Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Mike Pence says Hamilton is 'incredible production' and that crowd booing him 'is what freedom sounds like'

Mr Pence did not directly ask for an apology during an interview with Fox News; instead he said the cast was 'talented' and urged people to buy a ticket

Rachael Revesz
New York
Sunday 20 November 2016 12:07 EST
Comments
Mr Pence questioned whether the Broadway show was the right venue for a political speech, but he did not ask for an apology
Mr Pence questioned whether the Broadway show was the right venue for a political speech, but he did not ask for an apology

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Incoming vice president Mike Pence has broken with Donald Trump in his view of what happened at the Hamilton broadway musical, where the cast told him in front of the audience they were worried about a president Trump.

While Mr Trump demanded an apology from the cast and called the show "overrated", Mr Pence told Fox News that he, his daughter and cousins "really enjoyed the show".

"Hamilton is just an incredible production, incredibly talented people and it was a real joy to be there," he said.

He acknowledged that he heard "a few boos" and "some cheers".

"I nudged my kids and reminded them that’s what freedom sounds like," he said.

"But at the end I did hear what was said from the stage. I can tell you I wasn’t offended by what was said - I’ll leave it to others as to whether it was the appropriate venue to say it."

Mike Pence is told ‘We are the diverse Americans anxious you will not protect us’

The ethnically diverse cast of the popular and sold-out musical, which tells the story of America’s Founding Fathers, asked Mr Pence not to leave the venue before he listened to what they wanted to say.

Actor Brandon Victor Dixon said that people were worried that Mr Trump would "not protect them".

Mr Trump demanded an apology for the cast's "terrible behaviour" several times on twitter.

When asked on Fox News if Mr Pence expected an apology, he again questioned the choice of venue for the speech but encouraged people to “go see the show”, and he was a “real history buff” and “really enjoyed it”.

Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka Trump, also agreed with Mr Pence when she went to see the show in March.

Mr Pence said he wanted to reassure people who were “disappointed” and “anxious” that Mr Trump meant “from the bottom of his heart” that he was prepared to lead for all Americans.

"I just want to reassure every American that in the days ahead I am confident that they’re going to see president-elect Donald Trump be a president for all the people," he said.

Mr Dixon responded to Mr Trump's demand on twitter, saying that "conversation" was not "harassment".

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in