The Unexpected Switch
When news broke that James Van Der Beek had to bow out of the Dawson's Creek live reading because a stomach virus struck him hard, the entertainment world braced for a scramble. What happened next read more like a Broadway script than a last‑minute PR fix: Lin‑Manuel Miranda, the man behind Hamilton and In the Heights, volunteered to step into the titular role of Dawson Leery. The announcement sent ripples through both TV nostalgia circles and musical‑theatre fan groups.
Van Der Beek had already been fighting a personal battle—stage‑III colorectal cancer diagnosed last year. He announced his inability to attend the event via Instagram on September 21, expressing deep disappointment and thanking fans for their support. “I won’t get to stand on that stage and thank every soul in the theatre,” he wrote, adding that he would be directing the reading from his hospital bed in Austin. His post also lifted the curtain on Miranda’s involvement, dubbing the Broadway creator a "demigod" for stepping in.
The switch was more than a simple understudy call‑out. It was a symbolic gesture: a Broadway titan paying tribute to a ’90s teen drama that helped shape a generation’s idea of love, loss, and small‑town drama. The audience, packed for a 7 PM charity reading at the historic Richard Rodgers Theatre, got an extra layer of excitement watching Miranda, in a crisp navy blazer, deliver Dawson’s iconic line about “taking risks.”
A Night of Stars for a Cause
The reading featured the original cast members—Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, and a host of supporting actors—re‑uniting to recite the pilot episode verbatim. Their chemistry, honed over decades, felt both nostalgic and fresh, as if the show had never left the screen. The producers, a powerhouse lineup that included Carl Ogawa, Jason Moore, Thomas Kail, Maggie Brohn, Kevin Williamson, and Greg Berlanti, ensured the evening ran like a seamless stage‑to‑screen crossover.
Every ticket sold contributed to the F Cancer foundation, an organization dedicated to funding research and patient support for gastrointestinal cancers. By the end of the night, the event had raised a six‑figure sum, a testament to the combined pull of TV nostalgia and Broadway star power. Even Van Der Beek’s family, watching from a hospital room, felt the love radiating from the audience as he later relayed in an Instagram story.
Beyond the dollars, the evening underscored a larger industry trend: artists from different mediums uniting for charitable causes. When Miranda took a deep breath and delivered Dawson’s opening monologue, he wasn’t just filling a role—he was honoring a friend’s fight and reminding fans that community can bridge the gap between a sitcom set and a Broadway stage. The Dawson's Creek reunion will be remembered not just for its star‑studded cast, but for the solidarity it sparked across the entertainment world.