Bizarre, Media, Politics, Society

“Hamilton” Performance Interrupted By Boos Directed At Pence Followed By Statement From The Cast

playbill_from_the_original_broadway_production_of_hamiltonVice President Mike Pence decided to take a break from the work on the transition to attend the award-winning musical “Hamilton.” In a remarkably classless and rude demonstration, audience members booed the Vice President-elect both upon his arrival and then at various points in the performance. The cast then read a statement to Pence about fears over the expected policies of the Trump Administration.

The booing of the incoming Vice President was, in my view, uncivil and uncalled for at a performance on Broadway. I would have felt the same way if this was the treatment given Hillary Clinton. Adults in a civil society should demonstrate a level of respect and self-restraint. This was not an appropriate forum for such conduct.

I also have objections to the statement read to Pence by the cast. Cast members had already come out in support of Clinton. That is well known (here and here). The audience, particularly Pence, did not pay to attend the performance to receive a political statement — a statement loaded with implied criticism for someone who was effectively a captive audience.

Cast member Brandon Victor Dixon stated:

Vice President-elect Pence, welcome. Thank you for joining us at Hamilton: An American Musical. 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. We hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values, and work on behalf of all of us. Thank you.

I do not view the otherwise respectful statement as outrageous and I entirely understand the concerns that led to the content.  (Ironically, we previously discussed the controversy over the musical barring non-white performers from the cast).

However, I do not believe it is appropriate or fair to Pence in this context. Moreover, the performance speaks for itself. It is, if anything, reduced in its poignancy for Pence by converting it into a type of public lecture — particularly after the rude booing from the audience. The question is what such a statement accomplished beyond a cathartic moment for the cast or audience. It was certain to have an adverse impact on Pence after his treatment during the performance.

President-Elect Trump responded with one of his signature tweets, condemning the demonstration.  Dixon responded by saying “Conversation is not harassment, sir.”   Of course, it is not much of a conversation when you are reading a statement (in front of an overtly hostile crowd) to someone who simply came to watch your show.

220px-alexander_hamilton_portrait_by_john_trumbull_1806Of course, Hamilton saw such tendencies in his time:

“Men are rather reasoning than reasonable animals, for the most part governed by the impulse of passion.”

What do you think?

Update:  Pence had a classy response to the demonstration from the audience.  He said “Hamilton is just an incredible production and incredibly talented people. It was a real joy to be there.”  He also said that, when they were met by booing, “I nudged my kids and reminded them, that’s what freedom sounds like.” He said that there was no need for an apology over the incident.

 

461 thoughts on ““Hamilton” Performance Interrupted By Boos Directed At Pence Followed By Statement From The Cast”

  1. You have a layering of issues here. First there is the venue and Democrats are wrong because it is a theatre and theatre is supposed to be non partisan, just the goods. This is not necessarily true. In times of disequilibrium social values speak out. The hypocrisy here by the Republicans and Trumpets is the underlying shame that out shames anything done by the actors. Trump ran his entire campaign trumping all over decorum and level headedness. His entire campaign was structured on anger fueled by lies and slander. Trump incited his mobs to violence and encouraged hatred. And now when by some device he takes the Presidency an actor civilly addresses his poodle with a plea for something higher than the trump, lies, and bull trump we were forced to listen to these past many months, the actor is derided. Oh the hypocrisy and oh what an enema this country is in for. America is in for a trumping that, of course, will be blamed on Democrats and those who speak out against this shame, and then forgotten until the next trump is trundled out.

    So, here is Turley the champion of free speech, Turley the hypocrite.

    1. @Issacbasonkavich, I haven’t seen any comment by Prof. Turley or other commenters that there’s any issue with the *right* of the cast or audience to act as they did. This isn’t a First Amendment issue. It’s a question of social norms.

