US Vice President-elect Mike Pence was booed Friday as he arrived to watch the award-winning musical “Hamilton” in New York, which tells the story of America’s Founding Fathers and the important role immigrants played in the American Revolution.
Mobile phone video footage uploaded to YouTube showed the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway ringing out with boos as Donald Trump’s right-hand man took his seat for the show.
Furthermore, after the curtain call, the ethnically diverse cast returned to the stage to voice their collective concern to Pence that the administration would fail to “protect us, or our planet”.
One of the actors, Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays America’s third vice president in the musical, delivered a speech on behalf of the multicultural and multi-racial cast.
“We, sir, 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,” Dixon said.
“We truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us.”
The New York Times newspaper reported that Pence opted to leave the auditorium before Dixon had finished the message, prompting the actor to plead for him to stay.
“Vice President-elect Pence, I see you walking out, but I hope you will hear us, just a few more moments. There’s nothing to boo here, ladies and gentlemen,” Dixon said from the stage. “We’re all here sharing a story about love.”
A show spokesman said Pence had waited out in the wings of the theatre, however, and had heard the message in full.
The statement had been authored by the musical’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, director, Thomas Kail, and lead producer, Jeffrey Seller, with input from the show’s cast members.
Javier Munoz, who is openly gay and HIV positive, played the lead role in Hamilton on Friday to the audience including Pence. During his time as Governor of Indiana, Pence fought to ban gay marriage and opposed federal funding for HIV and AIDS medical treatment.
According to several theatre-goers present, the audience on Friday clearly backed the actors statement and the message of the play. During the show, theatergoers reported that certain verses elicited spontaneous cheers from the crowd. A popular line in the musical – “Immigrants, we get the job done” – sung by the characters of Alexander Hamilton and Marquis de Lafayette was loudly applauded.
President-elect Trump took to twitter Friday to defend Pence: “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 also demanded an apology: “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!”
I'm at #Hamilton and so is Mike Pence. Crowd booed him like crazy, and gave a standing O at the line "immigrants we get the job done" 1/2
— Christy Colburn (@christymoose) November 19, 2016
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!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2016
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