(Al Hartmann | The Salt Lake Tribune) About 150 people wait in the lobby of the Eccles Theater at 7:30 a.m. Feb. 9 to buy tickets for the upcoming production of "Hamilton".
So you’re one of the many Utahns who missed your shot at “Hamilton” tickets online or at the theater box office. Or maybe you were unwilling to invest your entire tax cut or take out a second mortgage on your house to buy tickets.
“Tens of thousands of tickets” went on sale at 10 a.m. Friday for the April 11-May 6 Salt Lake City run at the Eccles Theater and were sold out by 2 p.m., said Bruce Granath, with Broadway at the Eccles.
“The most important thing to remember — and this is the same thing that would happen if the Utes played in the national championship or the Jazz went to the NBA Finals — there is more demand than there is supply,” he said. “That has been the case with ‘Hamilton’ wherever it has gone, including London.”
While many people were left disappointed and without tickets for the 32-show run, “additional seats may be made available for sale closer to the engagement,” added Mitzi Van Arsdale, director of marketing for Broadway Across America’s Mountain Region.
On a popular online resale site, asking prices for tickets ranged from $295 to more than $1,100. Face values ranged from $75 to $165 (plus fees), with some $300 premium seats.
If you’re still feeling “young, scrappy and hungry,” as the title character describes himself in the song “My Shot,” there are other ways you might be able to score a ticket, celebrate America’s Founding Fathers in an artsy way, or find solace with other theater lovers.
“The Story of Tonight” • “Hamilton” producers are making available some 40 “lottery” tickets (at the price of a “Hamilton,” aka a $10 bill) before every show. Details of how to enter will be released in mid-March, and on Broadway at the Eccles social media channels.
“Your Obedient Servant” • Utah high-school students can write their way in, just as Alexander Hamilton did. The New Nations contest invites students to write their legislator or Salt Lake City or County council person with their passionate solutions to civic problems. “Hamilton” tickets (for the April 19 or 21 shows) will be awarded to entrants through a random drawing. Odds are pretty good, as two students from each state House and Senate district will win tickets, with additional tickets awarded to students in Salt Lake City and County council districts. You’ll need to get your quill on, though: Submission deadline is 9 a.m. Feb. 20. Rules here, and submission link here.
“Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” • A free Utah Capitol exhibit celebrating the Founding Era of America focuses on the variety of artistic ways people have told their story through history, using petroglyphs, words, photography, dance or weaving. The exhibit is on the fourth floor of the statehouse, but check out this audio guide to individual exhibits here.
“Wait for It” • You can hear the roots of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s creativity in Pioneer Theatre Company’s concert staging of “In the Heights,” his first Tony Award-winning musical. The concert will feature a slew of local talent among the cast, and plays for three shows March 16 and 17. (Tickets run about $40 at 801-581-6961 or pioneertheatre.org.)
(Courtesy Pioneer Theatre Company) | The cast of Pioneer Theatre Company's 2012 regional premiere of "In the Heights," the first Tony Award-winning musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also originated the role of Usnavi.
“What’d I Miss?” • Join the #localfirst theater movement and watch another out-of-the-genre Tony-winning musical — Salt Lake Acting Company’s regional premiere of “Fun Home” on April 4-May 13 with an all-local cast. The musical is considered the first mainstream show about a young lesbian. Also intriguing: The musical, adapted from Allison Bechdel’s critically acclaimed 2006 graphic novel about growing up in a family run funeral home, was partly developed (by writer Lisa Kron and composer Jeanine Tesori) at the Sundance Theatre Lab. Visit saltlakeactingcompany.org for more details.
"Tomorrow There’ll Be More of Us” • If you’re still feeling helpless about your prospects of seeing “Hamilton” in Salt Lake City, join the Utah Theatre Lovers Facebook group. Theatergoers traveled to Los Angeles to see the musical last fall, as well as attending Manhattan’s Broadway Con last month. Founder Megan Gutierrez says they are considering a future trip to a “Hamilton” city when group tickets are available.
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