      Would you be as supportive of rude “free speech” if the Clintons had been boo’ed by the audience when they attended their daughter’s graduation from college? Would you consider it an exercise of “free speech” if one of the graduation speakers had (after the conclusion) read a statement at the former President and First Lady?

      Is there any event you would consider inappropriate for making political statements or directing statements at some audience member or guest?

      1. 100% agree. Boo the politicians all you want when they are on stage – not when they are in the audience.

  2. The details of the Hamilton casting call released in March read, “Seeking NON-WHITE men and women, ages 20s to 30s, for Broadway and upcoming Tours.”

    The show’s producer Jeffrey Seller claims that Hamilton encourages diversity. “I stand by it and believe it to be legal,” Seller said of the controversial casting call.

    A spokesmen for Hamilton said the language in the advertisement, “seeking non-white performers,” was approved by Actors Equity, the Broadway union.

    However, lawyers for the Broadway union have denied that the organization ever approved a casting call for “non-white” performers.

    2. As long as they were trying to be historically correct and that means correct and accurate in all parts of the presentations.

      Nothing wrong with not using ‘black faced Al Jolsen stand in’s no matter how other wise talented.

      However I saw in passing some reference to AIDs which didn’t exist at that time and not until some French Airline Steward apparently intoduced it. Or unless they advertised the play as a vehicle for modern problems and not to be considered historically accurate in the context of the times. Or even if they had said ‘we will make more money with non exact propagandistic rewrites of history and produce a comedy of money making errors.’

      Gone With The Wind was perhaps the first time,– I may be in error if so Squeaky will no doubt provide correction — that the movie industry used people of the same race to maintain historical accuracy. Now we are finding out that Alexander Dumas was black while Hannibal was not.

      So I see no wrong if they met the standards of intellectual honesty.

      As for the audience they blew it big time. A golden once in a life time opportunity to to ask questions and get answer. Gone. For example in recent days Pence was quoted directly as saying he had no problem with LBGTF however it’s spelled. With 66 days left to go one cannot say much for the ‘next administration’ but one can present issues of importance. and the case for or against them.

      The audience pissed on itself.(See the Radical Reasoning technique ha ha)

      But the show will go on….both of them though one will be missing some worthwhile contributions

      1. Michael Aarethun – actually there was a circuit for movies made with black for blacks. The films are actually very good.

  3. What the cast did, doing it now was right, because in one year they might be saying it behind fences, in “Free Speech Zones”

    1. I would suggest the other way around is more likely with Democrat politician sponsored concentration camps and non-adult students safe spots. I’ve only seen one supposedly objectivist site that actively excluded free speech but then they were very good friends to Libertarian and Progressivist thought.

      Some sites mistaken for conservative are not they are right wing OF the left if anything and usually racist, sexist or bigots.

      By example in my net ‘surfing’ the other major enemy attacked are of Constitutiout having nal Center mold aka Moderates.

      Perhaps you could enlighten us with cites, facts, sites and sources?

      Wishful thinking and fairy tails are as always the stuff of personal opinion.

      But then they are found to be the personal opinion of people like Clooney, Soros, Lakoff and others of the ruling class of the left. and their contrived examples of the right. (wing of the left)

      Observations of the nature of things which failed to objectively pass the standard of useful or the use of findings as moral and I you one progressive prone source of comment which does pass those tests out of many and that is Squeaky Fromm. Always wondered Fromm where?

      We also have a sense of humor ….. an easy attribute when the nature of ‘things’ is viewed from the center and in moderate doses.

    2. If anyone is moving toward censoring free speech it is the political left, not the Republicans.

    3. “Free speech zones” are a creation of the political left and have taken root on college campuses. Free speech is not a ‘zone’. If Trump represents anything it is the trampling of ‘politically correct’ speech – certainly not an infringement on free speech. Trump is anything but politically correct. Politically correct speech in and of itself suggests a form of self-censorship based on intimidation.

