Taking My Shot- Adopted by Hamilton

31-Hello, Hello, Hello!

"Hello hello hello!" I heard Lin say to the crowd outside the theater. Today was the first Ham4Heights show that we were doing and I was nervous to say the least. I mean what if people didn't donate or we messed up or people just didn't like us. I was standing by the door internally freaking out while the rest of my cast was getting pumped up when I felt someone hug me from behind.

"You ready Vanessa?" I turn around to see Chris hugging me, I felt a little better from his hug but I was still freaking out.

"I guess," I say trying not to show my nerves.

"Hey you're going to do great!" Chris says smiling at me.

"Thanks," I say, suddenly Lin is banging on the door signaling for me to come out. Chris gives me a thumbs up and I head out of the door to be greeted by lots of screams.

"Hello," I say into the mic that's taped on my face. Lin decided we needed to pull out all the stops for this fundraiser so he set up speakers outside the Rogers that connected with mics the Heights cast would wear, like the ones they have in the show. I smiled at the audience and took a breath getting ready to explain why I was here, "So as most of you don't know I go to a school here in New York and in that school we have a theater program. This year the musical we are doing is In The Heights," I stopped as the audience cheered for the show, "We were set to open at the Clark Theater in a month but our show got canceled. The principal pulled our theater programs funds so they could put the money into a new field and gym. When we asked him why he responded 'Sports are more beneficial than theater'." The audience booed and I felt the rage fill me that I had gotten the first time I heard that horrible saying.

"So with no money and a cast full of young aspiring artists I came up with a plan. So for the next month at the Richard Rogers we will be doing Ham4Heights," I say, the audience cheers, "Everyday before the lottery my cast of In The Heights will preform a set of songs from the show for you guys for free! Now this is a fundraiser and we will have a donation box set up but you don't have to put money in it and if you do any amount is fine. So without further ado let me bring out the cast of In The Heights!" The audience cheers and I bang on the doors, they fly open and all my friends poor out of the doors. I look to Lin who is waiting for my signal to start the first song, I look to Isaac to make sure he's ready since he starts the song; he nods at me and I nod at Lin giving him the go ahead.

"And now I present the first Ham4Heights," I say, the audience screams and the music for the opening number starts.

"Lights up on Washington Heights up at the break of day, I wake up and I got this little punk I gotta chase away. Pop the grate at the crack of dawn sing while I wipe down the awning hey ya'll good morning."

*****

I smiled at Isaac as we waited for Lin to bring up the next song, we had gone through almost our whole set and now it was time for Champagne. I felt nervous since this was Isaac and I's love song and we still hadn't practiced it or the kiss we were supposed to do that much. I looked at him and mouthed 'kiss?' He shrugged and was about to say something when the music started, well this'll be interesting.

"So I got you a present, I went downtown to get it. Doing anything tonight?" I sing starting the song.

"Cleaning," Isaac responds.

"Done for the day?" I ask.

"No way," he says.