It almost had a Black Friday feel for being a Wednesday morning in August.
Tickets for the musical, “Hamilton” go on sale today for its October run at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center. There was a rock concert vibe outside the venue for a Broadway show and for good reason: it’s the hottest ticket in any town it plays.
Hundreds of people arrived in the early morning and waited in the rain before the box office opened. They weren’t going to take any chances in scoring seats. The line started forming at 6 a.m. and was winding to the back of the building before the doors opened at 7 a.m.
Ron Hawkinson of Appleton has waited in line for concert tickets before, but never Broadway. He arrived at the PAC at 10 p.m. on Tuesday night. He wanted the best seats he could get.
“You can’t get tickets,” Hawkinson said. “This was the best chance I had and this offered the best choices I’d have without having to become a season ticket holder.”
Tickets were going on sale at 8 a.m. in person and at 10 a.m online.
The touring cast will take the stage for 24 Appleton performances from Oct. 1 through Oct. 20.
Gina Zaretske of Mosinee said it was well worth the wait. She saw “Hamilton” in Minneapolis and had no second thoughts of standing in line for a second experience.
“The musical score is excellent, the story is historic,” she said. “How they portray it; the staging … it’s just so creative.”
The Appleton performances mark the Wisconsin debut of “Hamilton.”
Appleton’s run will have an eight-ticket limit per household.
After departing the PAC, the musical will run in Milwaukee from Oct. 22 through Nov. 17 and in Madison from Nov. 19 through Dec. 8.
Among the most surprised by the lines on Wednesday was guitarist Sam Foth, who was invited to plug in and provide some entertainment for the waiting crowds.
He admitted he was a bit puzzled by the request, but it made sense as he arrived.
“I didn’t expect anything like this,” he said. “Not at 6 in the morning.”
