Unless you’ve been under a rock lately, you’ve heard about Broadway’s new smash musical, Hamilton. It’s being described this way:
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, Hamilton is an exploration of a political mastermind. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Eliza Hamilton, and lifelong Hamilton friend and foe, Aaron Burr, all attend this revolutionary tale of America’s fiery past told through the sounds of the ever-changing nation we’ve become.
A lottery for $10 tickets began a few weeks ago to kick off the premiere. Since then, hundreds of people have shown up outside The Richard Rogers Theatre to stand in lines that stretch around the block in the hopes of winning a ticket. Every evening, two hours before the performance, cast members come out to perform for the crowd in surprising ways. For example, Renée Elise Goldsberry and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda have come out and sung random songs as well as selections from the musical, answered questions using Les Mis quotes, and interacted with the crowd. The buzz on social media for the lottery is growing and is becoming as much of a must-see as the musical itself.
Today at #Ham4Ham, #LinManuelMiranda answered fan questions using only quotes from Les Miserables!
A video posted by Hamilton (@hamiltonmusical) on
In case you don’t get to see Hamilton, have no fear; the cast album will be released this fall, executive produced by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, two members of Hip Hop group, The Roots. The New Yorker describes the music in Hamilton as “rooted in hip hop, but also encompassing R&B, jazz, pop, Tin Pan Alley, and the choral strains of contemporary Broadway.”
Hamilton has been well received in previews and will officially open on August 6.
