“My favorite song that was performed was ‘Satisfied,’ said sophomore Bre Larsen. “I really liked hearing the song live because it has a lot of truth to it and I feel like I can relate to that song a lot.”

High School students from Golden Eagle Charter School’s Mount Shasta and Yreka programs traveled to San Francisco in November to see the award winning musical theatre production of “Hamilton: An American Musical.” Based on the biography “Alexander Hamilton” by historian Ron Chernow, the musical portrays “America then, as told by America now” as it follows Hamilton’s story from immigrant to American founding father during the Revolutionary War. The score blends sounds inspired by modern hip-hop, R&B, pop, and soul along with traditional show tunes with lyrics that relate history to modern day life.

“My favorite song that was performed was ‘Satisfied,’ said sophomore Bre Larsen. “I really liked hearing the song live because it has a lot of truth to it and I feel like I can relate to that song a lot.”

Before attending the play, teachers guided students through a class project to introduce them to the people, events, and documents of the founding era. In addition, the students learned how Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of “Hamilton,” incorporated primary sources into the songs he wrote for the show and used that knowledge to produce their own performance pieces. A few standout performers, including Akasha Kirby from Golden Eagle in Mount Shasta, were chosen by the Hamilton Education Program to perform their project on stage in front of the 2,000 students in attendance. The Hamilton Education Program also generously allowed students to attend the Hamilton performance at a highly discounted rate of $10 per ticket.

Upon their return, students wrote about their experiences. Reflecting on how the show helped bring to life the historical characters’ stories, senior grader Nathan Roach wrote that “the show transforms information you would normally read from a history book in school and forget into extremely catchy choruses.”

Students were also wowed by the elaborate production at the Orpheum Theatre.

“Everything about the show was pretty incredible but something that really blew me away was the whole movement of the show,” said junior Meredith Bradley. “Everyone on the stage moved so smoothly and beautifully together ... I really have a lot of respect and appreciation for everything they have put into the show.”