7 Things to Know Before Seeing 'Hamilton' in Chicago

— -- Young, scrappy and hungry fans of Broadway's hit musical "Hamilton" will finally get their shot to be in the room where it happens: A new batch of tickets for 26 added weeks of shows in Chicago went on sale today.

The award-winning musical has taken home 11 Tony Awards, a Grammy, a Pulitzer and was the first musical to reach No. 1 on Billboard's rap chart. "Hamilton" documents the life of Alexander Hamilton, America's founding father and first secretary of treasury, from the revolution to the Federalist Papers -- and its performances have been sold out since its debut on Broadway in New York City. Chicago is the first city that the hit show is traveling to re-create the magic of Broadway with a brand new cast in a brand new city.

Here are the seven things you need to know before seeing "Hamilton":

Its Creator Was Inspired by Ron Chernow’s Biography of Hamilton

Lin-Manuel Miranda was on vacation when he was reading the biography and couldn’t believe there hadn’t been a hip-hop musical written about the founding father already. Miranda’s parents moved from Puerto Rico to the United States and he says he related to Hamilton’s story of immigration. Nine months after reading Chernow's book, he was invited to perform at the White House. Instead of performing a song from "In the Heights," the show he was performing in at the time, he chose to perform a song that would later be included in "Hamilton."

It’s Not Just a Rapping Musical

The show’s score has everything from traditional musical theater songs to rapping. You will hear influences from Gilbert & Sullivan to Sondheim to Beyoncé -- in short, there is something for everyone. The slowest songs in the show range from 64 to 80 words per minute, with the fastest tracks treading about 200 words per minute, according to FiveThirtyEight.

You Don’t Necessarily Need to Know the History of Hamilton

You don’t need to know history to “get” the story -- however, if you love American history you won’t be disappointed. It tells the story of an impoverished orphan immigrant from the Caribbean who persevered to leave his mark on the American democracy and economy. There are elements of the story that are relatable to everyone.

'Hamilton' Is Revolutionary for Students

It's no surprise that "Hamilton" has been deemed revolutionary; after all, it sheds light on the American Revolution. The music has spoken to fans of all ages, bringing history to life in an educating and entertaining way. It has also sparked conversations in classrooms about arts, race and democracy. The Rockefeller Foundation announced in June that it secured $6 million in funding for public school students to see the show at a discounted rate. Tickets will be made available to nearly 100,000 inner-city students across the country, including in Chicago, for just $10. Nearly 20,000 New York City students have already gotten the opportunity to see the show.

How to Be in the ‘Room Where It Happens’ Without Tickets

If you don’t have tickets to the show, you can still enter Hamilton’s digital lottery. In Chicago, if selected, you’ll get a standby ticket to Hamilton for just $10. Still can’t get a seat? No worries, PBS will also debut its documentary "Hamilton America" this fall which documents the making of "Hamilton," featuring interviews and scenes from the musical. Miranda announced he is curating a star-studded album, "The Hamilton Mixtape" with covers of the original album featuring Chance the Rapper, Busta Rhymes and others.

Before the original cast took their final bows, they filmed the entire show and parts of the taping will be seen in the PBS documentary. No word yet on what will be done with the all the footage. Miranda told "Good Morning America"’s Lara Spencer that while he would love to see the musical on the big screen, it will have to wait. “I would love for as many people as possible to experience it as a piece of theater first,” he said.

There Is a New 'Alexander Hamilton'

Not to leave our New York friends out ... for those finally getting to see the show on Broadway you should know that "Hamilton" said farewell to Miranda, who originated the role of Alexander Hamilton, in July. But it won't be the last you see of Miranda. He is set to star in a sequel to "Mary Poppins." As for "Hamilton," Javier Munoz has now stepped into the leading role. Consider him Miranda's real life "right-hand man." Munoz was Miranda's alternate in his other musical "In the Heights" and took over permanently when Miranda left. Don't worry, his performance has rave reviews.

Does It Live Up to the Hype?

To put it simply, yes. Believe the hype -- it’s better than they say it is.