James Van Der Beek Forced to Drop Out of ‘Dawson’s Creek’ Reunion Due to Illness, Lin-Manuel Miranda to Replace Him in Script Reading

James Van Der Beek took to Instagram Sunday evening to reveal he will not be joining Monday’s “Dawson’s Creek” reunion due to a stomach illness. The actor announced last November that he was diagnosed with stage three colorectal cancer.

Luckily for fans, he has a Tony-winning understudy to take his place in the table read: Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“This is the evening I’d been looking forward to MOST since my angel Michelle Williams said she was putting it together, way back in January,” he wrote. “So you can imagine how gutted I was when two stomach viruses conspired to knock me out of commission and keep me grounded at the worst possible moment. Despite every effort… I won’t get to be there.”

“But I DO have an understudy,” he continued. “A ridiculously overqualified replacement who would have been #1 on my wishlist (had I ever dreamed he’d be available). Someone my kids would definitely consider an upgrade over me… Plus, he already knows how to get to the theater. So that’s convenient. The role of ‘Dawson,’ usually played by James Van Der Beek…Will be played by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Can’t believe I just got to type that.”

The reunion, first announced in August, sees the original cast of “Dawson’s Creek” together for the first time since the series wrapped in 2003. The event benefits F Cancer and Van Der Beek, and will feature a table read of the show’s 1998 pilot episode. Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe and Busy Philipps are all set to attend. Philipps, Smith and Monroe, who joined the cast after the first season, will read various roles from the pilot.

Jason Moore, who directed three episodes of The WB teen drama, serves as director for the reunion.

“I’m so grateful and excited that everyone is coming together for one night to honor James and Fuck Cancer,” Williamson told Variety earlier this month. “In addition to the pilot reading, Jason has some pretty amazing surprises in store.”

The evening is produced by Carl Ogawa, Jason Moore, Michelle Williams, Thomas Kail, Maggie Brohn, series creator Kevin Williamson and Greg Berlanti.

Miranda is best known as the writer and star of the Broadway sensation “Hamilton,” which is currently screening in theaters nationwide. He has also appeared in films like “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” “tick, tick…BOOM!” and “In the Heights,” and TV shows like “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” Big Mouth,” “His Dark Materials” and “Bluey.”