Urban Media Today Culture & Entertainment contributor, Allegra Battle shares her experience as a chaperone for Pittsburgh Public School students who were awarded a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the award-winning performance of “Hamilton The Musical”.
Here is Allegra’s story:
On January 25, over 2,700 high school students and teachers from the Pittsburgh area attended a special matinee performance of the Broadway Musical HAMILTON. The performance was part of the Hamilton Education Program offered by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Title 1-eligible high schools including; Barack Obama Academy of International Studies, Gateway High School, and Brashear High School were among 42 participating schools.
Cast Q&A From Right to Left:
Peter Matthew Smith, Jon Viktor Corpuz, Sean Harrison Jones, Dorcas Leung, Krystal Mackie, Andy Tofa
The students spent several weeks studying American history through integrated curriculum about Alexander Hamilton and the nation’s Founding Fathers. Through their class work, the students also were asked to create an original work based on an event, person or historical fact that took place during American Independence. Selected students performed their project on the Benedum Center stage, fifteen schools were selected to perform, and the students performed poetry, monologues, songs, and recited rap lyrics.
Students also participated in a question and answer session with HAMILTON cast members including, Pittsburgh-area native Peter Matthew Smith who plays King George in the production.
Photo credit: Allegra Battle
The Hamilton Education Program was funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. The Foundation has provided over 7 million to support schools across the country.
HAMILTON is the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and infuses hip-hop, rap and street dance. The musical was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and has won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 2016.
Tickets to HAMILTON range from $199 to $1,000, the show is currently on tour.
For more related stories by Allegra Battle on Urban Media Today, click here!
