience members disappointed, particularly those who had travelled considerable distances for the opportunity to see Broadway’s original Aaron Burr. One patron said they had undertaken a six-hour journey, while another had flown from Germany and planned an entire London trip around the performance. Despite their disappointment, much of the reaction on social media remained sympathetic, with fans expressing concern for Odom’s wellbeing.

Demand for Odom’s West End season has been substantial since the engagement was announced. Final tickets released in June were offered at a range of prices up to £275, alongside a limited number of £500 seats at each performance. From every £500 ticket sold, £225 is being directed towards HAMILTON’s education and outreach programme for young people who may otherwise be unable to attend the theatre.

Odom’s absence on Thursday was separate from a previously scheduled break in his performance calendar. The actor was already confirmed not to appear on Monday, 27 July, Tuesday, 28 July and Wednesday, 29 July, with customers notified of those dates during the booking process. His engagement is otherwise scheduled to continue until 5 September.

The nine-week season marks Odom’s West End debut and follows his highly anticipated return to the role on Broadway in 2025. He first developed Aaron Burr during HAMILTON’s early workshops before originating the role in the musical’s 2015 Off-Broadway production at The Public Theater. He transferred with the production to Broadway later that year, performing opposite the show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, as Alexander Hamilton.

Odom’s layered portrayal of the ambitious politician and eventual rival of Hamilton became one of the defining performances of the original production. He received the 2016 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and shared in the Grammy Award earned by the original Broadway cast recording. He departed the production in July 2016 before returning for a sold-out, limited Broadway engagement during the autumn of 2025.

His London appearance places him alongside a recently refreshed West End company led by Stephenson Ardern-Sodjeas Alexander Hamilton. The principal cast also includes Georgina Onuorah as Angelica Schuyler, Bente Mulan as Eliza Hamilton, Akmed Junior Khemalai as George Washington, Ashley J. Daniels as Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, and Daniel Boys as King George III. Yeukayi Ushe, who ordinarily plays Aaron Burr, remains part of the company during Odom’s limited season.

Featuring a book, music and lyrics by Miranda, HAMILTON reimagines the life of American founding father Alexander Hamilton through a score combining hip-hop, rap, jazz, R&B, blues and traditional musical theatre. The production is directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire.

Since its arrival in London in 2017, HAMILTON has become one of the West End’s longest-running contemporary musical successes. The production has won seven Olivier Awards, while the original Broadway staging received 11 Tony Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Following his previously announced three-performance break, Odom is scheduled to continue appearing as Aaron Burr at the Victoria Palace Theatre through Saturday, 5 September, subject to the usual conditions governing artist appearances in live theatre.

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