Cast of ‘Hamilton’ Makes Plea with VP-Elect Pence, Trump Responds
The cast of Hamilton delivered a different, powerful piece of dialogue Friday night when they were joined by a surprising guest in the audience.
When the Tony Award-winning cast noticed Vice President-Elect Mike Pence in the audience during Friday night’s performance, the play’s star Brandon Victor Dixon read a statement on behalf of the show, urging President Elect Trump’s new administration to fight for the freedoms of all Americans.
“We, sir — we — are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights,” he said. “We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.”
Pence has publicly supported a bill to outlaw same sex marriage and penalize anyone who helps same sex couples to marry. The Indiana governor also signed a state bill in 2013 that allowed same-sex couples to be jailed simply for applying for marriage licenses.
While many applauded the cast of Hamilton for their eloquent and well written statement, President Elect Trump likened it to harassment. “Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing .This should not happen!,” he tweeted. “The Theater must always be a safe and special place.The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!”
The Theater must always be a safe and special place.The cast of Hamilton was very rude last night to a very good man, Mike Pence. Apologize!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2016
Despite Trump’s hostility, Dixon responded to his tweet in a classy and professional manner “conversation is not harassment sir. And I appreciate @mike_pence for stopping to listen.”
@realDonaldTrump conversation is not harassment sir. And I appreciate @mike_pence for stopping to listen.
— Brandon Victor Dixon (@BrandonVDixon) November 19, 2016
The show’s creator, Lin Manuel Miranda, also took to Twitter to show support for the cast. “Proud of @HamiltonMusical. Proud of @BrandonVDixon, for leading with love. And proud to remind you that ALL are welcome at the theater.”
Proud of @HamiltonMusical. Proud of @BrandonVDixon, for leading with love.
And proud to remind you that ALL are welcome at the theater.— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 19, 2016
The show’s producer, Jeffrey Seller, told The Hollywood Reporter that he and Miranda joined the cast in writing the statement to Pence. “The cast, the creators, we all felt that we must express our feelings to vice president-elect Pence,” he told THR. “This is not a normal time, this is not a normal election. This has not been a normal result. And in a democracy, one must let his and her voice be heard, and we were not going to the show tonight without expressing how we feel. Everybody should be able to see this show, regardless of their politics, but it does just so happen that the politics of this administration have been so negative toward minorities, people of color, gay people that we felt the need to speak up. As a cast comprised of minorities, women, gay people, it was necessary. We had to speak. We had to express how we feel.”
(Photo Credit: Facebook / Hamilton: An American Musical)
