Mike Pence Booed at Hamilton Performance
Mike Pence was booed on November 18 at a performance of the hit musical Hamilton.
After the show, a cast member thanked the vice-president-elect for attending and read a letter to him on stage.
“We, sir, are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us,” Brandon Dixon said.
The message was reportedly penned by Hamilton‘s writers when they learned that Mike Pence planned to attend.
Brandon Dixon’s reading was greeted with cheers from the audience at the Richard Rogers Theatre in New York.
Photo Getty Images
An audience member tweeted to say there was a three-minute standing ovation when one character performed a song directly to Mike Pence which included the lyrics: “A small query for you / What comes next? / You’ve been freed / Do you know how hard it is to lead?”
Mike Pence was loudly booed as he entered the theatre, and audience members said the performance was repeatedly stopped because of jeers.
When Brandon Dixon addressed theatergoers at the end, he urged them not to boo and asked Mike Pence, who was leaving, to stay and listen.
“You know, we had a guest in the audience this evening, and Vice-President-elect Pence, I see you are walking out but I hope you will hear us.
“There’s nothing to boo here, ladies and gentlemen… We have a message for you, sir, and we hope you will hear us out.”
Brandon Dixon continued: “We truly hope that his show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us.
“We truly thank you for sharing this wonderful American story told by a diverse group of men and women of different colors, creeds, and orientations.”
A staunch conservative, Mike Pence sparked an outcry earlier this year after signing a law critics said discriminated against the LGBT community by allowing businesses to refuse service over religious beliefs. He later amended the bill.
Mike Pence is not the first high-profile politician to attend the critically-acclaimed and hugely popular Hamilton, which tells the story of US founding father Alexander Hamilton.
President Barack Obama saw Hamilton in 2015 and joined the cast backstage after the performance.
Hillary Clinton, who lost to Donald Trump in last week’s election, also saw the show. She was supported by its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, during her campaign.