The hashtag #boycottHamilton was trending on Twitter and Facebook over the weekend following a statement made to Vice President-elect Mike Pence by the New York company of the musical “Hamilton.” After the curtain call, Brandon Victor Dixon, who plays Aaron Burr, addressed Pence and the audience regarding concerns held by the “Hamilton” company following the recent election.
Dixon first encouraged audience members to record the following statement and share it with others, then thanked Pence for attending the show and added “We hope you will hear us out.”
“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,” Dixon said. “We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.”
The audience erupted in applause and cheers as Pence left the theatre and Dixon finished the statement. In an interview with “CBS This Morning,” Dixon said he was approached by a producer before the show to read a statement crafted by cast members and the creator of the musical, Lin-Manuel Miranda.
The following morning, President-elect Donald Trump took to Twitter to show his displeasure with the cast of Hamilton. He wrote two tweets saying Pence was harassed by the cast and demanded that the cast apologize for what they said.
This inspired many loyal Trump supporters to take to their own Twitter and Facebook accounts and post tweets or status updates about boycotting Hamilton. Many posts made by Trump supporters cite the statement as reverse racism, with Pence as the target, or reference the support Lin-Manuel Miranda gave to Hillary Clinton during her campaign.
Other users have poked fun at the hashtags. Their tweets beg people to boycott the popular musical, so they can have a better chance at obtaining tickets. Performances of “Hamilton” in New York are sold out through next year, making it one of the hardest tickets to find on Broadway.
Despite Trump’s tweets, Pence said on “Fox News Sunday” that he was not offended by the statement made to him at the end of the show. He said he told his children the boos and cheers from the crowd were “what freedom sounds like.” Pence didn’t give a definitive answer on whether the cast should apologize and said it was up to the cast and producers of “Hamilton” to decide if it was an appropriate venue to send their message.
The same day Pence appeared on “Fox News Sunday,” Trump tweeted out demanding the cast and producers apologize to Pence again. He called the show “highly overrated.” However, Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, saw the musical in May and tweeted that it “surpassed” her high expectations.
Dixon appeared on “CBS This Morning” today to address questions about an apology from the “Hamilton” producers and cast. He did not issue an apology, but instead invited the President-elect to come see the show. Dixon said how they tell the story of the show is important and that he thinks “everyone should see a show like ours.”
So, for now it looks like both sides are standing by their beliefs. The #boycottHamilton has died down considerably on social media since Friday, and while Trump has not responded to Dixon’s invitation this might be the end of the feud between the Trump administration and “Hamilton.”
View the video of the speech addressing Mike Pence here.
Pictures: USAToday, Twitter, Twitter, Hollywood Reporter