Kasey arrived at the Private Bank Theatre the next day for the evening show. She was early- by a lot. She didn't want to be rushing around near places. 

"Hey, Kasey!" Amber exclaimed when Kasey got to the dressing room. She was the only girl ensemble member who was there. "Are you ready?"

"I hope so. I'd hate to ruin your show," Kasey said.

"You'd never ruin our show, trust me. We've had some pretty sketchy performances, to be honest," Amber laughed. "Plus, your dancing is amazing. You're really talented."

"Well, I'm really just pretending I know what I'm doing for half the time, but thank you, Amber."

"Carleigh texted me and said she wanted pictures. So do you want to go out to the front of the theatre? I can take a few for you," Amber offered.

"Sure, if you're not too busy."

"No, haha, I'm just randomly liking pictures on Instagram, so it's not important at all."

Kasey followed Amber back outside, where she posed like a Schuyler Sister for her photo. It didn't take very long, and soon, they were going back inside.

"We'll get pictures of you in costume, too, don't worry," Amber added. "We need a group picture for sure. Also, do you know if they're announcing your name before the show?"

"I think so, I'm not certain."

"We should get someone backstage to record the screaming if they are," Amber suggested. "I'm sure some fans will be thrilled!"

~~~~~~~~

Kasey sat at Holly's station to do her makeup and get in costume as the rest of the ensemble slowly trickled in. 

She decided that she would curl her hair, like did for Broadway. Usually she just used a black hair tie, but she added a thin black ribbon for something different. It was Chicago, after all, and not Broadway. Something had to differentiate her two hairstyles.

"You're such a pretty person," Candace commented. "I get why everyone in the Broadway cast treats you like a little gem. You're awesome."

"Thanks," Kasey laughed. "I try."

After getting into costume, the girls got together for a group picture, taken by the guy dance captain.

"Places are in five minutes, ladies and gentlemen, five minutes."

Kasey, somehow, wasn't nervous. She was confident that she knew what she was doing- and the ensemble girls would help her if she ever forgot something significant. It wasn't her first time doing Hamilton, which helped a lot. It was just like learning new choreography. 

All the girls wanted individual selfies, so Kasey posed for those, too. She also quickly texted Carleigh to say that she was about to go onstage.

"This is your places call. Everyone to the stage."

After gathering for places, there was a huge group photo, with the swings, the ensemble, and all the leads, with Kasey in the middle. 

She was happy. Everyone was welcoming, and friendly, and excited. Peanut and Amber were bouncing off the walls, and Ari seemed quite excited, too. 

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this evening's performance of Hamilton: An American Musical at the Private Bank Theatre. We want to remind you that you should silence your cell phones and refrain from using them during the show. If you are seen or caught recording using any device, you will be asked to leave by the ushers. If you need to leave the theatre at any time during the show, please do so quietly and preferably between songs."

"We are happy to announce tonight's cast for the show. At this performance, George Washington will be played by Carl Clemons-Hopkins."

"And substituting for Holly James is original Broadway cast member Kasey Winslow."

Kasey hadn't expected the audience to really recognize her name, but the theatre was deafening for a few seconds. 

"Wow," she said, blinking. Candace and Justice just laughed. "That's a lot of screaming."

"Well, you are a Tony award-winning, British OBC cast member," Candace said, smirking. "Believe it or not, there's a lot of people who look up to you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The show went amazingly well. Kasey never wanted it to end. It felt like she was back home. At times she would look to her right and expect to see Carleigh, or Pippa, or Anthony standing next to her. But when she saw that it was Amber, Peanut, Ari and Samantha- she didn't mind their company either.

She cherished every moment. 

When the opening bars played, it finally hit Kasey. She was back in Hamilton. Even though it was just for one day, it was still one of the best feelings in the world. She still loved this show. It was a refreshing break from the intense, to-the-point, stress-filled Frozen rehearsals. 

Kasey could barely keep the smile off her face at times. The music, the dancing, the people she was with- they truly had given her one of the best gifts she'd ever received. 

Since she was in Holly's track, she got to wear a blue jacket in 'Yorktown'. And that blue jacket was the one she received when she became a duel citizen- the one she'd only been able to wear at the Tony's. Carleigh mailed it to her after Kasey texted her about doing the show. 

She and Amber had a dab off in 'Reynolds Pamphlet'. Kasey usually wasn't one to dab, but she and Amber had done it in every rehearsal, so it was only natural for it to make it into Kasey's one performance.   

And before she knew it, it was over, and she was taking her first and last bow with the Hamilton Chicago company. 

She had refused to take a solo bow. It was, after all, not her show. Everyone else deserved all the credit for teaching her the choreography and dancing. 

When she stepped offstage, she was instantly mobbed by every single Chicago cast member. 

It took a long time for her to say her goodbyes, gather her stuff up, and leave her parting gifts to the cast. She didn't want to part ways with the Chicago cast. They were unbelievable people, with warm hearts and wicked senses of humor. She loved them all dearly.

She scrolled through the photo album on Carleigh's phone. There were hundreds of pictures, taken by Gabby. Kasey hadn't know that Gabby was taking so many pictures. There was at least one picture from every song, and a picture with each cast member, too.

Kasey decided to post on Instagram, with the picture that Gabby had quickly taken with all of the ensemble girls in their 'Yorktown' jackets. 

@bettcm: an unbelievable night, with unbelievable people. to everyone who made this possible, thank you.

to amber, peanut, candace, justice: i love all four of you to the ends of the earth. i will never forget our dab offs (amber), our mcdonalds consumption (peanut), our instagram live (candace) and our schuyler sisters parody (justice). i can't wait to see you again- it's only a matter of time.

to holly: thank you for lending me your track for one special night, and swapping british hamilton stories. keep in touch!

to the chicago cast- my heart is yours forever. i love you all. thank you for the rehearsal, the lessons learned, and the jokes we shared. your brilliance, your understanding, your patience, and your kindness is unparalleled. thank you so, so much.

endless love,

~kasey