  4. Everyone is supposed to be welcome to art. There are standards of polite behavior at the theatre.

    I found this rude. Clearly, this will drive other prominent conservatives away from Broadway, which is a shame. Who would want to go to a performance if you could be singled out, bullied, and lectured by the cast?

    Rather than make him more sympathetic to their cause, this may have made him more hostile. The play will be associated with negative memories rather than any sort of catharsis.

    1. “Theater should be sanctuary for Art to speak.” – this was the other part of Stevie Van Zandt’s quote. I heartily agree.

    1. That was a very classy reply. At least someone in that theatre was, albeit the recipient of all the rudeness.

    2. Well done Mike Pence. Thank you for your demonstration of what decorum and respect actually looks like.

  6. Funny how actors and celebrities seem to know how everything should work. Someone needs to tell these folk that there was an agreement in place, he paid for a ticket to see a performance. He should at least get his money back. Funny, the snowflakes seem to know everything, except for the basics.

    1. When precisely did any of the actors claim that they “know how everything should work”?
      Compare: “Had I been present at The Creation, I should have given some good advice.”

        1. mespo – many (not all) of the actors I knew had a lack of morals. I remember going to a cast party with an actor and he starting pointing around the room saying “I’ve been to bed with that woman. And that woman.” Turns out he had been to bed with every female there.

    3. It’s not clear that Pense paid anything for his tickets. Could have come from a “campaign donation.”

      1. He bought the tickets. Precisely because it is illegal to use campaign money for it.

    4. Slohrss,
      They expressed their concern and their hope for balance, which sounded reasonable and respectful. I thought the actors were fine. The audience was rude.

      Everybody would be singing the actors praises had they violated Pence’s “safe space” and congratulated him on winning the election and were hoping he was able to accomplish everything they’d promised.

      Instead, they respectfully expressed their concern (reasonable considering the unrest, the sharp divisions in the country) and hoped he and Trump would lead all Americans as best they could.

      1. Now that they’ve planted their flag in demanding government actually secure the rights of ALL, we should expect they will join us in applauding this administration when they get it right and condemn them when they get it wrong.

        I’m afraid though that would take a bit more humility and a lot more enlightenment than currently exists.

      2. Prairie Rose – the cast was out of line with the social norms of the theatre. They violated the ‘safe space’ guarenteed to the audience members, in this case VP Pence. They certainly have a right to protest, however not from the stage. They should refund Pence his admission price out of their own pockets.

      3. We played for a few events attended by politicians, and we joked about what we would have said to them. But, we were musicians, seeing ourselves higher on the food chain than actors. Something to consider.

  8. It’s NYC, they boo politicians all the time. Get over it.

    Our right to free speech will be curtailed in a short while. So we might as well use it while we have it.

    Steve Bannon is playing people like a fiddle. Distract the people with trifles, like this Hamilton issue, and then they won’t pay attention to the fact that their democracy is dead and quickly being replaced by a kleptocracy.

    1. One of the other sites calls it a kakistocracy. We are however NOT a Democracy. Sorry you skipped civcs class if it is still given.

      We are a Constitutional Republic 240 years and going strong. Three comments

      The center of a ConRep is The Constitution it is not the center of the left.

      The Rino Reublicans are the right wing OF the left. They don’t cave they support their side.

      At it’s base or foundation the Republic uses representative Democracy and the direct vote ergo sum the Constitution requires the use of democratic principles.

      Until the checks and balances system was dismantled and the citizens placed under a fascist tax system (Amendments 16 & 17) and the move to ‘ignoring’ oaths of office – especially as regards the Bill of Rights 9th, 10th Amendments are concerned and notice it takes Amendments – became fashionable resulting in quasi dictatorships and imperial Presidencies.) Long sentence take excedrin if you must.

      Restoring Citizens as the source of all power would go a long way. In the mean time reversing the dictates of a neo-feudalist aristocracy sock puppet will do nicely.

      The Constitution alive and well near two and half centuries is a living document because of Amendments.

