So, yesterday was pretty wild, huh? Bet you haven’t been this emotional over Hamiltonsince your first listen-through of the soundtrack. What am I saying, “The World Was Wide Enough” will never be okay. By now, you probably know that on the first day of the show’s front-row ticket lottery going digital, no one got a seat. The hottest show in town had 21 empty chairs at last night’s performance. How did it come to this? Here’s the story of the day that was Jan. 5, 2016.
9:30 a.m. “My Shot” rings out from your phone — the first online lottery islive! Despite hopping online with the eagerness of Alexander Hamilton boarding a ship to New York, most of us were met with server error messages. Press the Reload button for the first of many finger-cramping times. 9:39 a.m. Song changes to “Wait for It.” You empathize more with Aaron Burr than ever before.
9:45 a.m. Get up and make tea. Feel catharsis as I pour it out, untouched.
9:58 a.m. Hamilton star, creator and beautiful cinnamon roll Lin-Manuel Miranda kindly reminds us that he is our landlady, not our housekeeper.
Yay.
Here I gently remind you that while I have a lotta jobs at Hamilton, none are in the IT Dept.
Just here like ?? https://t.co/CpiKZkTCOW
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 5, 2016
10:32 a.m. Kaitlin Fine, the Leo McGarry of Hamilton, gamely takes to Twitter to answer questions, hold hands and encourage everyone not to throw away their shot. This is not an easy task.
….I’m supposed to wait until the day is over? ?
(KIDDING KIDDING I’M VERY PROFESSIONAL @BASELINEGM) https://t.co/73HGtmZwrm
— kaitlin fine (@kafine) January 5, 2016
11:25 a.m. Contemplate a seance to ask for help from the spirit of Rochambeau. 12:51 p.m. George Washington to the rescue.Christopher Jackson, who plays the former president, gives the meme-lovingHamilton fandom exactly the distraction it needs when he says he would step aside to let Will Smith give the role a go.
“The truth is in ya face when ya hear the British cannons go BOOM SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE THE ROOM.”
*Drops ?* https://t.co/HJCB5ORFq3
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 5, 2016
Just the one, I promise. I PROMISE. Whatever you heard, @Lin_Manuel started it! #Will4Ham pic.twitter.com/GmPMcQKeXS
— Sus (@SusLikesTurtles) January 5, 2016
1:09 p.m. Bargaining with the universe in full effect. If the site would load, that would be enough!
2:01 p.m. They’re building a bigger boat!
Our team is taking the site down temporarily to increase capacity. We will be back up ASAP, well before 4pm deadline. #Ham4Ham #Ham404Ham
— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) January 5, 2016
3:07 p.m. It doesn’t seem to be working. You hear a sound on the wind, not unlike the cackle of a mad English monarch. Laugh it up, George,we said back in 1776that we’d fight for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and today that means trying to see a play in which you’re portrayed as a lovelorn psychopath. 3:52 p.m. The end of the lottery is nigh. Dejected but still very much not giving up, I put on “One Last Time” and press Reload, hoping for the best. Shockingly, the entry page appears! I fill out the form with as much vigor as the young, scrappy and hungry Hamilton wrote his 51 Federalist essays. Richard Rodgers, my home sweet home, I wanna give you a kiss. 4:06 p.m. The first sign that even though the hard part was supposed to be over after the lottery closed at 4 p.m., all was not well.
[searching for a gif of kylo ren destroying those computers with his lightsaber]
— kaitlin fine (@kafine) January 5, 2016
I was not one of the unfortunate souls who received one of thetoo-many confirmation emailsthat went out after the lottery closed. Even having lost the lottery in person a dozen times, that kind of anguish is unfathomable. But I imagine it felt something like this.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 5, 2016
If only Groffsauce could pet all our heads, we might be satisfied.
In the end, the lottery received 50,000 unique entries — 50 times more than usual. There was only one thing to do.
The tickets held for #Ham4Ham will go unsold and unused in an effort to be fair to everyone. https://t.co/lPZOE5k20v
— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) January 5, 2016
In the end though, no one was sadder we couldn’t be in the room where it happens than Alexander Hamilton.
Seriously, I’m sorry for the tsuris if this f’d up your day.
Not having your face in the front row f’s up mine. https://t.co/sId4qiOAA3
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) January 5, 2016
Today, and until server capacity can be boosted, the lotteryis backto in-person drawings on the front steps of the Richard Rodgers. #Ham4Ham will take place on the front steps too, instead of moving indoors. So wear your warmest mittens, give your fellow hopefuls a supportive nod and considerbringing something nicefor the non-stop staff and creatives. I have the honor to be your obedient servant,E. Kis.
