"Hamilton," one of the most popular musicals on Broadway right now, opens with a question.
"How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot
in the Caribbean by Providence, impoverished, in squalor, grow up to be a hero and a scholar?" Aaron Burr, the man who fatally shot Alexander Hamilton, asks the audience.
New Yorker Mark Levy would like to know the answer. Badly.
Levy has entered the "Hamilton" ticket lottery exactly 30 times in the hopes of winning a coveted seat at the Richard Rogers Theater to watch the show's creator and star Lin Manuel-Miranda play out the story one of the most controversial founding fathers.
Featuring an ethnically diverse cast and songs inspired by artists like The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur, people are loving Miranda's hip, and incredibly smart, take on American history. It's being hailed a contender for the 2016 Tony Awards in June and will launch a national tour in Chicago later this year.
With this in mind, it's pretty tough to get a ticket. Currently, the earliest tickets available on the show's website are for the end of August 2016 and even those are re-sale tickets, many priced well over $300. To combat this, Hamilton has a daily lottery, known as "Ham4Ham," where a select number of front-row tickets are given away outside the theater a few hours before the show for only $10 a pop.
As entertainment — and a consolation prize for the many people who don't win tickets — the Ham4Ham lottery features a short, outdoor show each day. Performances range from members of the cast singing songs from the show they wouldn't normally sing, to guest appearances from the casts of other Broadway shows.
"I saw 'In the Heights' four times, including the closing matinee show, which is one of my favorite Broadway memories," Levy told Tech Insider of Lin Manuel-Miranda's 2008 Tony-winning show. "I will see anything Lin-Manuel Miranda does. I find him funny and very brilliant."
After attempt number 25, Levy started a Facebook group, "Will Mark Levy ever see Hamilton?" to promote his cause. 42 people joined the group, and all of them get updates from Levy each time he enters the lotto ... and loses.