Buying tickets to see “Hamilton” might seem impossible, but even more unlikely is being selected to perform an original poem about Alexander Hamilton before the cast of the wildly successful musical takes the stage.
Inspired by the musical’s Hamilton, Glenbrook Evening High School recent graduate Madison Christenson put a pencil to her temple, connected it to her brain and wrote a few refrains about Philip Hamilton, Alexander Hamilton’s oldest child. She performed her poem in front of students from other high schools before a Dec. 13, 2017 “Hamilton” performance for students.
“I don’t even feel that it was me that (performed) because that’s not something I would ever picture myself doing,” Christenson said.
Last school year, Glenbrook Evening High School Guidance Counselor Melissa DeFrenza-Israel asked students if they would like to plan a field trip. Christenson suggested that they go see “The Phantom of the Opera.” For most students, it was their first time going to the theater, DeFrenza-Israel said.
After that field trip, DeFrenza-Israel said she wanted to continue scheduling theater field trips because the students enjoyed it so much. She wanted to take the students to see “Hamilton,” so she started researching how to secure student-rate tickets because the show is expensive, DeFrenza-Israel said.
DeFrenza-Israel said she learned The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History gives affiliate schools the opportunity to see the musical.
School administrators filled out an application, and Glenbrook Evening High School was recognized as a Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History affiliate in November 2016, DeFrenza-Israel said. Before seeing the musical, students had to complete a five-hour classroom curriculum about Alexander Hamilton, submit questions for the “Hamilton” cast and submit their own projects in the form of a poem, rap or monologue, she said.
“Everybody went in there with a strong understanding of the story and the importance of it in our history,” DeFrenza-Israel said.
Glenbrook Evening High School teachers submitted all the student projects to the institute, but selected Christenson’s poem as the school’s best piece, DeFrenza-Israel said. As the school finalist, Christenson was filmed performing her poem, she said.
Christenson was later selected to perform her piece on stage in front of all the Gilder Lehrman affiliate high schools before the students saw the musical, DeFrenza-Israel said.
When she first listened to “Hamilton,” Christenson said what stood out to her was Philip Hamilton’s death because Alexander Hamilton had a difficult life so losing his son must have been that much more challenging for him. The poem is written from Alexander Hamilton’s point of view as he talks about the death of his son, she said.
The most challenging part of writing the poem was condensing the information into a two-minute performance, Christenson said. She was notified about two weeks before the show that she will be performing on stage, so she worked with Glenbrook Evening High School Principal Jim Shellard and English Teacher Lauren Berk to prepare, Christenson said.
About 14 students were selected to showcase their original pieces before the performance, Christenson said. On stage, Christenson said she was terrified and shaking.
“But you wouldn’t know it watching her. She was amazing,” DeFrenza-Israel said. “I think (Christenson) has found her gift, and she is an extremely talented writer. I know her future is very bright.”
Christenson said her biggest takeaway from the experience is that she can pursue her dream of writing and performing, and she plans to go to college to study writing and acting.
“It’s proven to me that I could do it if I really want to,” Christenson said.
akukulka@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @AKukulka11
