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Finally stepping out of New York, the record-breaking 16-Tony-nominated "Hamilton" is coming to Chicago, and Chicago couldn't be more excited. Reviewers have called the musical enthralling and impassioned, one going as far as to recommend mortgaging your house and leasing your children if necessary to obtain a ticket. For many, conjuring up an image of the founding fathers brings to mind dollar bills and old schoolbooks. The production revolutionizes this viewpoint by transforming the stale and musty whitewashed images into an incredibly diverse cast of young rebels, infusing the story of the life of the first American Secretary of the Treasury and founder of our modern financial system with modern-day relevance and heady hip-hop flavor.
When and Where
Opening September 27, 2016, "Hamilton" will play at the PrivateBank Theatre, with performances scheduled six days a week. Each performance has a runtime of two hours and 55 minutes, with one intermission. The show is scheduled to perform for at least 18 months, though this term is likely to be extended with high demand.
The Buzz
Produced by the inexhaustible Scott Rudin, the production has already made record-breaking history both with the incredible diversity of its cast as well as for being nominated for 16 Tony awards, more than any show in history. The musical made its Off-Broadway debut at The Public Theater in February 2015, where its engagement was sold out. The show transferred to Broadway that summer, opening on August 6, 2015 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. On Broadway, it has received enthusiastic critical acclaim and unprecedented box office sales.
How to See It
Many who have already heard the buzz have also heard about the staggering demand for a single ticket. New York has long resorted to distributing tickets through a lottery system for the most popular show nights. They are also sold for hundreds of dollars on third-party ticket sites, with many paying more than $1,000 per seat. Stories of counterfeit ticket sales abound. One couple reported arriving at a show with a third-party purchased ticket, making it all the way to their assigned seats before finding the seats already filled and having to leave.
Single tickets go on sale to the public on Tuesday, June 21 at Ticketmaster but many seats have already been purchased by season subscription members and through early-sale bulk-seat purchases. A quick search of third-party vendors has revealed that many of these have already been put back onto the market and can be purchased at a cost anywhere from $300 to $2000. These prices will most likely drop once single ticket sales officially begin, although once this happens, they will likely not be in stock for long.
For those who were not lucky enough to purchase their full season subscription, it is possible to purchase tickets now. If you choose to go this route, make sure you do your research beforehand, avoiding any suspicious or less-established third-party sellers or any too-good-to-be-true deals. There are scammers out there looking to take advantage of the buzz and hype; don't let yourself fall victim to their profiteering.
Your best bet is to try to get the tickets as soon as the single ticket sales begin and to act as quickly as you can. Consider purchasing a season subscription for the future, which will give you easy access to the entire host of Broadway shows in Chicago for a steep discount.
Worth the Cost
"Hamilton" puts a mirror to what is often perceived as dusty history and shows us exactly how much of ourselves we still see, reflecting a modern America in political intrigue as well as in character diversity. No wonder this is marked as one of the most groundbreakingly popular Broadway plays in history.
Hamilton will open on September 27 at The PrivateBank Theatre in Chicago.