So here’s something you probably never thought you’d hear: Mike Pence is just like all of us!
Well, at least our future vice president has one thing in common with us, and that’s the fact that he was super excited to go see the insanely popular musical, Hamilton.
Yes, last night, Mike Pence, Donald Trump’s right-hand man and generally terrible human being, went to see American’s most beloved musical.
What could possibly go wrong?
So many things. So. Many.
When Pence was ushered to his seat, he was heartily booed — one audience member says that people “spent a full minute booing him before she show could start.”
And really, that seems tame. Remember that Pence is a key part Trump’s dream team of racist, homophobic, entirely bigoted government officials.
We’re surprised they let him come at all.
But this is a free country, for now, anyway, so Mike was able to watch the show, along with his wife and some Secret Service fellas.
When it was over, he tried to head out real quick, probably to avoid more booing, but before he made it out the door, the cast called him out directly.
And what happened next was absolutely magical.
Actor Brandon Victor Dixon, the man who plays Aaron Burr, delivered a speech directly to Pence.
“I see you walking out,” Dixon told him, “but I hope you will hear us.”
When the audience began booing again, he stopped them, saying, “There’s nothing to boo here, we’re all sharing a story of love.”
“We welcome you,” he told Pence, “and we truly thank you for joining us here at Hamilton: An American Musical — we really do.”
“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 this show has inspired you to uphold our American values, and work on behalf of all of us.”
He finished his speech with “We truly thank you for sharing this show, this wonderful American story told by a diverse group of men and women of different colors, creeds and orientations.”
What beautiful words, right? And if they sound a little like something Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show’s creator, would say, then that’s because he helped write them.
Miranda, along with Hamilton’s director, Tommy Kail, and producer Jeffrey Seller wrote the speech, along with the cast, when they learned that afternoon that Pence would be attending the show.
Seller explained that they all “felt that we must express our feelings” to Pence, because “this is not a normal time, this is not a normal election. This has not been a normal result.”
He said that “As a cast comprised of minorities, women, gay people, it was necessary” to express their feelings.
Lin-Manuel Miranda tweeted his appreciation of the speech, writing “Proud of @HamiltonMusical. Proud of @BrandonVDixon, for leading with love. And proud to remind you that ALL are welcome at the theater.”
As you can see in the video, the cast didn’t express any hate at all towards Pence, and they really did seem sincere in thanking him for coming to see the show.
But still, Donald Trump himself took offense. Surprise!
“Our wonderful future V.P. Mike Pence was harassed last night at the theater by the cast of Hamilton, cameras blazing,” he tweeted. “This should not happen!”
“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!”
So Trump looks at a calm, thoughtful, respectful expression of a different opinion than his, and he sees harassment that requires an apology.
Let’s all just listen to the Hamilton soundtrack for the next four years and just try to survive.
