One of the hottest shows in Broadway history started a 20 day-run show in San Diego at the Civic Theatre on Saturday, Jan. 6.

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

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.

“Hamilton is the first show in Broadway that became very famous by publicizing through social media with videos and exclusive fan interactions,” said Gabriela Gutierrez, a theatre expert, to La Prensa San Diego. “The show runners even launched a special ticket-lotto called #Ham4Ham were you could win a $10 orchestra seat because tickets were always sold out.”

The musical made its off-Broadway debut at The Public Theater in February 2015, where its engagement was sold out. The show transferred to Broadway in August 2015 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. On Broadway, it received enthusiastic critical reception and unprecedented advance box office sales. In 2016, Hamilton received a record-setting 16 Tony nominations, winning 11, including Best Musical, and was also the recipient of the 2016 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

San Diego is the fifth city to host this Tony Award-and-Pulitzer Prize-winning musical. This show is also running in New York, Chicago, London, and it’s about to launch a second national tour starting in Seattle, Washington.

“There are other shows on Broadway that are popular but nothing like Hamilton,” Gutierrez added. “The writer and creator of Hamilton first showcased his first songs of this Broadway hit at the White House Poetry Jam event in front of then president Barack Obama in 2009. Obama also attended the show on Broadway in 2015.”

The show runs at the Civic Theatre through January 28. The show is officially sold-out, although seats are available through various resale outlets, including Ticketmaster from $222 to $592.50 each.

There is also an official lottery for 35 $10 orchestra seats for each performance through the Hamilton mobile app or www.hamiltonmusical.com/lottery.

The tour stars Ruben J. Carbajal as Hamilton, Isaiah Johnson as George Washington, Rory O’ Malley as King George, and Julia K. Harriman as Eliza Hamilton.