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Look out, Hamilton: Spamilton is coming for you. The Off Broadway spoof show based on the famed musical about founding fathers is relocating to a new theater, and the cast brought us along for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at their moving day. Yes, we were on the 1 train where it happened.
RECOMMENDED: A complete guide to Hamilton on Broadway
The cast left their old home, the Triad theater on the Upper West Side, and took us on a tour of iconic Manhattan spots along the way before reaching their new home at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre—right around the corner from the original A. Ham theater.
It’s quiet uptown, so the SpamFam is excited to get on a bigger and better stage. “We don’t have the same proximity to the fans that we did here at the Triad, but we still have that same energy on the stage,” says Nicole Vanessa Ortiz, who plays Angelica, Eliza (and Peggy) in the show.
Aaron Michael Ray, who covers the George Washington track (not that other Aaron), adds, “We’re updating the show as well. We put a few more surprises in there.” Need more reasons to go see it? It’s much easier to get to this show than it is to win the Hamilton ticket lottery, and it comes pre-approved by Lin-Manuel Miranda himself: “He’s been twice now,” says Dan Rosales, who plays Miranda-as-Hamilton. “It’s really amazing how he can laugh at himself and laugh with everyone else laughing at him.”
Head down to their new home at 304 West 47th Street to meet them inside, and check out our hilarious trek below:
“Do you like it uptown?”
“Don’t forget from whence you came.”
“I traveled the wide, wide world.”
“There’s nothing like summer in the city.”
“They pull up in their carriages and gawk.”
“I don’t know how to say no to this.”
“In the greatest city in the world!”
“Take a break.”
“Wouldn’t you like to work a little closer to home?”
“In New York you can be a new man.”
Photographs: Kelsey Dubinsky