34 February 28 • 2019
jn
David Korins
exhibit
arts&life
Hamilton:
The Exhibition
T
he people behind the Broadway musical
Hamilton will satisfy the curiosity of its multi-
tude of fans with a sprawling, high-tech, inter-
active, 360-degree immersive attraction that tells the
Founding Father’
s story and answers questions that go
above and beyond the musical.
Hamilton: The Exhibition premiers April 6 in
Chicago. Upon entering a 27,000-square-foot all-weath-
er tent at Chicago’
s Northerly Island, visitors will be
greeted with an introductory video by Lin-Manuel
Miranda on a huge projection screen. His voice will also
provide narration throughout the entire experience.
Visitors will pass through more than 20 rooms,
hallways and galleries, learning that “history is not
inevitable,
” says David Korins, the exhibition’
s creative
director who also designed the set for the
Hamilton stage production.
“Because Hamilton has sparked
intense conversation about the founders
and framers of our country, we thought
we’
d take a deeper dive into the subject
matter with real museum/exhibition
rigor,
” Korins explains.
Hamilton lead producer Jeffrey Seller, creator Lin-
Manuel Miranda, director Thomas Kail and orches-
trator Alex Lacamoire, along with Korins, are the key
players getting this project into motion.
“Jeffrey grew up in Detroit and had important sem-
inal experiences as a child going to museums there,
”
says Korins, who grew up in a Reform Jewish home
in Mansfield, Mass. “He was enamored with the idea
of children learning about history in a new and inter-
esting way and educating them through an important
pop-culture experience.
”
But, says Korins, who has created set designs for
numerous Broadway shows including Motown the
Musical and Dear Evan Hansen, “while in the musical
it was necessary to take some poetic license in creating
an artistic endeavor, the exhibition goes further into
the subject matter to talk more specifically about what
actually happened.
”
For historical accuracy, the group consulted with
Hamiltonian experts Joanne Freeman, professor at Yale,
and Annette Gordon-Reed, professor at Harvard.
The journey through Hamilton’
s life and the history
of the American Revolution takes visitors from the
Caribbean island of St. Croix, where Hamilton became
a trader and was caught in a swirling hurricane that
swept the island, all the way to the dueling grounds in
Weehawken, N.J., where Hamilton was fatally shot.
Among the attractions, attendees will walk down a
gangplank into the streets of New York, observe George
Washington’
s war tent, see Hamilton’
s office and visit
the Schuyler mansion, where they will meet historical
figures including George and Martha Washington.
Visitors will learn what it took to form our coun-
try and for Britain to surrender. There’
s also a Legacy
Room that shows what Hamilton’
s wife, Eliza, did for
the 50 years after his death. Throughout the exhibit,
replicas from the era will be on display, and music from
the Hamilton soundtrack will be heard.
“I am excited to show how Alexander Hamilton’
s
story was one of the best immigrant stories in our
country’
s history,
” Korins says. “He started with nothing
and moved to the height of politics. He designed our
electoral college, our financial system, our immigration
policy. He was one of the most important figures in
history.
”
For now, the exhibition is scheduled to run in
Chicago through September. There is talk of taking it
on the road to more cities around the country.
“We chose Chicago because it’
s right in the middle
of the country, accessible to a lot of people, is a great
museum town and is where the musical Hamilton has
been playing for 2½ years,
” Korins says.
“
Chicago wanted us here, and they have the space
and land to mount this huge endeavor. My hope and
dream is that we can bring as many people as possible
to see the exhibit, and that we can spark a deep and
meaningful conversation on what it means to be an
American.
” ■
— Alice Burdick Schweiger
details
Tickets are timed and available on Ticketmaster.com and
HamiltonExhibiton.com. $39.50, adults; $32.50, seniors/
military; $25, ages 4-14. For groups of 10 or more, contact
Broadway in Chicago at (312) 977-1710.