Hit Musical "Hamilton" Coming To Chicago
(CBS) -- Big news from Broadway to Chicago: the biggest show on the great white way is coming here for an extended run.
CBS 2's Vince Gerasole takes a look at its unlikely road to success for "Hamilton."
It is an unexpected phenomenon, the story of Alexander Hamilton, immigrant from the Caribbean, Founding Father and first secretary of the treasury, told through hip hop.
For the hottest ticket on Broadway, audiences are waiting nearly a year and now its producers are bringing an open ended production to Chicago.
"As long as there is an audience we will be here," said producer Jeffrey Seller.
More than patriots in wigs, the show is brought to life by a multicultural cast, coping with modern issues and conversing in rap.
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"There is a sound to the music, there is a look to the movement that is unlike any other Broadway musical I have ever seen," said Seller.
"Now the public believes it's more accessible to them," said actor G.Q.
He knows a thing or two about the evolution of hip hop and the stage.
One half of Chicago's performing team the Q Brothers, they've been mixing classics like "Othello" with a hip hop beat worldwide for nearly 20 years. Audience reaction has often the same.
"I came here, I had to be dragged kicking and screaming but I loved every instant of what you showed us," he said.
So whether it's Hamilton or the Q Brothers Christmas Carol, see if it draws you in too.
Chicago registered 52 million visitors last year and Hamilton's producers found that number of potential ticket buyers very attractive. The extended run starts next September. The Q Brothers' Othello remix returns to the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre this coming spring.
