Hamilton's Celebrated Education Program, EduHam, Debuts in Charlotte November 1

The innovative educational program that debuted at HAMILTON on Broadway will continue in Charlotte on Thursday, November 1 when over 2,000 students and teachers from 22 high schools attend the matinee performance of the musical at the Belk Theater.    

The November 1 performance in Charlotte will provide more than 2,000 high school students the opportunity to experience the musical HAMILTON after having spent several weeks in their classrooms studying American history through a special integrated curriculum about Alexander Hamilton and the nation’s Founding Fathers.

In addition to seeing a performance of HAMILTON, students will participate in a Q&A with members of the HAMILTON cast.  As well, students representing various schools in attendance will perform an original work they created based on their classroom studies – songs, rap, poetry, scenes, monologues – on the Belk Theater stage in front of their peers.  

HAMILTON producer Jeffrey Seller says about the Charlotte program, “Our goal is to ensure students have a shot to see HAMILTON and use its words, music and staging to further their understanding and enjoyment of American history, music, and drama. We’ve had the pleasure of expanding the education program outside of New York in Los Angeles, Chicago, and multiple cities around the country.”

The Hamilton Education Program is one of several history education programs offered by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Its president, James G. Basker—who devised the education program in tandem with HAMILTON creator and producer, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeffrey Seller respectively, and The Rockefeller Foundation—adds, “This project is transformative. HAMILTON has struck a chord with our nation’s students because it embodies what great history education is all about: bringing the past to life and fostering connections with the exceptional individuals and moments that have made us who we are. This program empowers students to reclaim their own narrative and teachers to bridge classroom learning with the stage.”

The HAMILTON producers are making tickets for this educational partnership available for $70, $60 of which is subsidized by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Duke Energy Foundation and Blumenthal Performing Arts. Therefore, tickets will cost $10 for each student.

Schools participating in the November 1 program include:

Albemarle High School
Bunker Hill High School
City of Medicine Academy
Colleton County High School
Community High School
Garinger High School
Graham High School
Harding University High School
Hillside High School
Hunter Huss High School
Narrows High School
North Forsyth High School
North Rowan High School
Northwest Collegiate and Technical Academy
Oscar Frommel Smith High School
Princeton High School
Reid Ross Classical School
Warren Early College High School
West Caldwell High School
West Charlotte High School
West Mecklenburg High School
Zebulon B Vance High School

The Rockefeller Foundation provided an initial grant of $1.46 million that funded the educational partnership in New York City. After the resounding success of the partnership, the Foundation committed an additional $6 million to the effort to support the program’s national expansion.

HAMILTON is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary.  Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON is the story of America then, as told by America now.  

With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.

The HAMILTON creative team previously collaborated on the 2008 Tony Award ® Winning Best Musical In the Heights. 

HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, and casting by Telsey + Company, Bethany Knox, CSA.

The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater.

The HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Recording is available everywhere nationwide. The HAMILTON recording received a 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album. 

For information on HAMILTON, visit www.HamiltonMusical.com, www.Facebook.com/HamiltonMusical, www.Instagram.com/HamiltonMusical and www.Twitter.com/HamiltonMusical.

ABOUT THE GILDER LEHRMAN INSTITUTE OF AMERICAN HISTORY

Founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. The Institute’s mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. Drawing on the 70,000 documents in the Gilder Lehrman Collection and an extensive network of eminent historians, the Institute provides teachers, students, and the general public with direct access to unique primary source materials.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, and the Council of Independent Colleges.

For information on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, visit www.gilderlehrman.org, www.Facebook.com/gilderlehrman, www.instagram.com/gilderlehrman and www.twitter.com/Gilder_Lehrman.

ABOUT BLUMENTHAL PERFORMING ARTS
Blumenthal Performing Arts serves the Carolinas as a leading cultural, entertainment and education provider. For more information, call (704) 372-1000 or visit BlumenthalArts.org. Blumenthal Performing Arts receives operating support from the Arts & Science Council and North Carolina Arts Council. Blumenthal Performing Arts is also supported by PNC Bank, sponsor of the PNC Broadway Lights.