"Hamilton" educational experience giving back to Detroit students

DETROIT (FOX 2) - These students didn't throw away their shot. They got a chance to switch places with the pros and perform on the same stage as the cast from the musical "Hamilton."

Teens filled the seats of the Fisher Theater to cheer on their classmates as they performed. It's all part of the educational program EDUHAM, in which producers work in conjunction with local foundations, like the Fisher Foundation and the Marshall Mathers Foundation, to bring the show to young people for only $10 a ticket. 

"A lot of people were nervous and a lot of people thought that I was going to be nervous but I was used to it. When I got out on stage it was pretty dark in the crowd so if you were nervous you really couldn't see anything but I wanted to embrace the audience," EAU Claire Student Donovan Frazier told us. 

"I would have passed out if I had to perform in front of my peers in high school, so I was just impressed they were able to do that and I'm so impressed with their talent and their creativity," said actress Olivia Puckett. 

The teenage performers presented lyrical rhymes, short plays and monologues about founding fathers, in a similar fashion to "Hamilton". After their performances, the musical cast sat down for a Q&A session to discuss their careers and the discipline it takes to be a Broadway performer. 

"Don't let a "no" stop you," dancer Krystal Mackie told the students. "I heard lots of "nos" before I got a "yes" and it only pushed me to work harder."

Later in the day, the students got to see the critically aclaimed award winning musical. "Hamilton" tells the story of America's founding father, Alexander Hamilton, through the brilliantly composed raps, and intricate lyrics of Lin Manual Miranda. 

The cast has been spending time in Detroit during their nearly 6 week run in the city and performers say they're enjoying everything the Motor City has to offer. 

"We've been hitting up good brunch spots like Toast and Hudson Cafe; the mall, I think it's Somerset Mall, we went there. Just trying to find good places went to eat and a bunch of us went to the Motown Museum," Mackie said. 

"I'm pretty impressed by Detroit's audiences. They're pretty lit. It's been really fun; they're really respectful and just here to have a good time and we're here to perform for them," Puckett said. 

Both the cast and students say this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and they're just happy to be in the room when it happened. 

"I thought it was very educational, I thought it was very, you know, they're going to these different schools and they're inviting them to something that some people might not see, so I thought it was very generous," Frazier saisd. 

On Thursday a second round of students will go to the Fisher to participate in the program. 

Hamilton will be at the Fisher through April 21.