20,000 NYC High School Students Will Get to See Hamilton for $10

New York City high school students are getting a chance to see the fantastic (so I’ve heard) Broadway play Hamilton for much less than the ticket price.

As much as Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton has become a cultural force, the show is so much in demand (the Obamas have gone, as have Jay Z and Beyoncé) that tickets are sold-out and prices run in the thousands on sites like StubHub. Plenty of New York City kids can’t afford that type of edutainment, so Hamilton’s producers and the Rockefeller Foundation are making it easier on students who could benefit from learning about Alexander Hamilton by way of a hip-hop musical.

The Rockefeller Foundation is giving a $1.46 million grant to New York’s Department of Education to cover 20,000 Hamilton tickets (at $70 each). This means students will be able to score $10 tickets in a lottery, with the grant covering the remaining $60.

Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller says, “Our goal is to ensure that all students have a shot to see Hamilton and use its words, music and staging to further their enjoyment of American History, music and drama.”

This is indeed a great way to supplement the history that’s currently taught in classrooms, which as we know is often painted in narrow rather than realistic strokes. Deadline notes:

Although other programs have emerged in recent years to bring New York City students to Broadway shows at heavily discounted rates or for free, this initiative is taking on the added — and possibly controversial — responsibility of presenting a Broadway show as history lesson.

The DES will choose several high schools from across NYC to participate (starting with the Hamilton showing on April 13, 2016), and corresponding learning materials will also be incorporated to further the discussion outside of the play.

If you haven’t had a chance yet to see Hamilton, then it’s too bad you’re not a New York City high school student.