DOWNTOWN — The actor who's been playing Aaron Burr in "Hamilton" since its Chicago debut is leaving the show, and new signs suggest his replacement is Wayne Brady.
Joshua Henry, who was tapped in August to play Alexander Hamilton's nemesis in the hit musical, is departing the Chicago cast of "Hamilton" to join its upcoming national tour, the show announced Thursday.
The timing of Henry's departure has yet to be determined, and a spokeswoman for Broadway in Chicago said his replacement will be announced at a later date.
But the Tribune reports that Brady — the actor perhaps best known for his improv work on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" — has been spotted Downtown recently, piquing interest from theater observers who believe he may play Burr in Chicago soon.
Brady's recent followers on Twitter include Broadway In Chicago, which handles press and tickets for the Chicago run of "Hamilton," as well as Alex Lacamoire, the show's music supervisor.
So pretty sure @waynebrady is the next #HamiltonCHI Aaron Burr. Look at his recent followers. @HamiltonMusical pic.twitter.com/m5OKiuwayI
— Ali Trumbull (@atrumbull) January 6, 2017
Brady's theater agent declined to comment Friday through an assistant.
"Hamilton" may suit Brady, who performed in a 2004 production of "Chicago" on Broadway and was the lead in last year's run of "Kinky Boots," another Broadway musical. Brady drew praise from "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda after Brady improvised a rap about the Mayflower voyage last fall on his game show, "Let's Make A Deal."
Hamilton's national tour will begin March 10 in San Francisco.
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