Students from Leaders in Learning High School in Monroe take their seats and some selfies near the front of the stage before the start of student performances of “Hamilton” on Wednesday at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

Students from Leaders in Learning High School in Monroe take their seats and some selfies near the front of the stage before the start of student performances of “Hamilton” on Wednesday at Seattle’s Paramount Theatre. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

‘Near-transformative experience’ when students see ‘Hamilton’

Teens from Snohomish County were “blown away” by their day at a Seattle theater.

Makenzee Eddleman and Tiara Walker took the stage at the Paramount Theatre, a Seattle landmark. It’s now the venue for “Hamilton,” the hottest ticket from Broadway to the West Coast.

Belting out an edgy song about Thomas Jefferson, they referenced the founding father as a slave owner with their lyrics “You sure gotta lot of nerve” and “They should be free.”

They aren’t “Hamilton” cast members. Eddleman, 16, and 18-year-old Walker are students at Leaders in Learning High School in Monroe. They were among 21 students from their school and about 60 from Marysville Pilchuck High School who attended the show Wednesday as part of a Hamilton Education Program. In all, some 2,800 teens and chaperones packed the Paramount.

Marysville Pilchuck junior Laura Davis, 17, also performed a short piece onstage during the day that ended with a full performance of “Hamilton.”

Makenzee Eddleman, 16 (right), and Tiara Walker, 18, from Leaders in Learning High School in Monroe, wave to a packed crowd in the Paramount Theatre and walk off the stage where they would later see “Hamilton” after performing a song Wednesday. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

Makenzee Eddleman, 16 (right), and Tiara Walker, 18, from Leaders in Learning High School in Monroe, wave to a packed crowd in the Paramount Theatre and walk off the stage where they would later see “Hamilton” after performing a song Wednesday. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

“They were completely blown away,” said Blake Baird, principal of the Monroe alternative school. “A significant portion of my students had never even left Monroe. They not only got to see the show, they got to go to Seattle.”

Baird said one student described the show as a “near-transformative experience.”

That’s some accomplishment for a tale that takes its audience from pre-American Revolution days to Alexander Hamilton’s death by duel in 1804. Its appeal is how creator Lin-Manuel Miranda rewrote history into catchy rap, hip-hop and soul music — inspired by Ron Chernow’s 818-page biography “Alexander Hamilton.”

Organized by the New York-based Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the program brings teens from Title I schools — those with significant numbers of kids from low-income families — to see “Hamilton” in select cities.

Wednesday’s program was the second “Hamilton” matinee in Seattle for students, whose tickets cost $10 each. Emily Krahn, a spokeswoman with the Seattle Theatre Group that operates the Paramount, said 5,700 students in all attended two special matinees.

Marysville Pilchuck junior Laura Davis (bottom front in flowered dress) joins other high school students from the region back on the Paramount stage at the conclusion of student performances Wednesday. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

Marysville Pilchuck junior Laura Davis (bottom front in flowered dress) joins other high school students from the region back on the Paramount stage at the conclusion of student performances Wednesday. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

As part of the program that included curriculum related to early U.S. history, 21 students performed short, original pieces. There were raps, poems and lyrical songs about the Revolutionary era. The performances had to tell about a person, an incident or a historical document. To qualify for a stage performance, kids submitted videos of their acts.

Davis, the Marysville Pilchuck junior, recited a dramatic poem she wrote about Theodosia Burr Alston. She was the daughter of Aaron Burr, the U.S. vice president known for killing Hamilton in a duel. “And me, I’m the damn fool that shot him,” the Burr character says in the musical.

Using the National Archives, Davis researched letters Theodosia Burr had written to her father. The wife of a South Carolina governor, she died at 29 when a schooner she was aboard, “The Patriot,” was lost at sea. “She was one of the best-educated women of her day,” said Davis, who is working on a novel of her own.

Eddleman said she and Walker wrote the song that “dissed Jefferson.” After their performance, she added “it was so exciting.” Walker, asked what she would take away from the day, said “the memories.”

Later, “Hamilton” cast members sat onstage for a question-and-answer session. Ta’Rea Campbell, who plays Angelica Schuyler, answered a question about what issues from the 1700s remain today. “Racism and inequality are still with us,” she said.

