Two Hamiltons—Alexander Hamilton and Bloomington Mayor John Hamilton—will take the stage on Thursday, April 18 to kick off a sing-along event based on the hit Broadway show, Hamilton: An American Musical.
The Indiana University Center for Rural Engagement—in partnership with the Jacobs School of Music Office of Entrepreneurship and Career Development, the Singing Hoosiers and the Department of Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance—will host Hamiltunes at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Thursday, April 18 as part of a regional rural arts series. Doors open at 7 p.m.; the show begins at 7:30 p.m.
“We are delighted to bring this wonderful, student-led rendition of Hamiltunes to Bloomington to close the show’s tour of the Indiana Uplands region,” said Kerry Thomson, executive director of the Center for Rural Engagement. “The warm reception from our communities coupled with the enthusiasm for growing local capacity for the arts across rural Indiana fosters meaningful collaborations on- and off-campus.”
Hamiltunes is a free and family-friendly sing-a-long version of Hamilton. The community is invited to learn more about Alexander Hamilton's life through music while singing along with the cast. Mayor Hamilton will introduce the show, provide the historical context that served as inspiration for the popular musical and join the sing-along.
“This thrilling musical is performing the great service of making American history relevant to a larger audience at a critical time,” said Hamilton. “IU’s initiative is multiplying that effect across the Hoosier state. I’m tickled to be involved through the happy coincidence of my last name!”
Free tickets are available at the BCT Box Office and online.
Other regional rural arts series events include pop-up cinema screenings with IU Cinema; touring exhibits of faculty and student work and professional practice sessions from the IU School of Art, Architecture, and Design; elder art workshops and folk art exhibitions with Traditional Arts Indiana and the Mathers Museum of World Cultures; creative writing workshops and readings; and the IU Theatre touring revue. With a focus on enhancing community capacity, the center and its partners are working with Huntingburg, Nashville, and Salem on strategic arts plans.
Media contact:
Kyla Cox Deckard, IU Center for Rural Engagement
(812) 855-4992
knblanke@indiana.edu