With ticket prices for seats reaching upwards of $200 to $300, the chances of seeing Hamilton at any moment are slim. That is, unless you weren't able to put your name into a hat for a chance to win $10 front row tickets to the show outside the Richard Rodgers theatre. The lottery is hosted by the show's mastermind, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and features some 1,000 patrons hoping to get in for a performance. Miranda may not don the Alexander Hamilton character at the time but even if you don't win a seat, you'll get a one-of-a-kind live show right on the street.
It's usually announced via Twitter under Ham4Ham and at 5:55 there's a packed house. If you don't win, Miranda still features some of the actors from the show and himself as an added bonus. In October, Andrew Rannells, Jonathan Groff and Brian d'Arcy James lip-synched "The Schuyler Sisters" from the program.
Christopher Jackson, who plays George Washington in the musical, said of the contest:
"I've been telling people that Hamilton is very much a glimpse of what it's like to be inside Lin's brain. And Ham4Ham is in the part of his brain where the happy thoughts live. I'm about 20 feet from his dressing room, and he gets so genuinely excited - almost as excited to do Ham4Ham as he does for the show. It's an unprecedented thing, and I've never seen a response like this."
It's unclear if the contest will continue further as Hamilton continues to soar at the box office. With the Tonys looming, the musical is a shoe in for an award or two.
Perhaps it will follow in The Book of Mormon's footsteps and continue to be one of the most exclusive performances for the next few years.
In the meantime, watch Lin-Manuel Miranda lead a Halloween version of the #Ham4Ham lottery below.
