A Star Returns

Leslie Odom Jr. Returns as Aaron Burr for Hamilton

Photo by Eric Haynes / CC BY-SA 4.0

On Apr. 14, Leslie Odom Jr. was announced on the “Today” show to return to the Broadway stage as Aaron Burr for the revolutionary musical Hamilton's 10th anniversary. On Tuesday, Sept. 9, he reprised his role on stage and received a standing ovation that lasted almost a full minute after he appeared. Odom is signed for 12 weeks worth of performances, which means his last show will be on Nov. 26.

“I was really excited [for his return],” freshman Ann Reilly Brown said. “But he does have hair now so it is kind of weird. I really wish I could go see him.” 

The last time Odom made an appearance as Aaron Burr on stage was at the 2025 Tony Awards, where nearly 30 members of the original Hamilton cast reunited. Before that, he performed in 2016 as the original Aaron Burr, back when the show first debuted on the Broadway stage. He performed from August 2015 to July 2016, a run that earned him a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and a Grammy Award for being involved in the Best Musical Theater Album. 

“I literally cannot wait, it is going to be the best thing ever,” junior Regan Mayfield said. “I absolutely wish I could go see him live.” 

The show was so groundbreaking that it earned a spot on Disney+ as a movie. Now, in 2025, the movie has hit theatres as fans fill auditoriums with friends to sing along in their best Hamilton costumes. 

Many shows were almost completely sold out just days after the news of his return was made public. With the significant rise in tickets sold to see him live, the cost of tickets has also increased. Prices have risen to as much as $1200, making Hamilton the highest earning production the first week of his return. 

Fans are ecstatic about the return of Leslie Odom Jr. Many are now starting to wonder whether he’ll be the only original cast member deciding to surprise us with their return.