Vice president-elect Mike Pence became part of the show Friday when he attended a performance of “Hamilton” in New York and was directly addressed by the cast.
Word spread on social media that Pence was in the house for the hit Broadway show, and during the curtain call, cast member Brandon Dixon, who portrays Aaron Burr, directly addressed Pence.
“Vice President-elect Pence, we welcome you and we truly thank you for joining us here at ‘Hamilton: An American Musical.’ We really do,” Dixon said. “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, sir. But we truly hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us. All of us. Thank you.”
Dixon, who urged the audience not to boo Pence, said the show was performed by “a diverse group of men, women of different colors, creeds and orientations.”
The crowd loudly cheered and applauded Dixon’s remarks.
From videos and images posted to social media, Pence was greeted inside the theater earlier in the night by a mixed chorus of applause and boos.
A message left with a Pence spokesperson was not immediately returned Friday.
“Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is no stranger to politics either, having backed Hillary Clinton during this year’s election cycle. In addition to endorsing Clinton, Miranda held a benefit showing of the musical in July, where admission to the show supported the Clinton campaign — some tickets reportedly went for as much as $10,000.
Pence has been in New York with President-elect Donald Trump as the team works on presidential transition efforts.