KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Few theatre-goers in Knoxville waited for their chance to see Hamilton at the Tennessee Theatre.
Its performance of Hamilton broke modern records in Knoxville and sold more than double the number of tickets than any other performance since the Tennessee Theatre's 2005 renovation.
The theatre said their performance of Jersey Boys was their first week-long sellout show, followed by Book of Mormon in 2016. They said that based on the theater's house capacity, they expect to have sold more than 25,000 tickets by the time Hamilton's run ends.
They said the only other show on record to beat out that number is Disney's Snow White, which premiered in Knoxville in April 1938. According to the Tennessee Theatre, they sold around 70,000 tickets for that show. However, they also said that their historical records, dating back to 1928, can be spotty.
They also specified that the term "sold out" usually means no more tickets are available to the public for a show. However, it is common for theatres to have new tickets become available in the weeks leading up to the start of a show, as well as tickets to open up throughout the show.
"The inventory released can be at a range of different prices, depending on when the tickets were purchased and where in the house the seats are located. That has been the case here," a spokesperson said.
The Hamilton play follows the life of Alexander Hamilton after he arrives in New York in 1776, and later becomes an integral part of the American Revolution before creating a financial plan for the U.S. after the war. It blends hip-hop, jazz and R&B and uses a unique kind of rotating, turn-table kind of stage.
