On November 18, Vice President-Elect Mike Pence attended a showing of hit broadway musical, Hamilton. Now, this may come as a shock to many, considering the liberal ideals that are represented by this musical production.
Hamilton tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, an American founding father who immigrated here from the West Indies and was written and produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, a Puerto Rican-American. It is also represented almost entirely by a cast of color. Angelica, one of the leading characters, is a smart, powerful woman engaged in the world of politics which was a heavily male dominated arena at the time. She and her sisters, Eliza and Peggy, embody a unifying sense of feminism in a time where women’s lives were solely built around pleasing men. Hamilton epitomizes the beliefs of equality, diversity, and freedom that this country was built on, and frankly, Pence’s ideals clash with those portrayed by Hamilton. But nonetheless, Pence had attended the show.
To many, it was infuriating to see Pence attend a production that is embodied by its invaluable diversity and then proceed to live out his political life by looking down upon the rights of minorities. The people in the crowd must have shared the fans’ fury, as many attendees booed Pence as he walked in. This wasn’t the end of it though, as the cast gave a special speech directed towards Pence at the end of the production.
Cast member, Brandon Victor Dixon stated, “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, sir. But we truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on the behalf of all of us. All of us. We truly thank you for attending this show, this wonderful American story told by a diverse group of men and women of different colors, creeds, and orientations.”
It’s safe to say that the cast of Hamilton told Pence that history has its eyes on him (get it? it’s a reference to one of their songs.) Tonight only further proved how graceful and educated this brilliant musical is, by giving Pence a message that clearly stated their point, while also staying composed and utterly respectful. I urge you all to follow in the footsteps of this amazing cast, and peacefully, but loudly, speak out against all the bigotry that this campaign has brought. Make a difference and rise up. After all, how lucky are we to be alive right now. (That was another Hamilton musical reference, you’re welcome.)