      Try reading the hand book of citizenship and following the simple rules sometime.

      Recall and Initiative for All States. If you don’t have it get it or remain a slave state.will do for a start.and a return to democratic principles to representative democracy to Constitutional Republic does quite nicely thank you very much

      But we are not a Democracy.

      1. So, in your vision, what would America be like? More like as it was under the Articles of Confederation? I’d be curious to hear some more details about your wish list.

        2. Did no intentionally bring football into this. Thought the you tube would have a picture of the judge that warned the new citizens.

      2. Colin Kapernick didn’t even bother to register or cast his vote. He just takes a knee in utter disrespect. Here’s what I think about that: protest all you want on your own time, but not as a paid employee of the NFL. I hope the NFL ratings continue to plummet.

        1. Kapernick is a paid employee of the 49ers….not the NFL.

          I wonder if you were as harsh a critic of on duty police who not only wore Trump hats….but also participated in the fake arrests of a Clinton dressed character?

          btw – The immigration judge should be fired for overstepping his bounds and telling citizens the constitution should not allow symbolic legal protests. Shameful behavior!

  9. Donald Trump said the actor who spoke was being rude and harassed a good man. The next day the actor has the chutzpah to say it was a “conversation” not harassment. So what about shaming a person in front of hundreds of people is a “conversation”? It was true, unadulterated, bold-faced RUDE. Conversation does not take place this way. Spoiled, entitled people who lack manners behave this way. BOO to Hamilton and BOO to audience members…..they should be ashamed!

    1. You are exactly right. “Conversation” is defined as ‘an informal talk involving two people or a small group of people.’ This was not that. It was a partisan attack meant to shame and humiliate – which is an often-used favorite tactic of the political left.

    2. beakie48 – conversation requires communication between two or more people. This was a diatribe.

  10. “Targeting”? No, targeting would be to express or carry out a plan to use the power of the office to silence them. As I stated above, if you’ve supported a President that would do such a thing to those whom you disagree, then it would reasonable and rational to fear it could be done against you. Time will tell if you’ve empowered the office to be such a weapon.

  11. Donald J. Trump Verified account ‏@realDonaldTrump 1h1 hour ago

    I watched parts of @nbcsnl Saturday Night Live last night. It is a totally one-sided, biased show – nothing funny at all. Equal time for us
    Seems like the prez elect is targeting actors.

    1. Let’s face it. We’re in big trouble in this country and instead of spending time analyzing and opinionizing, we should be spending our time preparing for our ride to hell in our handbaskets. 😉

      1. “We’re”? You would be justified in believing this given the all the unconstitutional power “you’ve” given the Executive. Instead of spending time preparing for your ride, you could join the millions of voters that voted to return this country to the rule of law.

        1. Oh no, sorry, I was being facetious. I’m on board the Trump Train. Perhaps more correctly I should have said, “the DNC and the Democrats” are probably going to hell in a handbasket. Something like that might make more sense? 😉

          1. I was joking about what I see as an over abundance of fear and loathing in this country right now over the prospects of a Trump presidency. I was joking about it because I actually see this as a time of exciting rebirth and renewal in our country and I have high hopes that Trump will do his best to unite our country and work very hard on behalf of all Americans. I think it will be good – so I joked about the hell in a handbasket deal….make sense?

            1. Dlm27
              …..
              Given the nature of the campaigns and the candidates, and the current political/ social climate, I don’t think either candidate could have been a unifier.

              1. The last thing we wanted was unifier because they became a uni-frier. What we wanted was identifiers. Tht worked and we then new who to go after using what rhetoric. Synergistic arrogance won the day and multiplied the effect. I can see stupid is as stupid does but when it becomes long, deep and continuous self throat cutting it’s proof positive funerals are the only way to cure stupidity. Now having baited the hook and cast into a target rich environment. It’s open season on fools. No limit and no licenses required. Start with their new favorite buzz word ‘Inclusive.’ The answer is ‘No.’ The long version is a. you have to earn that, make a polite apology and say Please.

