'Hamilton' creator Lin-Manuel Miranda makes history interesting for San Fernando Valley kids

PANORAMA CITY, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The mastermind behind the hit Broadway show "Hamilton" is taking time to give back - just hours after the curtain call of the first Los Angeles show.

It's a Broadway show about history so wildly successful that shows in L.A. are sold out for the rest of the year.

Roughly 1,000 students packed the gym at Panorama High School Thursday to hear Lin-Manuel Miranda discuss civic engagement and answer questions about his life.

Rep. Tony Cardenas invited Miranda to speak to students from 12 San Fernando Valley schools. Miranda answered questions about his life, career and work, but he spoke most passionately about his involvement with EduHam.

It stands for the Hamilton Education Initiative, which is a public school program just introduced to Los Angeles that brings history to life.

"It's the best thing to have come out of this show," Miranda said. "They might walk in and be like, 'Oh, this is history,' but the stuff they create is so inspiring."

Through generous donations, students participate in the curriculum and even perform their work on the "Hamilton" stage. Then they get to see the real "Hamilton" at a low cost.

One of the students chosen to participate is Amanda Jimenez.

"It's once-in-a-lifetime and it makes me feel very proud to be of where I'm from. You know, I grew up in Van Nuys, and especially like someone so important coming here and expressing his ideas with us - it makes me feel important, too," Jimenez said.

Miranda's parents were also in the packed gymnasium at the town hall. Cardenas is friends with Miranda's father, which is how he said he was able to invite the "Hamilton" creator to the San Fernando Valley school.