Hamilton at the Pantages

Hamilton, the hip-hop musical about an underappreciated Founding Father, took the world and Broadway alike by storm. Seemingly, a musical about Alexander Hamilton played by people of color and set to modern day music would not do well. However it’s managed to do just that, reaching unprecedented success and acclaim.Due to its overwhelming success, it was not long before the musical reached Los Angeles. Its current residency started in August and will be ending in late December at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. But like its New York counterpart, tickets are hard to come by. It is currently the highest ticket price the venue has ever sold. Those unable to to score tickets during the show’s original sale have been left to the resale of tickets for as much as  $1000 and more, the lottery, and attending the show in other cities. The production is granting the opportunity for certain schools to be able to attend the show through the Hamilton Education Program. A program that focuses on viewing Hamilton through an educational lens.Many Samo students have shown interest in being part of this opportunity despite the difficulty in obtaining tickets. Those at Samo who have been able to see the show share strong opinions and much admiration.“Despite the hype, it exceeded my expectations. I love how history can transcend every form of art, and every form of art can transcend history,” Kelly Okla, a Calculus teacher at Samo, said.Others share similar sentiments, although they can only imagine the production in the Big Apple. “It was magnificent,” Priya Patel (‘18) said, “Though I wish I could have seen it in New York with the original cast. Other than that it was probably one of the best shows I have seen at the Pantages.”While people’s opinions varied, they all shared that the production was well done. Whether it was the best they’ve seen or lower on the tier, Hamilton’s success is clearly recognized at Samo.