Got a Hit? He’ll Do it! Andrew Rannells Enters the Hamilton Kingdom on October 27

Andrew Rannells is continuing his Broadway track record of only appearing in blockbusters as he steps into the shoes of King George in Hamilton on October 27. Rannells temporarily replaces Jonathan Groff, who is on hiatus filming the final installment of HBO’s Looking.

“I feel so fortunate that I get to pop in for five weeks,” Rannells told Broadway.com. “I get to be a little part of this huge hit musical and then see ya later for the holidays!” The Book of Mormon Tony Award nominee was last seen as the first replacement for Neil Patrick Harris in Hedwig and the Angry Inch for a similarly short run of eight weeks. “This is my thing,” he joked. “You get me for a little bit and then I’ll peace out.”

In addition to Mormon, Rannells appeared on Broadway in the, yup, smash hits Jersey Boys and Hairspray. On TV, he headlined the sitcom The New Normal and is a regular on HBO’s Girls. Films include Bachelorette and the current comedy The Intern.

“[Hamilton] is such a wonderful group of people,” he added. “And Jonathan Groff is a good friend of mine so it’s been really fun to hang out with him backstage and for him to show me the ropes. I’m really just so honored that they asked me!” Rannells is expected to perform King George at the Richard Rodgers Theatre through November 29, with Groff scheduled to return on December 1.

Directed by Thomas Kail and featuring a book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton is inspired by the book Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. The new musical follows the scrappy young immigrant who forever changed America, from bastard orphan to Washington's right hand man, rebel to war hero, loving husband caught in the country's first sex scandal to Treasury head who made an untrusting world believe in the American economy. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Eliza Hamilton and lifelong Hamilton friend and foe, Aaron Burr, all make appearances in the tuner about America’s fiery past.

Starring Miranda in the title role, the cast also currently includes Christopher Jackson as George Washington, Leslie Odom Jr. as Aaron Burr, Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton, Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Phillip Hamilton, Daveed Diggs as Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler and Javier Muñoz as Hamilton alternate.