Elmsford Students Perform Before Hamilton Cast

For two lucky Alexander Hamilton High School juniors, it was the performance of a lifetime.

On Dec. 8th in the Richard Rogers Theatre, which has the distinction of housing the greatest number of Tony award-winning plays and musicals of any theater in New York City, including the hit show “Hamilton,” Taiyo Spain and Jason Bernard rapped their hearts out in a performance that teacher Carrie Silva said was “absolutely amazing.”

The two students – and several students from the 11th-grade class in the Elmsford Union Free School District who were chosen for the trip based on their successful performance in the high school auditorium – were there as part of the Hamilton Education Program.

The initiative is a partnership between The Gilder Lehrman Institute, the Hamilton show and The Rockefeller Foundation to improve the teaching and learning of American history.

Each of the students who attended were chosen had also created and performed their own poetry projects in the AHHS auditorium.

Schools that were lucky enough to participate in the initiative were invited to see the musical for just $10 per student. Prior to the visit, teachers were asked to integrate Alexander Hamilton and the Founding Era into their classroom studies.

Ms. Silva said AHHS applied to the program when it was open only to New York City Schools. In October, she received word that they had secured a place. At that time, the organizers had opened it up to schools in Westchester and surrounding areas.

She explained that each student was required to complete a research project using primary source materials and come up with ideas for a performance piece.

The AHHS auditions took take place in the school’s auditorium and out of those performances, the two students were chosen to represent the school on the Richard Rogers Theatre stage.

Ms. Silva, who worked closely with social studies teacher Al McCutchen, ESL teacher Erica Carrasquillo, and special education teachers Harry Soloway and Danielle Weill, said the students also learned a great deal about the show’s creator, Lin Manuel Miranda, and the process he used to develop the smash hit.

Out of the 12 high schools participating that day, Ms. Silva said the AHHS juniors were the first to perform. Their rap, an interpretative piece based on the Boston massacre from the perspective of the British, was flawless, she said.

“They were great. They didn’t miss a beat, and they were really proud of themselves.”

After the performances, the students got to engage in a Q&A session with some of Hamilton’s actors.

Ms. Silva said they had an “amazing, amazing time.”

“I can’t tell you enough about all the work the kids put into this.”