A group of selected Juniors and Seniors had the History and Theater experience of a lifetime attending the hit musical, Hamilton: An American Musical
“We, fought with him, Me, I died for him, Me, I trusted him, Me, I loved him and me, I'm the damn fool that shot him”
If you were one of the lucky 70 students at Pantages Theater in Hollywood on September 26, then you recognize that line from Hamilton: An American Musical, which combines elements of rap with key colonial-period figures.
Thanks to our APUSH teacher, Mr. Winchell who was able to apply for tickets and organize the entire event, and to organizations like The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the Rockefeller Foundation, which funded tickets for students all around LA, a select group of Neuwirth Juniors and Seniors got a fascinating perspective of U.S. History.
When arriving at the theater, it was so packed that the bus had to drive around the block two times, with hundreds of people waiting in line to see this much-celebrated event about Alexander Hamilton. As the students got seated and had time to relax before the play, they were able to bond with students from other schools to create memorable experiences. Many students enjoyed Hamilton, but let’s see what specifics they liked and their perspective of the musical.
Joel Crisostomo, 11th-grade APUSH student:
The Play was about 3 hours long and it was a very educational experience as we learned a huge amount of knowledge about who Hamilton was as a person and other historical figures who played a huge part in the creation of the United States of America. However in my opinion the the second half of the play was so boring that I might have fallen asleep. But overall, it was a great experience from the food served before the trip to the way back home. It was an amazing field trip and I highly recommend it to next year's APUSH students to go on it.
Ilan Saenz, 11th-grade APUSH student:
The theatre was beautiful with different and unique architecture on the wall. There were about 1000 people in the theatre. The staff were very nice and talkative. Before the play started the audience was clapping, singing happy birthdays, and even joining in the wave. The play was very entertaining and the crowd reactions were always something to look forward to.
Franklin Diego, 12th-grade former APUSH student:
It was really good, as a former APUSH student I was very happy that Winchell included his students from last year and I enjoyed the venue and the singing because I have a very clear understanding of U.S. history.
based on most APUSH students’ reactions to Hamilton, it can be determined that most students had some sort of connection with the musical, whether it was interacting with the crowd, enjoying the songs, or even just admiring the theater’s architecture. Special thanks to Winchell for making this possible for our hard-working APUSH students as a reward for taking one of the most difficult AP classes that only have a 48.2% passing rate in the country! (BestColleges research).
In all honesty, the trip to Hamilton is a congratulations to the students who took their time and care for their future. They deserved the performance and moment they shared with everyone. For future juniors, if you are thinking about taking APUSH, note that you may also have the opportunity to experience Hamilton live!