                I like using two lures on one line.

          2. And before I was on the Trump Train, I had voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and Libertarian in 2012. So I’m one of those many millions of voters who finally saw the light and converted — like all the Rust Belt states did in this election. There is a paradigm shift happening in the country and the Democrats need to recognize it if they want to regain any footholds.

  12. This is a very good article on how we should all conduct ourselves moving forward.

    “Winsomeness is the ability to dialogue with those different from you, and persuade them via kindness—not contempt. It’s the ability to say, “Have you considered this other way?” and tempt others to that other way via gentleness and maturity.”

    http://thefederalist.com/2016/11/19/hamilton-showed-how-far-to-go/?utm_source=The+Federalist+List&utm_campaign=b277e022bd-RSS_The_Federalist_Daily_Updates_w_Transom&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cfcb868ceb-b277e022bd-79248369

    1. “We hope this show has inspired you to uphold our American values, and work on behalf of all of us,” Dixon said. This 30-second civics lesson to a vice president-elect surely did little more than to embarrass Pence, and foment the prejudice and righteous indignation of audience members. (from the article)

  13. “Hamilton made a mistake. Audiences shouldn’t have to worry about being blindsided like that. He was their guest. You protect your guests. Don’t embarrass them.”

    (Stevie Van Zandt, longtime member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band calling out the cast of Hamilton on Twitter)

    I totally agree with Stevie Van Zandt. It was appalling and out of line. Leave the identity politics out of it and treat your guests with basic respect. Pence and his family should get their money back.

    1. As a former musician, I am amazed by the possibility that would ever happen. I can’t imagine attacking my audience that way. Not a pence fan in the slightest, but I have had to perform for people like that, and, fighting hard to maintain some professional integrity, I just can’t imagine. BUT, maybe they were put on the hook to do this too.

      BTW, lot’s o’new folks here. Jumping in pretty hard too. Wonder if they are new Soros people as part of the “double-down.” Interesting. Maybe they can tell us when the first false flag is. As you protect Clinton and try to counter the wave of change, remember that some of us hear the souls of the dead left in the wake of Clinton’s dealings–the poor folks of another ethnicity who did not have liberal money behind their existence to make their case. We’ll be watching your continued hollow arguments.

      1. Easy to tell no facts, never, not one. Always trying to control the conversation or switching to another subject but never supporting anything they have claimed. The best way if you don’t mind spending $10 and making Lykoff a bit richer is get the kindle version of “Don’t See the Elephant” It’s the Sorista Agents Handbook. Just reading it will show how easy they are to spot and to deal with.

        Never let the reframe, never let them redefine, never use PC nor left wing definitions and never let them change the subject. Not to hard they really are quite inept even at playing stupid.

        Soros and Lykoff aka Yoda which is an insult do not allow free thinking or reasoning. Another dead give away. The Radical Reasoning post in itself is full of items that require thinking about how to reframe or redefine and it’s also far beyond their abilities.

        Lykoff is a Professor of Cognitives at UC Berkeley which means he knows how to plagiarize those who came before – from Plato on – if you are familiar with philsosophy.

        Fortunately he’s an amateur tactician and gives away a lot of useful information such as….the whole story on the Money As Free Speech scam and in doing so explains how they use this strategy. No Amendments just get their toadies in ACLU to get one of their bought and paid for judges. to change the Constitution. no Congress no nothing but one black robed despot.

        It’s the only book you need to read to understand how the secular progressives work. Quite limited but then so are the abilities of their recruits.

        Smile – I just gave you the keys to their wanna be kingdom – then enjoy punching them out. No need to be nice. they don’t understand such concepts. Just keep making them look like what they are ..nothing.

