Lin Manuel Miranda has made history by not letting us forget the history that made us. Hamilton has announced that they will be performing their last show at the CIBC Theatre in Chicago on January 5, 2020, after nearly a 4-year run. Tickets have already gone on sale for the rest of the run.
The Chicago production of Hamilton was the first production to open after its Broadway debut. Behind the Broadway production, the Chicago production has been running the longest. Even with the closing of the Chicago production, you will still be able to see Hamilton. Its Broadway and Tour productions will still be running in the US.
Photo Courtesy of Broadway in Chicago
Lin Manuel Miranda wrote and starred in the historical musical Hamilton, which made its Broadway debut in 2015. Even if you wouldn’t consider yourself a musical fan, it is nearly impossible to escape the Hamilton fandom.
Hamilton is a 2 hour and 45-minute hip-hop musical that tells the story of one of our founding fathers, Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton was an immigrant who fought for this country’s independence, became George Washington’s right-hand man, and established the national banks. He did all of this and before 2015 most people didn’t even know his name.
He was just the guy on the $10 bill.
Photo Courtesy of Variety
This musical has made a history of its own. Hamilton was nominated for 16 Tony Awards in 2015, the most of any Broadway show ever. However, Hamilton only won 11, which meant it would not hold the record for most won by a single show which is currently held by the musical The Producers. Hamilton did set a Broadway box office record for the most money grossed in a single week in 2016, when it grossed $3.3 million for an eight-performance week, the first show to break $3 million in eight performances.
As the Hamilton hype begins to fade, we can only await what is to come.