THEATER DISTRICT — The creator of the smash Broadway musical "Hamilton" braved laryngitis to mark the return of the show’s live ticket lottery — with a cup of tea courtesy of the mayor himself.
On Wednesday, Lin-Manuel Miranda teamed up with Mayor Bill de Blasio to announce the return of the show's live lotteries and "Ham4Ham" live performances ahead of its Wednesday matinees.
A live outdoor lottery previously offered Hamilton fans a chance to win $10 tickets to the Grammy Award-winning show before moving online last year.
“We love the online lotto; it’s brought such a diverse group of people, people from all over New York, not just the people who can hang out in Times Square for a half hour… but we also missed giving you a New York experience,” Miranda said to the more than 100 fans crowded around the Richard Rodgers Theatre on West 46th Street.
The mayor joined Miranda — who was diagnosed with acute laryngitis on Tuesday — on the theater’s steps, with a cup of tea for the star.
“I understand that your voice, which is a blessing to all of us, may need a little help, so I brought you some tea as a public service,” de Blasio said.
The mayor praised Miranda's musical for its ability to reflect historical truths “so often obscured in our political discourse."
“I’ve got to give props to Lin-Manuel… because ["Hamilton"] speaks to the history of the city, what we love about the city, the way every kind of person created our history,” de Blasio said. “Black, brown, white — every person across the spectrum created our history, and 'Hamilton' reflects that.
“We need Hamilton to tell us some of the things we needed to hear a long time ago,” he added.
After de Blasio addressed the crowd, Miranda suggested they “kick this up a level.”
“Can you say that all again in Spanish?” he asked the mayor.
The mayor agreed, reading from a set of cue cards.
“You’re doing great,” Miranda reassured him.
"Hamilton" hopefuls can enter a live lottery for the show’s Wednesday matinees starting at noon each week at the theater, with a Ham4Ham performance at 12:25 p.m. and a drawing at 12:30 p.m. Lotteries for the show’s other performances will remain online.
The show will not have a lottery next Wednesday, April 13, as it is launching its "EduHam" program for school students, its official Twitter account said.