  14. It is absolutely reasonable for people to have fear of this new administration. We all should fear government as it has been used as a weapon against the rights of its own citizens. The Left had their “Constitutional Scholar” wield it and that has not worked out so well for conservatives. Now we have someone that has no constitutional experience; he is the ultimate unknown.

    It is absolutely rational for people to have fear of this new administration. That fear though is one of retribution. You know what you were willing to allow “your” President to do with this kind of power and you should rightly fear what others will be willing to allow “their” President to do.

    It is absolutely reasonable and rational is to fear those that helped get Trump into office would blindly support any and all things he will do with that power. However, that fear is a result of projecting your irresponsible citizenship on others.Trump WILL NOT receive the blind allegiance that Obama has received these last 8 years.

    What is neither reasonable or rational is to act upon that fear in all the ways that are happening today when the new administration is still 2 months away from doing anything of consequence.

    1. There is something called “decorum”. It is defined as ‘correct or proper behavior that shows respect and good manners.’ Pence and his family were paying ‘guests’ in the audience of their show. That is not the place or time to call out and embarrass and proceed to lecture a paying guest with your own political views. There is an appropriate time and place and forum for that kind of free speech. And this was not it.

      1. dlm27 – if they did not give him free tickets (he got the house seats) he should ask for his money back.

    4. “Trump WILL NOT receive the blind allegiance that Obama has received these last 8 years.” You can be certain of that! All of a sudden the press will start doing its job. Where have they been for 8 years?!

      1. You even bother to read or watch them? What for? Does your sight or hearing go that far – where they’ve been? So answer to question “Upper US.” Think about it it will sink in and all of sudden poof! /s/ Michael Bight ME that’s a town in the same location where the press had been.

        1. Michael Aarethun – my wife gets the Sunday paper for the coupons. Except for that, neither of us read it. We went from two papers to one. If it doesn’t shape up we will be down to none.

          1. Excellent eventually the final step is finding sources of information that can be trusted and then continuing your education following the advice of Frank Zappa. “…If you want an education go to a library.” I left the first part out on purpose.

  15. This is o.k. Just because someone holds high office, or maybe especially because they hold high office, they aren’t immunized from free speech. In fact, it is very difficult for citizens to be heard by such self isolated people. I don’t care if it’s Hillary or Pence, Bush or Trump, Obama or Cheney–they can dam(n)) well listen to those who disagree with them.

    They shouldn’t be comfortable in their fascism, not any of them, ever.

    1. I completely agree. The cast statement is excellent in that it gives reasons for the protests. Pence can take it to heart and let it help inform him for his job ahead, or he can ignore it as “what else would you expect from the peasants.” I hope he takes it to heart and helps to inform Trump.

    2. Jill, would you tell me what fascism is? And how ths country could ever become fascist.

      1. Fascism is an authoritarian and nationalistic form of government with connections to fascist corporatism (from Wikipedia: “Fascism’s theory of economic corporatism involved management of sectors of the economy by government- or privately- controlled organizations (corporations).”).

        With the Patriot Act, the NSA (William Binney noted we were “this close” to being a turnkey totalitarian state), and a creeping imperial presidency, as well as a president-elect who has fomented a degree of nationalism, and already being in the midst of a great deal of corporatism, I’d say we the people need to pull our elected leadership back away from outright fascism.

        1. Definiton of small f fascism is ‘complete control over everything using any and all means available.”

          Definition of Large F fascism. Communism/International Socialism, Nazi-ism/ National Socialism, Secular Progressivism and such names as Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, and in the USA Wilson, FDR, LBJ, Carter, Bush and Clinton, Bush and Obama, Reid, Schumer, Benita Pelosi-llyni, Clinton, any Democrat in name only and any Republican in name only.

          to quote Winston Churchill the use of Socialism implies a need for a Gestapo. Stalin referred to Beria as ‘his very own Himmler,

          Now go look at the US Congress that passed the Patriot Act and in doing so broadened and cotninued since 2000 the replacement of the Bill of Rights and Civil rights and such as due process and and ‘unfettered, undefined’ arrest using ‘mere suspicion’ with no warrants, lawyers, trials and using it’s own courts and sentencing procedures with no limits. DOHS now DHS pronounced diss and hopefully not stopped from becoming the Directorate of Internal State Security as the umbrella protective echelon – SchutzStaffel. then count up the number of new police agencies in the federal government since one of what used to be four was disbanded in 1979-80.

