Hamilton. If you haven’t seen it, take this as your sign to go. This masterpiece in music and American history will be playing at the Dr. Phillips Center from now through Sunday, Oct. 18, kicking off the Broadway in Orlando 2026-2027 season.

While there have been untold rave reviews on this award-winning musical over the past decade, I went for the very first time this week with my friend and co-worker, Ginger Gadsden. She had seen Hamilton before and encouraged me to listen to the soundtrack beforehand, which I did not do. I do love to be surprised when I go to the Dr. Phillips Center.

Pro tip: Take her advice if you don’t think you can listen intently for 2 hours and 45 minutes, while the entire story is sung through mostly rap and hip-hop music. The soundtrack is so good and full of historical nuggets, you will be drawn to every word in every song. However, the lyrics move really fast, and it’s nearly impossible to catch every phrase. It would be a shame to miss out on the message while questioning what you’re actually hearing.

I also had limited knowledge about the musical other than it received global acclaim when it first premiered back in 2015, was based on the life of Alexander Hamilton and was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Obviously, when it first opened, tickets were seemingly impossible to come by, which also deterred me from even attempting to go. I love learning about history, and boy, did I get schooled while watching this performance.

Not only that, I left the theater wanting to learn even more and yearning to revisit the birth of our country and the roles of each of our founding fathers. We were at the Dr. Phillips Center for more than three hours with intermission, but the musical never felt slow. It was entertaining, informative, emotional and no surprise at the conclusion, the packed house at the Dr. Phillips Center rose to their feet in a standing ovation.

I’m so grateful I finally had the opportunity to see Hamilton. So many themes that were relevant in 1776 resonate today. Ginger and I agreed, every high school senior should see Hamilton before graduation.

Pro tip: The Dr. Phillips Center often offers student rush tickets that can often range in price from $15 to $35 for various productions. According to their website, Dr. Phillips Center offers discounted Rush tickets for select Broadway shows. Rush tickets are available to students and often other qualifying groups, such as veterans and teachers. A valid ID is required to purchase these tickets, and the discount cannot be combined with other offers. To stay updated on which shows offer Rush tickets and any specific restrictions, be sure to follow us on social media.

When my own boys get a little older, I look forward to taking them to this masterpiece.

You will not be disappointed.