How I got my “Golden Ticket” to Hamilton

 

Here’s a story for you.

I have been listening to the Hamilton soundtrack for over two years. I probably listened to it every day for almost six months at one point, so to say that I knew the lyrics is an understatement.

I AM HAMILTON.

Ok, come back to Earth, Alex.

I had been trying to win tickets to Hamilton on the app for several months, but at some point I quit. Little did I realize that it was playing right in my cozy lil town of Fort Lauderdale! Under my very nose.

I found out my brother was going to see it with his fiancee–and he had never even heard of it! Talk about unfair, right?

He was blown away. You have to go, he told me.

But tickets were sold-out.

 

So, I hatched a plan.

I didn’t know how it was going to happen, but I was going to see it nonetheless.

I made my claim on fb: I’m going to see Hamilton this weekend. I don’t have a ticket (yet), but I’m going to see Hamilton this weekend!

It was showing last Friday night, twice on Saturday and then again on Sunday.

I made my move.

I dressed up a bit and drove over to the Broward Center for Performing Arts (a truly beautiful center) about 30 minutes early.

I came with $100, way under ticket value, and a vision of singing, My Shot (very quietly to myself, of course).

Parking was $15. Nope. Can’t pay that much when I don’t even have a ticket. So, I drove around downtown and found a metered space a few blocks away for about $3.65 for two hours.

I walked up, and the most important part of the story is this:

I truly believed it was going to happen for me.

 

I walked up the long driveway to the top of the hill and started saying, need a ticket or got an extra ticket?

People laughed. People smiled. People said no.

This was HAMILTON, after all!!!

 

Then, I saw an older woman who was also looking. Someone next to her said, I have an extra ticket for you, and boom–she had a ticket just like that!

Then…

it was my turn.

(Or, so I thought.)

I am asking and this guy stops and says, My girlfriend couldn’t make it, so yeah, for $20 you can have my extra ticket.

I was like, really?!! Here’s $20, and I’m buying your drinks!

We go inside and I can’t believe my good fortune!! I’m IN!

That’s when he shows his tickets on his phone, and the woman looked bewildered. She’s like, oh, you need to go out this door across the pavilion to the other theatre.

He had tickets–but not for Hamilton.

He hands me the $20 back.

Argghhhhhhhhhhh.

 

I go back outside. Show time is fast approaching, yet people are still strolling up the hill. I put on a smile and a little swagger and had fun (2nd key to getting this ticket).

When people said they didn’t have a ticket, I said, wish me good luck! and many of them did. I also told people to enjoy the show. I was just friendly and upbeat.

That’s when it happened.

A woman in her early 20’s was with her girlfriend and she heard me. She stopped to think and said, yeah, I have an extra ticket for you.

BOOM.

We walked to up will call, and she picked up four tickets (there were three people in her party), and she handed it to me:

MY GOLDEN TICKET!!!

I said, drinks are on me!

I ended up sitting next to them throughout the musical. It was quite a fantastic experience.

I have to thank my brother for encouraging me to show up in the first place.

(Thanks, bro!)

 

This reminds me of this principle:

whoever has the biggest YES wins!

 

I did the work of showing up.

I believed.

I stayed positive and had fun.

I enhanced the experience of others passing by, providing a little entertainment.

 

Sometimes, it’s not about the money.

It’s about the heart.

 

 

 

www.alexobed.com