          Next go to the airport and tell mme how warm, safe, and fuzzy TSA makes you feel.

          Sum total is in giving up our rights we lost the war on terrorism and the terrorists were elbowed aside by a new group of the same.

          Welcome to the DDR. Gotcha!

          First thing for Trump to do is suspend their activities until they get a revised and ‘defined’ defintiion of powers that includes the status of US Citizens – in writing. Don’t believe me ask Turlow or ask Cusack. The actor. Or just read their post from this blog two Septembers ago.

          It’s coming up for a nother sneak addition on religion this month or next. Last year it was hidden in the end of year funding bill. Signed into law with 85 senators concurring who hadn’t read the damn document

          go ahead
          Ask Turlow

          1. Schucks. I have at least one spelling mistake. I’m in Bight, ME if you wish to send a complaint.

    1. More saddened than surprised. The transfer of the Presidency is the difference between us and other nations. It is done graciously, requiring only an oath of office. Implying the President-elect would not keep the promises of our Constitution is insulting. This tirade was inappropriate.

  17. As Pence was supposedly a paying customer am not a fan of the cast statement……..and actually object to the statement.

    However, in the USA, others are still free (for how much longer we don’t know) to express their opinion of public figures. And after 8 years of continuously insulting behavior (including a multitude of death threats) to our current president led by a thin skinned, pathologically lying NY billionaire, how dare anyone suggest Americans now should/must be silent. Shame on you! We reap what we sow. And previous Pence statements/policies should merit total disgust of him. And if he doesn’t want to face the repercussions of those ideas, then he should stay home.

    btw – based on recent blog posts here, I don’t for a second believe this same tone would have been taken for Hillary or another democrat. You’re kidding us? Right?

    1. These are the same type who lauded the Congressman from Pdunk who shrieked “You lie!” at President Obama, and probably bought a “Hillary for Prison 2016” t-shirt thinking it was the height of wit. They’re idiots.

  18. Tickets to Hamilton are about $200 each, so Pence and his wife paid $400 to relax and be entertained. Instead they got a boorish reception by the crowd and a condescending lecture by the cast (as though anyone is supposed to care what actors think about politics.) But, it really doesn’t surprise me, considering that the play was founded on a casting call for “non-white actors only.” These aren’t the folks who created the civilized world.

    1. How do you know that they were not entertained by the performance? I’d suggest that it wasn’t that what they got was in place of an entertaining experience, but rather in addition to an entertaining experience. Until someone asks and Pence reports what he actually thought of the play, neither you nor I can be certain of the truth of our suppositions. Like so many people do so often, you assume possession of knowledge you don’t actually have. Of course if you have spoken directly with Pence and he has shared with you what he has not shared with the rest of us, then I could be wrong. So have you spoken with him?

      If it is okay to dismiss what actors think about politics then it is equally okay to dismiss what you think about politics.

      Are we take it that you played a larger role than these people in creating the civilized world?

      1. Not only that, but given the abysmal ignorance of so many politicians — for example, the crackpot anti-scientific bilge routinely spewed about global climate change by GOP nitwits — how does it logically follow that any given actor is less knowledgeable and worthy of consideration vis-a-vis their political opinions? It doesn’t follow at all.

        1. Richard Turnbull – if you have every worked with actors, as I have, 4 out of 5 are dumb as rocks. The brains are the writers, directors, set designers, etc.

