‘Hamilton’ to make Lincoln debut next year at Lied | Arts and Theatre
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“Hamilton” will be coming to the Lied Center for Performing Arts in August 2023.
The national touring company of the award-winning Broadway hit will have a 16-show engagement from Aug. 2-13 — the longest run for a Broadway show in the Lied’s 31-year history.
The Lied Center has attempted to bring “Hamilton” to Lincoln since Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical made its Broadway debut in 2015.
“When ‘Hamilton’ was first on Broadway, just a few months after it opened, I was talking to the agent that represents it about making an offer they couldn’t refuse to bring it here and open the first national tour at the Lied,” said Executive Director Bill Stephan. “Unfortunately, I didn’t have the dollars to fulfill my offer.”
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“Hamiliton,” now the most popular Broadway touring show, went on to win 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Actor, won by Leslie Odom Jr., who appeared at Lied in 2018. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, a Pulitzer Prize for Drama and was filmed for Disney+, where it became the most-streamed movie of 2020.
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The groundbreaking musical tells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton with a cast of nonwhite actors and music that draws on hip-hop, R&B, pop, soul as well as traditional Broadway-style songs.
“This show set in the American Revolution has started a musical theater revolution,” said Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird, referring to its inclusive casting, musical stylistic mix and cultural impact. “It’s so exciting to have it coming here.”
“Hamilton” is coming to Lincoln in part because of the success the Lied had with “Book of Mormon,” which sold out a weeklong run in 2018, and with “Phantom of the Opera,” which sold more than 27,000 tickets for 15 public performances at the Lied in 2019.
“When we had ‘Phantom of the Opera,’ I thought we’d have the demand, but until you do it, you don’t know,” Stephan said. “That’s a lot of inventory, 30,000 tickets. When it was so successful, we had the sense that ‘Hamilton’ needed to come to Lincoln.”
The success of “Phantom of the Opera” and “Book of Mormon” was one of two elements that played into landing “Hamilton,” said Lied Deputy Director Matthew Boring.
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“There are two basic factors, one is the growth in our Broadway subscriptions,” Boring said. ”More people are supporting the Broadway series here. It gives the producers of the show confidence in the community. Then, when you’re able to sell out full weeks, it shows the interest and demand in the community for this level of show.”
The “Hamilton” performances will end the longest planned season in Lied history. The 2022-23 season will likely open with Diana Krall’s Oct. 2 concert and extend through the final “Hamilton” show on Aug. 13.
The August dates had to be worked out with “Hamilton” producers, Boring said.
“They have multiple tours,” he said. “They have three companies that are touring currently. They have to work with us to find the right slot — when do they have a company available, when do we have two weeks to have the show, what days are available for load-in, where is the company going after? It’s a big undertaking just to schedule.”
Tickets for “Hamilton” will not go on sale for individuals and groups until a later date, but can be guaranteed by purchasing or renewing a subscription to the Lied’s Glenn Korff Broadway Series for the 2022-23 season.
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The full 2022-23 Broadway season, which will include four more shows and three other events, will be announced March 23. Season subscription packages, including “Hamilton,” will be available for purchase March 29.
Ticket prices will be released later, but Boring said Lied and the producers have established multiple price points to guarantee accessibility to people of all income levels.
But Boring said the best deal for “Hamilton” will be through the Broadway season package.
“We have pricing of $207 and you get five shows,” he said. “That’s going to be the best pricing. In some markets, like Chicago, you can spend $200 for just one show. Here, you’ll get all five, including ‘Hamilton.’”
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Lincoln’s most requested musical acts
Green Day
Bridging the gap between punk rock and pop, Green Day has been around since 1986 before becoming a sensation with 1994’s “Dookie.” Since then, they’ve released eight albums and a number of chart-topping singles. Unfortunately, the band chose Omaha for a 2017 concert.
Bruce Springsteen
While he may be synonymous with New Jersey, Lincoln residents overwhelmingly requested The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, to come to the Capitol City. A wide variety of chart-topping songs and classic albums make it easy to understand why, as well as an album called “Nebraska.”
Foo Fighters
Since forming in the wake of Nirvana’s breakup in 1994, the Foo Fighters have been one of rock’s most consistent modern acts. They’ve also made a big impression on Lincoln listeners and were our most requested group.
Adele
A record-breaking recording act, Adele has sold out shows and become one of the top-selling recording artists of the past decade on the strength of her second album, “21.” She’s toured more or less since then, stopping only briefly to record the similarly successful followup, “25.”
Imagine Dragons
After a host of songs from the band’s debut album, “Night Visions,” made Imagine Dragons a household name, the group has been touring near constantly.
Jack White
While Jack White may have started his musical career in a garage in Detroit with his ex-wife as a part of the White Stripes, he’s become one of the biggest names in music through bluesy guitar solos, garage-rock anthems and collaborations with some of the biggest names in music, new and old.
Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s a long way from her start as a niche singer-songwriter country act. Over the course of only a few years, she has blossomed into one of today’s biggest, most recognizable musical acts. Her willingness to experiment and not be tied to one genre or style has led her to be a favorite across generations of fans.
Sting
After leaving The Police in 1981, Sting began to find solo success at the end of the decade, eventually overshadowing his early success with songs like “All this Time” and “We’ll be Together.”
Coldplay
British pop-rock act Coldplay was requested repeatedly. The band is best known for songs “Yellow” and “Viva la Vida.” Unfortunately, the band doesn’t plan to tour anytime soon.
Ellie Goulding
Critical darling Ellie Goulding rapidly ascended the British pop charts when she burst onto the scene in 2009. Since then, she’s toured with U2, collaborated with Skrillex and had music on the “Fifty Shades of Grey” soundtrack.
OneRepublic
One of the many bands to find popularity in the early days of MySpace, OneRepublic has released three albums and been touring almost constantly since 2008.
U2
What began as an experiment in blending classic rock with the then-popular sound of electronica and punk rock eventually turned into one of the world’s biggest bands, U2. Nearly 40 years and 13 albums after forming, the group is still making headlines and selling out shows on some of the planet’s biggest stages.
Sarah McLachlan
As known for her work with the ASPCA as her career as a singer-songwriter, Sarah McLachlan’s still going strong after more than 20 years.
Tori Amos
Bolstered by near constant play on MTV, singer-songwriter Tori Amos became a sensation with ballads promoting feminism and empowerment and attacking political and religious institutions.
Pink
She’s performed twice in Lincoln already, but pop-provocateur Pink is still a draw.
Slayer
One of the most consistently controversial metal bands, Slayer is still pumping out anti-establishment anthems the same way they have since 1981. Slayer came to Omaha on Nov. 18.
Reach the writer at 402-473-7244 or [email protected]. On Twitter @KentWolgamott
