Fil-Am actor plays Alexander Hamilton in hit Broadway musical
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 20) — For the first time, an Asian-American actor plays the lead role in the hit musical "Hamilton." The better news: he has Filipino blood.
Marc dela Cruz, who is of Filipino-Japanese and American descent, on Saturday debuted his stint as Alexander Hamilton in the Broadway production of the musical.
Dela Cruz was born in Hawaii to a Filipino father and mixed-race mother.
He first joined Hamilton's cast in November last year, playing multiple roles.
Other half-Filipino actors in Hamilton's Broadway casts are Karla Garcia and Isa Briones. Rachelle Ann Go and Christine Allado, meanwhile, join the London cast of the musical.
READ: Filipina actresses join London cast of 'Hamilton'
Hamilton uses jazz, hip-hop, and other varied genres of music to detail the American revolution and the life of Hamilton, one of the founding fathers of the U.S.
The play gained cultural acclaim as it tapped into a colored cast amid racial discrimination and immigration issues in the U.S. It bagged various prizes, including a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and 11 Tony Awards.