          1. Your pompous, smug, pretentious, obnoxious opinion based on some fragmentary impressions is duly noted. The last time I “worked with actors” was as part of the Macalester College Drama Choros, and any one of them would trounce the likes of you in a debate, in my opinion.

            1. Richard – I have a Masters in Theatre and will match my IQ against almost any actor. No actor got anywhere near the entry score I did to get into grad school. No actor got the grades I got.

              1. Whatever. The notion of your I.Q. translating into winning a debate against anyone from the Macalester College Drama Choros, especially about politics, is faintly risible. I am sure they would be stunned and amazed by the onerous task of dealing with you, though, with your impressive “Masters in Theater,” but they’d still mop the floor with you, nonetheless.

                  1. Careful Paul, since actors work so rarely and for little of lasting importance for anyone save themselves, they have lots of time to memorize Saul Alinsky and play with dumbbells. Look at your debate here!

              2. Paul Schulte…
                -In your experience, are there certain “levels” ( from little theater to Broadway, and in between) at which those onvolved in the theater are more likely to view themselves as ” the cogosenti”?
                I probably phrased this question awkwardly, and will try to rephrase it if I need to clarify the question.

                    1. tnash – since their Godlike speeches did not seem to agree, I became agnostic.

    2. TIN – there is an unwritten compact between the actor and the audience in the theatre: I will not harm you, and you will not harm me. If the actor breaks the compact, all bets are off. In this case, the actor broke an age old compact with audiences. I hope that more people will be like me and what for it to come out on video and get it from their library.

      1. Thanks, R Turnbull .Hamilton, among its storylines, is about people who overthrew a tyrant. What better place to make a statement about the transformation of our country from democracy to kleptocracy than the Richard Rogers Theater. Kudos to them. And as for the idea that we have to respect Trump or Pence because of the offices they will soon hold? Nada.

        Paul, Hamilton is going to run for decades in America and all over the world [could be a shorter time in America if free speech and freedom to assemble are outlawed]. It started off as a celebration of what is and will end up as a eulogy for what was.

        PBS made a documentary about it which was excellent and had numerous clips from the show. I recommend it.

        1. mozart – like the staging, not in love with the show. Cats (which really does not have a plot) has been running for years. There is no accounting for poor taste.

    3. Where can you purchase these tickets for $200??? Pence was not in the “cheap seats.” Perhaps he went the route of donating to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
      https://hbr.org/2016/06/hamiltons-849-tickets-are-priced-too-low
      http://www.playbill.com/article/8-ways-to-actually-get-tickets-to-hamilton

      Hamilton is a political musical. It was created to confront our conceptions of our history and our founders. As it’s creator said earlier this year at a commencement speech at the University Of Pennsylvania. “In a year when politicians traffic in anti-immigrant rhetoric, there is also a Broadway musical reminding us that a broke, orphan immigrant from the West Indies built our financial system. A story that reminds us that since the beginning of the great, unfinished symphony that is our American experiment, time and time again, immigrants get the job done.”

      The people who created this will be directly affected by the policies of Mike Pence and Donald Trump. I am glad that they stopped at the end and politely voiced their fears. The other attendees booing…..well, I think Mike Pence might be use to that.

  19. Would you expect anything less from individuals brainwashed (at least to the level of a third grader) by our public educational system? I honestly feel sorry for them and those like them.

    1. Brainwashed? Take a look in the mirror. Please, do some serious intellectual introspection and metacognition. And please choose a better, more credible sample of sources to draw from for information.

    2. Maybe they are enlightened and don’t want to be brainwashed by Pence. Pence’s theories are dangerous to one’s mental and physical health.

          1. Kate – for years the American Psychiatric Association also approved of conversion and was convinced that homosexuality was a mental illness. Who is to say they are right now?

          3. Keep in mind that Trump is the president-elect, not Pence. And Trump is fine with gay marriage – he said as much on 60 minutes. The issue has been decided and he is fine with it. Relax.

Comments are closed.