Hamilton Education Program Welcomes Students From 25 Schools For Special Matinee Performance
CHICAGO (CBS) -- "Hamilton" remains one of the hottest tickets in American theatre, but a special matinee performance Wednesday was filled with students from 25 schools in four states, who paid $10 a piece and asked questions of the cast beforehand. A few even had a chance to perform original raps onstage at the CIBC Theatre downtown.
Perspectives IIT Math and Science Academy sophomore Destiny Brown was not sure her rap on taxes was even the best in her classroom. She said, when her literatue teacher told her she would perform onstage, "I was shocked."
Grace Kindig, Austin Berenda and Chyanne Deno of Kentland, Ind., had never written a rap before collaborating on one about Martha Washington that was chosen for performance.
"You hear so much about George," Kindig said. "We thought it would be kind of cool to tell Martha's story."
The South Newton High School juniors dressed in stars and stripes and choreographed their moment in the spotlight.
Both were chosen by Allison Taylor, who manages the Hamilton Education Program locally and said the talent in the stacks of entries was "incredible."
The program teaches students the history of both the Founding Fathers and the play. It debuted at the Obama White House, has been in operation in New York for more than two years, and is entering its second year in Chicago. Taylor expects it to continue at least through the spring of 2019.
