Hamilton in Chicago — Page 16

It also looks like they're dropping the Wed matinee for the most part - unless they truly reserved all those shows for the education initiative?



I agree that the prices were far too high not only for a Chicago location, but for the quality of seats in that theatre. The Private Bank is a far cry from the Richard Rodgers, and so many terrible sightlines were going for $200-600. The stage deck is ridiculously tall and lots of the side orchestra seats are obstructed view.

we have orchestra right, row 4, seats, 10,12,14 coming up. If they are restricted view, it is not going to be pleasant at the box office.

No. They were not marked that way. They are "extra" Broadway in Chicago tickets for subscribers and I of course, did ask and was told "full view" which I think is the answer they give if they are not marked. I may call Broadway in Chicago and ask again.

The crazy thing is that the price of the tickets to the general public for those seats is about 2.5 times what we paid, so Broadway in Chicago is unlikely to exchange them for "full view" seats, without upcharging us. I just tried to exchange our Aladdin tix for another date, and half of the conversation was "you could have these seats, but you would have to pay more".

FWIW I saw the Chicago cast for a second time this past Saturday after seeing them initially last fall. Everyone's grown in their performance, but most improved might be either Lafayette/Jefferson (he seemed more confident and cocky, and his French accent in Act 1 is quite good) or King George (much funnier this time, probably bc he wasn't trying too hard).

Loved Laurens/Phillip, and this performance cemented Miguel as my favorite Hamilton of the 3 I've seen (Lin & Javier being the other two). Missed Joshua Henry greatly, but Wayne Brady was competent - sung well (let's not mention the dancing though) and acted out Burt's cockiness and arrogance well. However, I never found myself rooting for or sympathizing with his Burr, even at the end of the show. I enjoyed Brady more than BVD, but neither holds a candle to Leslie Odom Jr or Joshua Henry.

Karen Olivo was out (the only main missing cast member), which was disappointing. The standby (Aubin Wise, IIRC) was OK in act 1 but fell flat for me in act 2. It seemed like the higher notes weren't in her wheelhouse - she hit them but there wasn't much power behind it. Made Angelica's moment in The Reynolds Pamphlet not nearly as impactful and fierce as I've seen.

Overall, I think I enjoyed this cast more than when I saw the NYC cast this past January. Chicago's lucky to have them, even if it's only for the rest of the year.

Mister Matt said: "I remember seeing articles that Chicago was always intended for an 18-month run. Currently, it is scheduled through 1/7/2018 with tickets currently on sale through 9/17/2017. You can still get full-view non-premium seats at face value for mid-week performances in the Mezzanine and Balcony around the middle of Sep, but the amount of seats they charge premium prices for was always WAY too ambitious for any show in Chicago."

According to Chris Jones in the Tribune:

Q: How long will the show be in Chicago?
A: The producer, Jeffrey Seller, said Tuesday that the show "serves at the pleasure" of Chicago
audiences. Fair enough. Most media outlets reported this will be an open run. But the real word among insiders in the touring theater business is that the show is planning to be in Chicago for 12 to 18 months before leaving for another city. (I'd put my money on Washington, D.C., which is most ticked not to be getting the show first.) From the producers' point of view, the ideal length of a Chicago run is not merely dependent on whether or not the show is selling out here. Rather, the issue is how much tickets are selling for.

The producers didn't limit the show's run to 18 months, but those in the business expected the show's lifespan in Chicago to be about 18 months (and the producers most likely believed that too). Both Wicked and Jersey Boys ran longer than expected, whereas The Color Purple and Billy Elliot closed earlier than expected.

To me this demonstrates that Hamilton isn't actually any bigger a "hit show" than other previous "hits" like Wicked, The Book of Mormon, and even the original productions of Phantom and Les Miz. The demand in New York was significantly influenced by the scarcity of tickets as a result of ticket scalpers and the unprecedented amount of press regarding the reduced supply. The fact that they would close the show and tour it, not because they need to discount tickets but rather normalize them from the obscene gouging, says more about greed than the show's actual longevity.

Yes, there was that article, but I also remember another where there was some mention made form the producers about wanting to close as soon as ticket sales started to drop and speculated the 18-month period that became more popularly known. It had to do with ending the run on a high rather than letting it just fizzle out. 18 months was a guideline, but it seemed more likely that the producers wouldn't run longer unless the demand remained the same, which was never really likely given the tour and other sit-downs under discussion.

Hey guys!!

In the first release of Hamilton Chicago tickets, I got a little too excited and ended up purchasing seats for a time that doesn't work for me since I'm not local to Chicago. I ended up seeing the show in Chicago a few months ago and don't feel the need to make the trip out to go again. I have a pair of tickets (Orch Row G, six & eight for March 4th at 2pm and a pair (Orch Row K, 10 & 12) for March 11th at 8pm (Both on TM Resale) up for grabs. I'm just asking what I paid for which is $550 a ticket, but will gladly except best offers! Thanks!

Updated On: 3/1/17 at 06:40 PM

O M G

This is amazing news! Can't wait to see what he does with the role!!

I hope he's still there when I see it in October.

Ari performed for Rahm Emanuel and a plethora of other mayors for an even at the Art Institute last night. Does anyone know if there is video of her performance? https://instagram.com/p/BRll8LNhokR/

Logistical questions about chicago--what time do they generally open doors before the show? Does anyone know if they have seat boosters available? And what is the rest room situation like at the Private Bank? Is it as terrible as at the RR or any other theaterical venue? Taking my kid in a few weeks and I want to be prepared.

Call_me_jorge said: "I think they open the doors about a half hour before the start of the show. I'm pretty sure they have booster seats. The private banks bathroom for the orchestra level is in the basement. It's small, but it's not bad.



"

Thank you! (another ugh that I wish there was a 'like' function on this message board so I could acknowledge responses that way)