NEW YORK, NY - The hit Broadway musical Hamilton is about America's founding fathers, and it turns out one of the show's founding cast-members is from Western New York.
Hamilton opened on Broadway in 2015 and has since won 11 Tony's, a Grammy and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and Clarence Center native Neil Haskell has been part of the show from the very beginning.
"It's a dream come true," said Haskell to WGRZ-TV's Melissa Holmes during a recent interview at the home of Hamilton, the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City.
But Haskell says his home and his heart will always be in Western New York. He grew up dancing at David DeMarie dance studio and American Academy of Ballet. He took ballet intensives at the Chautauqua Institution and performed in local theater and school productions at Clarence High School.
Haskell said he decided to pursue theater professionally after seeing "Moving Out" on Broadway and being inspired. He attended Point Park University to study dance before leaving college to pursue theater full time.
His big break came when he became on top 4 finalist on season 3 of Fox's "So You Think You Can Dance."
"It was awesome. 'So You Think' was awesome. It was such a whirlwind. I didn't know what to expect."
It helped to open even more doors and Haskell was cast in other Broadway, off-Broadway and touring productions when he said one day a choreographer friend, Andy Blankenbuehler, approached him to throw around a couple ideas about a new show.
"He kept talking about all these founding fathers, and we were doing all these hip-hop moves and dancing with all these rhythms and beats and I had no idea what was going on. But I was just like, 'all right let's do this.' And then 2 years later it turns into the hit off Broadway and then transfers to Broadway and just explodes," said Haskell.
Now he performs 8 shows each week playing General Lee, and understudying King George, in the hip-hop exploration of political mastermind Alexander Hamilton.
"Everybody can relate because it's about the founding of this country and creating a democracy," said Haskell. "I've never performed in a Broadway show where the entire house has been sold out every single night, like ever. So this is a pretty brand new experience for me even after 10 years of being in New York."
Some of the biggest politicians and celebrities on the planet come to see and support Hamilton, and Haskell gets to rub elbows with them. He's posted photos on Instagram with President Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Mike Tyson, Drew Brees, and more.
"Kim Pegula came and it was great to meet her," he said of the co-owner of the Buffalo Bills and Sabres. "I love my Bills. I pretty much have a Bills hat or something on me. I have one in my dressing room right now."
Now the must-see show on Broadway, is the must-see show at Shea's, as the national tour is about to kick off in Buffalo November 20 through December 9. Haskell promises all the fans who were in a frenzy for tickets, will not be disappointed.
When asked if the tour that theater-goers will see in Buffalo is very similar to what they're seeing at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway, Haskell said they're going to see the exact same show.
"It's the same amount of energy and the same story and the same staging and the same dancing and the same singing. It's gonna be fantastic."
He had some advice for theater-goers as well:
"There's 2 different camps. There's people who have never listened to the cast album and don't know any of the history. And then people who have listened to the cast album 100 times and have read all the books and know all the history. And everybody seems to enjoy it in their own way," said Haskell. "For those who know everything, just sit back and enjoy it. But if you don't know everything going in, just focus. The words are coming at you."