Hamilton Chicago officially began previews last night. And in case you were wondering if the hit musical would have legs here, a second six-month block of tickets went on sale the same day, covering March to September 2017 at the PrivateBank Theatre. What you may not know is how much those seats will cost you: If you want advance tickets on the orchestra level and you want to be able to see the whole stage (which you should), be prepared to shell out more than $500 apiece.
We’re not talking scalpers or StubHub, either—that’s what you’ll pay at the box office. The official line is that Hamilton tickets range from $65–$180, “with a select number of premium seats available for all performances.” But a survey of multiple performance dates on the Ticketmaster website suggests that select number includes more than half of the advance tickets available on the main floor, at a “premium” face value of $497. It appears the entire center orchestra from rows D through V, along with the first four to six seats from the aisle in those same rows on the left and right sides, are labeled premium seating. Most of what's offered at the non-premium pricing of $117 to $177, in the rear orchestra and on the far sides, is also labeled “limited view” or “obstructed view.” (44 seats in the first two rows and boxes are reserved for the daily #Ham4Ham lottery.)
Factor in the Ticketmaster fees, and a pair of these premium tickets will run you $1,056.82. We brainstormed a few other things that amount of cash will get you in Chicago:
Four upper-deck seats at next Friday’s National League Division Series Game 1 at Wrigley Field from various resellers
Next’s 12-course French Laundry menu with standard wine pairings for two
A private dinner inside the cupola on LondonHouse’s rooftop
A dozen gold-plated doughnuts from NYC’s Manila Social Club, available at this weekend’s Kultura Festival
Chicago dogs and chocolate-cake shakes from Portillo’s for 145 of your closest friends
Seven trips on a Chicago Helicopter Experience skyline tour
Roundtrip airfare for two to spend New Year’s Eve in Miami
A month’s rent on a one-bedroom apartment in Humboldt Park
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