Learn about Leslie Odom, Jr's stage work ahead of 'Hamilton'

The Oscar nominee and Hamilton's original Aaron Burr makes his West End debut reprising his Tony-winning role this summer.

Summary

• Leslie Odom Jr. won a Tony for originating the role of Aaron Burr in Hamilton
• His other Broadway credits include Leap of Faith and Purlie Victorious
• He was Oscar nominated for One Night in Miami...
• Odom reprises the role of Burr in the West End production of Hamilton this summer

It’s Aaron Burr, Sir! Leslie Odom, Jr., Hamilton’s original Burr, makes his West End debut at the Victoria Palace Theatre from 3 July to 5 September reprising his signature role. Since originating the role on Broadway in 2015 and winning a Tony, Odom has also carved out a successful screen career – earning Oscar nominations for acting and songwriting along the way.

Odom was born in New York City in 1981 and was raised in Philadelphia. He made his Broadway debut as a teenager prior to enrolling at Carnegie Mellon University. After rising to stardom in Hamilton, he appeared on screen in Murder on the Orient Express (directed by Kenneth Branagh), Harriet (with Cynthia Erivo), and One Night in Miami…, in which he played the soul singer and songwriter Sam Cooke, and received Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor and Best Song.

Odom’s other film credits include The Many Saints of Newark, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and The Exorcist: Believer. He has also released five studio albums. Ahead of his West End debut, read on to learn more about his stage credits to date.

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Rent

In 1998, Odom Jr made his Broadway debut in the rock musical Rent as Paul (the leader of the Life Support Group) / Cop. He was 17 when he joined the company of the hit show.

Dreamgirls

In 2001, Odom was part of the ensemble of a super-starry one-night-only concert production of Dreamgirls for the Actors Fund of America at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts (now the Lyric Theatre). The cast was led by Lillias White as Effie, Audra McDonald as Deena, and Heather Headley as Lorrell.

Jersey Boys

Prior to its 12-year run on Broadway, Jersey Boys, which charts the story of the 1960s band The Four Seasons, had its premiere at La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego in autumn 2004. Odom was a member of the ensemble.

Being Alive

In 2007, Odom was part of this Stephen Sondheim-themed revue, with additional passages from Shakespeare, which was conceived by Billy Porter in order to "tell the universal story of man's seven ages in African American musical idioms including soul, jazz, blues, R&B, hip hop, and gospel”. The show was performed at the Westport Country Playhouse and the Philadelphia Theatre Company.

Once On This Island

The following year, Odom played Agwe, God of Water in Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s Caribbean-influenced musical inspired by The Little Mermaid at UCLA’s Freud Playhouse. It was on this production that Odom met the actress Nicolette Kloe Robinson – the couple married in 2012.

Leap of Faith

Odom returned to Broadway in 2012 in Alan Menken and Glenn Slater’s gospel-themed musical comedy about a con man pretending to be a man of faith (played by Raul Esparza). Odom Jr played Isaiah Sturdevant, a clergyman who is “on a break” from the Bible. The role showcased Odom’s dance skills and he won the Fred and Adele Astaire Award for Best Dancer on Broadway.

Venice

Matt Sax and Eric Rosen’s dystopian hip hop musical, which was partially influenced by Shakespeare’s Othello, was performed at New York’s The Public Theater in 2013. Odom Jr took the role of Markos Monroe, the power-hungry military-minded half-brother of the title character (the newly elected mayor of the city of the same name).

Tick, Tick... Boom!

The following year, Odom played Michael in New York City Center’s Encores! revival of Jonathan Larson’s autobiographical musical. The show was led by Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jon (this marked the first time that Odom and Miranda worked together).

Hamilton

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical Hamilton gave Odom his signature role of Aaron Burr, one of the United States’ most controversial Founding Fathers, and the show’s co-lead and antagonist. Odom’s journey with the mega-hit began with the 2014 workshop at 52nd Street Project, before the show’s Off-Broadway debut at The Public Theater in 2015, and ultimately Broadway later in the year.

Odom was praised for the extraordinary charisma and brooding intensity that he brought to this highly complex character. The show won 11 Tony Awards and Odom and Miranda competed against each other for Best Actor in a Musical, with Odom Jr victorious.

Purlie Victorious

In 2023, Odom returned to the stage in the first Broadway revival of Ossie Davis’s 1961 satirical farce set in Jim Crow-era Georgia, billed as “A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch”. In a five-star review, New York Theatre Guide’s reviewer commented that “Odom, a Tony winner for Hamilton, is a blast to watch – and hear – as he dives deep to deliver what Davis is preaching”. Odom received a Tony nomination for his performance.

Gutenberg! The Musical!

Later in 2023, Odom was one of many celebrities to make a one-night cameo as the producer in the Broadway premiere of Scott Brown and Anthony King’s madcap musical comedy. Former Book of Mormon stars Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad played the leads.

Hamilton (revisited)

In autumn 2025, Odom reprised the role of Aaron Burr in Hamilton on Broadway. This summer, Odom makes his West End debut in the West End production at the Victoria Palace Theatre. This strictly limited season will take place from 3 July to 5 September. You’ll want to be in the room where it happens!

Says Odom: "Returning to Hamilton and revisiting the role of Aaron Burr with the growth and perspective of time has been a profoundly healing artistic experience. I am having so much fun! The London production will grant me a few more glorious weeks to share Lin-Manuel’s music with an international audience who, I have learned, love this show as much, if not more, than I. I’m crossing the ocean and I just can’t wait.”

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Photo: Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr in Hamilton (Matthew Murphy)