‘So glad I got this night’: ‘Hamilton’ actor shares heartfelt story of night in Des Moines
Matthew LeimkuehlerYankee Doodle Pops can be magical. Just ask the “Hamilton” actor who experienced first-hand Iowa’s favorite Fourth of July celebration.
Nik Walker, playing in Aaron Burr in the touring cast of the 11-time Tony Award-winning musical, penned an earnest story to Instagram Monday night, outlining a Pops experience that left him “a little teary-eyed.”
“Hamilton” runs through July 15 at the Des Moines Civic Center, with the show taking each Monday night off. While downtown Monday night, Walker wrote he followed music played by the Des Moines Symphony to the Iowa State Capitol grounds, only to be approached by a woman who asked if he’d like a seat with her family.
The post reads: "Now I've never met this woman in my life, and the only thing she knows about me is that I shot a dude onstage this past week. But I'm overwhelmed by her kindness, so I follow her and her grandson over to the VIP section, quickly say hello to their gorgeous mixed race family and take a seat. And from there... pure magic.”
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He praised legendary Iowa bass-baritone singer Simon Estes for his renditions of “God Bless America” and “Ol’ Man River,” extending his compliments to the Des Moines Symphony for the “full on” take of the “Year of 1812 Overture,” a Pops staple.
“To the family who thought to invite me in, to Simon Estes and the symphony, to the guys firing off those big-ass guns... so much love,” he wrote. “So glad I got this night. Thanks Des Moines.”
Read the full post below.