THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

It's a shame that the hype and ticket prices for the musical Hamilton have become so inflated. Anyone who spent hours battling online ticket bots or who forked over hundreds of dollars for premium ( or scalped ) seats could potentially be let down by the actual show.

But Hamilton rightly deserves all the critical praise and prizes that have been lavished upon it since its 2015 New York debut. And more to the point, the Chicago-dedicated run of Hamilton at The PrivateBank Theatre deserves to run for years on end.

The brainchild of songwriter/author/actor Lin-Manuel Miranda ( In the Heights ), Hamilton is a brilliant synthesis of U.S. history with smart musical theater storytelling that taps into diverse music styles like hip-hop, R&B, gospel and pop with virtuosic verve. Focusing on the rise and fall of the first U.S. treasury secretary, Hamilton is jam-packed with savvy historical details that not only educate, but also paints the country's founding fathers to be endearingly complex and flawed people, too.

The creative team's decision to cast Hamilton non-traditionally also emphasizes how this essential chapter of America's origins belongs to everyone. And all the production elements ranging from Thomas Kail's astute direction to Andy Blankenbuehler's popping choreography feel as if they were cut from the same rich cloth of inspiration.

I didn't see Hamilton in New York and steered clear of the Broadway cast album ( I wanted to experience Hamilton fresh in the theater ), so I can't equivocate on how the Chicago production compares to the original. But I can say that I wish a Chicago Hamilton cast album could be pressed to preserve many of this production's amazing performances.

For instance, Tony Award winner Karen Olivo, as Alexander Hamilton's sister-in-law Angelica Schuyler, was an entrancing revelation of strength and painful regret. And in the dual roles of the Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, Crhis De'Sean Lee is a joyously showboating dynamo who wows with dexterity at spinning out lyrics.

Joshua Henry gets some of the best songs as Aaron Burr, but also his dramatic journey from wary Hamilton colleague to bitterly jealous rival is chilling. There's also great dignity and power to the performances of Jonathan Kirkland as George Washington and Ari Afsar, who portrays Hamilton's smitten and heartbreakingly betrayed wife, Eliza.

And though his part is small as King George III, Alexander Gemignani is hilarious with his over-the-top foppish British accent singing the Beatles-styled break-up song "You'll Be Back."

The one qualm I had with Hamilton in Chicago is Miguel Cervantes' take on the title role. I expected more of a hungry swagger and confident energy. What Cervantes offered was more measured and dignified, especially when compared to his flashier co-stars.

So although obtaining Hamilton tickets might be an expensive hassle, the brilliance and emotional power of the work speaks for itself. And more importantly, the historical significance of both the musical and its subject matter make Hamilton feel especially timely for this generation.