A new immersive exhibit inspired by the highly acclaimed musical “Hamilton” will be making its debut in Chicago in April, more than six months after it was originally slated to open.
“Hamilton: The Exhibition,” a 360-degree experience featuring an audio tour narrated by musical creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, will premiere at Chicago’s Northerly Island beginning on April 27.
Originally scheduled to open in November 2018, the opening date was rescheduled for April 6, but pushed back another three weeks due to "unexpected delays in shipping" as well as "extreme weather conditions in Chicago," according to multiple reports.
The 27,000-square-foot exhibit will be housed in a "specially-constructed free-standing, all-weather structure the size of a football field," according to organizers.
“With a dynamic and interactive mix of lighting, sound, multimedia, music and historical artifacts, you will experience how it felt to write the way Hamilton wrote, fight the way Hamilton fought, and live the way Hamilton lived,” the exhibit’s website reads.
“Sit at Hamilton’s desk and discover how his work as a trader in St. Croix gave him the skills to create our country’s financial system. Gaze upon the streets of New York with detailed replicas of the city in 1776. Step into George Washington’s war tent as you learn how the Revolutionary Army planned their shocking victory in the Battle of Yorktown.”
Broadway producer Jeffrey Seller told the Chicago Tribune he was “inspired by the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 in picking Chicago for the rollout” as well as the city’s response to the beloved musical.
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“I hope to use this exhibition to answer some questions that the musical doesn’t address, like ‘What did Alexander actually do when he was a trader in St. Croix? What did Hamilton’s Manhattan look like? How did we win the battle of Yorktown?’" Seller said in a statement announcing the exhibition last year. "In an environment that is visually stunning, aurally thrilling and ingeniously educational, we aim to give visitors yet another unique portal through the life of Alexander Hamilton into the American founding.”
The exhibition will remain in Chicago through Sept. 6, 2019, according to the Tribune, before it travels to other U.S. cities.
Tickets to the exhibition go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday at ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit The Hamilton Exhibition's website.
