Mike Pence said he wasn’t offended by Hamilton cast’s message, which is a good thing for everyone
After the cast of Hamilton broke the fourth wall during bows at Friday night’s performance, we’ve all been waiting to for Vice President-elect Mike Pence to break his silence on the event, the boos, and the cast’s message to the newly elected leader. As it turns out, Mike Pence wasn’t offended by the Hamilton cast at all, so that might actually be a good sign that open dialogue is a thing that still exists. Unlike the president-elect, who tweeted his dissatisfaction with the Broadway cast’s message, Pence stayed silent on the matter on social media and spoke up instead on Fox News Sunday.
According to Reuters, Pence said simply, “I wasn’t offended,” and while Donald Trump may have asked for an apology, Pence did not. At the very least, we’re all about open minds over here and if Pence is willing to let people speak their minds, everyone is better off. Even if he does have some questionable views on women’s reproductive rights that we should talk to him about, perhaps.
Mike Pence on "Hamilton": "I heard the remarks that were made at the end and, you know, I wasn't offended by what was said" pic.twitter.com/4AwyYJhiWO
— CBS News (@CBSNews) November 20, 2016
In a separate interview on CBS‘s Face the Nation, Pence stated,
"I want to assure people who were disappointed in the election results, people who are feeling anxious about this time in the life of our nation, that President-elect Donald Trump meant exactly what he said on election night, that he is going to be the president of all the people of the United States of America.
That is either very reassuring to voters or not at all, which is why the cast of the hit Broadway musical felt the need to speak up in the first place, since they had a one in a million chance to be heard by the next vice-president. Because it’s super unlikely the cast will be invited to the White House again like they were last year).
Pence also added that he thought the show was “incredible,” though his boss, Donald Trump, called it “overrated.” Let’s hope these two guys can start agreeing on things soon.
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/800298286204723200
While Vixen, who plays controversial past Vice President Aaron Burr in Hamilton, read the statement to the audience, The New York Times reported that Lin-Manuel Miranda preemptively co-wrote the statement.After Friday’s show, Miranda tweeted his support to the unconventional curtain call:
Proud of @HamiltonMusical. Proud of @BrandonVDixon, for leading with love.
And proud to remind you that ALL are welcome at the theater.— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 19, 2016
According to CBS, audience-members booed Pence before the show and cheered during relevant lyrics such as, “Immigrants, we get the job done!” If anything, the theater was a perfect place to talk politics. Hamilton is largely about the foundation of American values and turning the tables on conventional American history lessons. Maybe it was good that someone from the next White House was in attendance at a time when Americans are more divided than ever.
While many of the brilliant lyrics of Hamilton eerily apply to the state of our country today, one of the most important to sing loud and proud is from “The World Was Wide Enough.” It goes:
America, you great unfinished symphony, you sent for me / You Let me make a difference / A place where even orphan immigrants / Can leave their fingerprints and rise up.
With so many important issues, like immigration and other civil rights on the line, we’re so lucky to have Lin-Manuel Miranda to serve as the voice of reason. And a guy like Pence who at least heard the message. At least.
