MILWAUKEE — As a Broadway musical, Hamilton continues to captivate audiences all over the world, and currently here in Milwaukee, students at several local high schools were able to attend a master class with a member from the cast.
75 performing arts students from Ronald Reagan High School, Riverside High School, and Milwaukee High School of the Arts set foot in a different type of classroom Thursday morning.
Students were challenged to bring their best dance moves in a master class led by lead Hamilton dancer, Alex Sobczak.
Due to COVID-19 protocols, Sobczak led the class via Zoom on stage while the students watched and practiced in a ballroom inside of the Marcus Performing Arts Center.
They were able to learn the last few counts of the hit song, "My Shot."
The goal of the class was to give students an in-person experience and expose them to a setting they're not used to.
"We have felt very trapped because of COVID-19 for quite a while. You can't go anywhere, you can't participate. This is really the first field trip we've taken and they are so excited just to get to go anywhere. But to do something with Hamilton is like a huge honor," said Milena Walker, the Choir and Theater director at Riverside High School.
While Hamilton first made its name as one of the highest-grossing Broadway shows in the country, for many students their introduction was from the Disney Plus streaming movie that was release during the height of the pandemic, while most of them were still in virtual school.
For Riverside High School senior Jaleen Mays, going virtual wasn't that easy as a performing arts student.
"I'm not gonna lie, it broke me," said Mays.
Mays watched the movie during the brunt of the pandemic, and was inspired more than ever to keep pursuing his dreams despite the circumstances around him.
"They're fighting for something and when I saw it I was like, 'OK, if they can fight for something with a group of people, then I can fight for myself.'"
And it's safe to say he's not throwing away his shot.
"My long-term goal is to perform at the Grammy's," said Mays.