A question-and-answer time with a dozen members of the “Hamilton” cast is part of the experience sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Here, the cast addresses questions from the young audience. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

A question-and-answer time with a dozen members of the “Hamilton” cast is part of the experience sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Here, the cast addresses questions from the young audience. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

After a lunch break came the day’s highlight — the wow-it’s-great performance of “Hamilton.”

Conroe Brooks, who has played George Washington and King George, was an enthusiastic emcee. He encouraged kids to cheer for every school. “It’s love and light in this room,” he said.

Before the cheers, the day began with a somber recognition that students nationwide were walking out to protest gun violence and in honor of 17 people killed Feb. 14 by a gunman in Florida. The student performers, Eddleman among them, came onstage to read names of those killed at Stoneman Douglas High School.

Tim Bailey, director of education for the Gilder Lehrman Institute, said that along with the “Hamilton” effort, the nonprofit offers resources to 17,000 schools through an affiliate program. The group sponsors summer seminars for teachers, and a National History Teacher of the Year recognition.

So far, about 40,000 teens have seen the show, Bailey said. “The goal is, over five years, to have reached 250,000 students,” he said.

The program gives students access to a website that includes interviews with Chernow, Miranda and cast members, plus “Hamilton” scenes and music. Discussion includes artistic license, the difference between historical accuracy and historical integrity.

Marysville Pilchuck junior Laura Davis, 17, performs her original poem on stage in the Paramount Theatre on Wednesday. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

Marysville Pilchuck junior Laura Davis, 17, performs her original poem on stage in the Paramount Theatre on Wednesday. (Dan Bates / The Herald)

Bailey had several goals for the school program. The first was for students to learn the history. “That’s critical to who we are as a country,” he said. He wanted kids to analyze complicated texts, create arguments based on facts and communicate through performance.

“Lastly was to have an educational experience they would never forget,” he said.

Cheering high school kids weren’t the only ones taking away unforgettable memories. Cast members gave kudos to their young audience. Campbell replied when asked about the most eye-opening experience while touring with the show.

“This right now,” she said.

Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; jmuhlstein@herald net.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Snohomish County Health Department Director Dennis Worsham on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Health Department director tapped as WA health secretary

Dennis Worsham became the first director of the county health department in January 2023. His last day will be July 3.

Everett
Adopt A Stream Foundation will host summer solstice market

Peruse local crafters and artisans or check out the foundation’s half-mile nature trail.

Police Cmdr. Scott King answers questions about the Flock Safety license plate camera system on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace approves Flock camera system after public pushback

The council approved the $54,000 license plate camera system agreement by a vote of 5-2.

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen goes through an informational slideshow about the current budget situation in Edmonds during a roundtable event at the Edmonds Waterfront Center on Monday, April 7, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds mayor recommends $19M levy lid lift for November

The city’s biennial budget assumed a $6 million levy lid lift. The final levy amount is up to the City Council.

A firefighting helicopter carries a bucket of water from a nearby river to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Snohomish County property owners can prepare for wildfire season

Clean your roofs, gutters and flammable material while completing a 5-foot-buffer around your house.

(City of Everett)
Everett’s possible new stadium has a possible price tag

City staff said a stadium could be built for $82 million, lower than previous estimates. Bonds and private investment would pay for most of it.

Jennifer Humelo, right, hugs Art Cass outside of Full Life Care Snohomish County on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘I’ll lose everything’: Snohomish County’s only adult day health center to close

Full Life Care in Everett, which supports adults with disabilities, will shut its doors July 19 due to state funding challenges.

Marysville
Marysville school board appoints new member

Malory Simpson will take on the role left after board president Connor Krebbs’ resignation. The seat is up for election in November.

Bothell
Portal Space Systems announces major expansion in Bothell

The move will allow Portal to eventually triple its workforce as it moves toward producing one spacecraft per month by 2027.

Traffic moves northbound in a new HOV lane on I-5 between Everett and Marysville on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
WSP to perform emphasis patrols along I-5 in Snohomish County

State agencies will study data from the patrols to better understand high-risk driving behavior and the impacts of emphasis enforcement.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.