HAMILTON's Education Program to Kick Off Next Week in the Bay Area

The innovative educational program that launched last year at Hamilton on Broadway will debut in San Francisco on March 22 when 2,200 students and teachers from 18 area Public Schools attend the matinee performance of the musical at SHN Orpheum Theater at 1192 Market Street at 8th Street.

The March 22nd performance is the first of four all-student matinee performances in the Bay Area that will provide more than 8,500 Bay Area high school students the opportunity to experience the musical Hamilton after having spent several weeks in their classrooms studying American history through a special integrated curriculum about Alexander Hamilton and the nation's Founding Fathers.

In addition to seeing a performance of Hamilton, the students will participate in a Q&A with members of the Hamilton cast. As well, students representing various schools in attendance will perform an original work they created based on their classroom studies-songs, rap, poetry, scenes, monologues-on the SHN Orpheum Theatre stage in front of their peers.

"We are excited that this amazing partnership and educational opportunity will allow our students to experience the historical play Hamilton," said San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee. "It is important that our future leaders explore the core values and tenets of our country's founders by celebrating the art of theater as a tool of learning and expression. We want to thank the entire team of Hamilton and our national and local funding partners who made this possible."

"The City of Oakland is thrilled to be a part of this innovative program that Hamilton, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History are bringing to our students in Oakland. Hamilton tells an important story of the values we hold true, including equal access to opportunity and championing diversity and progressive action to further social justice," said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf.

HAMILTON producer Jeffrey Seller-who devised the education program in New York in tandem with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, The Rockefeller Foundation, the NYC Department of Education and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History-says about the program's premiere in San Francisco, "Our goal is to ensure that students in the Bay Area have a shot to see Hamilton and use its words, music and staging to further their understanding and enjoyment of American History, music and drama. Now we have the pleasure of expanding the education program outside of New York and Chicago to other cities around the country."

James G. Basker, President of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, adds, "This project is transformative. Over the next several years, hundreds of thousands of students in New York City, Chicago and other cities where Hamilton tours will experience American history in a new way and find their own connections to the Founding Fathers, to the performing arts, and to the future of our country."

Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation said "After the initial success of the partnership in New York City we could not throw away our shot to ensure students across the United States had the opportunity to witness living breathing history. We look forward to seeing the creativity and engagement this program continues to spur."

The first of the four Bay Area education matinees was funded entirely by Facebook employees. "At Facebook, we are active members of the local communities in which we live and work, and are committed to making meaningful contributions to educational development, including in the arts," said Mike Rognlien, Facebook Learning & Development Lead - Americas. "The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History has more than 20 years of experience developing educational programs in American history, and on behalf of my colleagues, we're excited to support this program that will introduce Bay Area students to an incredible educational experience and the opportunity to see Hamilton."

Additional funders for the four Bay Area education programs include:

Google.org

Facebook employees

William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

StuartFoundation

Panta Rhea Foundation

GitHub

Schools participating in the March 22nd program are:

Arise High School

Castlemont High School

Community Collaborative Charter School

Conservatory of Vocal/Instrumental Arts High School (COVA)

East Palo Alto Phoenix Academy

Envision Academy of Arts and Technology

Everest Public High School

Impact Academy of Arts and Technology

KIPP: San Jose Collegiate

Life Academy

Mt. Eden High School

Oakland High School

Oakland International High School

Oakland Technical High School

Richmond High School

Tennyson High School

Valley High School

Ygnacio Valley High School

The Rockefeller Foundation provided an initial grant of $1.46 million that funded the educational partnership in New York City. After the resounding success of the partnership in New York, The Rockefeller Foundation committed an additional $6 million to the effort to support the national expansion of the program. The Rockefeller Foundation has a long history of supporting the arts and humanities, fueled by a belief that the cultivation of aesthetic sensibilities through literature, music and other fine arts is essential to the well-being of humanity. The Hamilton Education Program underscores the Foundation's commitment to nurturing the vitality of American cultural institutions and the role of the arts as a catalyst for social change.

Tickets for this educational partnership are available at no cost to the students.

With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, directed by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton is based on Ron Chernow's biography. Hamilton, winner of 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, 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 nation's first Treasury Secretary. Hamilton's score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway-the story of America then, told by America now.

For information on Hamilton, visit www.HamiltonOnBroadway.com, www.facebook.com/HamiltonMusical, www.Instagram.com/HamiltonMusical and www.Twitter.com/HamiltonMusical.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is a nonprofit organization devoted to the teaching and learning of American history. To provide resources and programs for educators and students, the Institute draws on top scholars, an unparalleled collection of original historical documents, and a network of more than 11,000 Affiliate Schools across the country. As a leading provider of K-12 programs, the Institute supports tens of thousands of teachers and millions of students in elementary and secondary schools in all 50 states and 39 foreign countries.

For information on The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, visit www.gilderlehrman.org, www.Facebook.com/gilderlehrman, www.instagram.com/gilderlehrman and twitter.com/Gilder_Lehrman.

SHN is the preeminent theatrical entertainment company in the Bay Area, bringing live entertainment experiences to San Francisco's premier venues. SHN presents current hits fresh from Broadway, original Broadway cast productions, pre-Broadway premieres and one-of-a-kind live events that are at the forefront of the national theater scene.

Pictured: J. Quinton Johnson, Nik Walker, Bryan Terrell Clark, Sasha Hollinger and JorDan Fisher at February's #EduHam event in NYC. Photo by Walter McBride.