Tom Viola, Executive Director, BROADWAY CARES/EQUITY FIGHTS AIDS was there on Friday night when Mike Pence, Donald Trump's choice for Vice President, was booed and spoken to at a performance of the Broadway musical, Hamilton. Tom's insights are unique and perhaps provide a warning to heed. In particular, he describes the heavy military protections that came to Broadway with Pence. We have not seen this described anywhere else in the conversation of the Pence visit and the reaction it inspired.
Presidents, First Ladies and other dignitaries – including President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, President Bill Clinton and Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton --have attended Broadway shows and they usually bring with them an appropriate number of Secret Service agents, who stand by as unobtrusively as possible. Is this heavy militarization what we can expect in a Trump Administration? Read and learn what Tom witnessed and experienced.
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Dear Readers, Here is a personal testimony to what I witnessed and participated in on the sidewalk last night [November 18,2016] in front of HAMILTON. I hope you'll give it a few minutes read:
I went to see NATASHA, PIERRE... tonight at the Imperial Theatre. As I exited the theatre on W. 46th Street to head to HAMILTON to help with the lobby buckets, there was a flanx of over-sized black cars, an EMS bus and about a dozen NYC cops and another six or more in helmets and military gear with AK47s ready to block my getting just 20 yards to the entrance of the Richard Rodgers Theatre.
I managed to make my way across the street to the front of a crowd of a couple hundred pushed back directly across the sidewalk and against the buildings across the street. "What the hell is going on? Who's there?" "Pence," I was told. I clicked on my phone and read some of what was already online about the booing and repeated cheering of appropriate lines in the show. "Immigrants get the job done," I hear got a standing ovation. Good!
Outside there was a flurry near the front doors, cops scurrying to someone as the military with assault rifles pushed closer to us on and in front of the sidewalk. A little girl in her mother's arms, caught just in front of me, standing next to her father and little brother began to cry. I reached out and touched her small arm, rubbing just the tip of my index finger gently on her coat. Her mother who looked equally upset, looked back at me nervously at first and then smiled. We stood together facing those huge guns, not aimed at us, but not pointed down. Ready.
Without a count-off or any kind of leadership, many - nearly all - began to boo. Loudly. Some, like myself, shouted repeatedly "Shame!" Lights flashed, the cops moved closer to the main vehicle where inside through the windows in the back seat I could see a shock of white hair, not near the windows but in the middle of the seat. The little girl hid her face in her mother's neck. The young woman's husband wrapped his arm around her, their son standing close, wide-eyed. All of us caught for this unexpected moment together whether quiet or shouting.
The jeering continued until all cars were down the block to 7th Avenue. Only then did the cops relax, the military put down their machine guns and we feel as one crowd again.
I crossed the street into the lobby. We held buckets as planned, raising funds for organizations that jackass would defund, whose clients he demeans and debases both personally and by his past and intended policies. Yes, you know that one in Indiana where a gay couple could be arrested for even attempting to acquire a marriage license. His own Indiana state supreme court struck that one down. Or attempting to ear-mark Federal AIDS service dollars to conversion therapy organizations. Also knocked down. (Look it up.)
There has been some debate here tonight about manners, is booing appropriate? Let love and the theatre enlighten him and heal this divide. I disagree. Brandon Victor Dixon delivered a terrific, polite and strong statement on behalf of the HAMILTON company at the curtain call and before the appeal. Well done and in that space, brave and appropriate.
But the jeering Pence received inside and especially outside the theatre was well earned. He deserves our disdain and anger for putting our lives and communities in danger with his policies and tacit approval of bias to the point violence.
Being polite, passive acquiescence - manners, if you will - only convinces men like Pence that we are weak and can be pushed to the brink, legislated into dark corners, ignored or threatened.
Earlier this evening I posted a quote from James Baldwin. It bears repeating:"We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression, and denial of my humanity and right to exist." - James Baldwin.
There will be room and need for both strong statement and action in the streets. I have always been more of an "inside guy" myself. Pushing, making nice and manipulating the system from inside (often in a tie) to affect change. I can feel that it's going to be time to also join those who march, shout and push back.
And hopefully when they know we won't be bullied into submission, we can have those discussions about coming together.
And here is Brandon Victor Dixon's curtain speech, after which an appeal was done and roundly cheered by the audience. My bucket in the lobby over-flowed.
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November 20, 2016
Addendum. This happened next. The Trump Supporter was screaming about how they had won.
