Hamilton took the internet and Broadway by storm with the rise of Ham4Ham. The live performances that Hamilton creator and original star Lin-Manuel Miranda put on prior to the show’s lottery for $10 seats (a Hamilton for Hamilton, if you will) often featured special guests and for months was the only way most could experience the production. But now, after more than a year of memorable performances, the cast has to teach us how to say goodbye.
Hamilton announced on Twitter Tuesday that the live #Ham4Ham shows would come to an end after Aug. 31.
After tomorrow, we’ll be retiring Live #Ham4Ham shows for now. We love seeing your faces every Wednesday, but we have to say goodbye. (3/4)
— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) August 30, 2016
“The Ham4Ham shows are a joy, and they’re not going away forever,” Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller told the New York Times. “It’s like we’re going back to school: We have so many activities going on, we’re concerned about traffic, and we’re concerned about being good citizens. It’s time to pause.”
As Miranda explained during his final Ham4Ham, the entire idea of Ham4Ham was an accident. Around 700 people showed up for the first lottery and Miranda came out with a short message for the crowd. Soon, Ham4Ham became must-see entertainment as the lottery became a way for hundreds of hopefuls to experience a little bit of magic even though their chances of actually winning were almost non-existent—and it gave fans all over the world access to a show and a cast they might never see perform live. (It also caused a traffic nightmare in the Theater District.)
When Miranda left Hamilton in July, Rory O’Malley, who plays King George III in the show, took over Ham4Ham hosting duties. He thanked everyone who came to his shows on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/RoryOMalley/status/770634994079367168
But just because the live Ham4Ham shows are ending doesn’t mean that the lottery is over. The digital Hamilton lottery, which was created early this year, will still allow fans to submit their names for a chance to win those $10 tickets. And Hamilton didn’t rule out the occasional digital Ham4Ham video, so we may still see the cast cook up something special.
For now, though, here’s the final #Ham4Ham performance. It’s a song that didn’t make the actual Broadway show.
H/T Slate
