A South Texas church this past weekend staged performances of the hit musical “Hamilton,” but the Tony-winning show’s producers were not fans.
As reported by CNN, The Door, a church located in McAllen, Texas, performed the unauthorized show Aug. 5 and 6. When the production got wind of the first performance, the church was sent a cease-and-desist letter.
“’Hamilton’ does not grant amateur or professional licenses for any stage productions and did not grant one to The Door Church,” “Hamilton” spokesperson Shane Marshall Brown wrote in a statement to CNN.,
Following the first show on Aug. 5, the church was permitted to perform its second with the conditions that it could not be live streamed, recorded or shared on social media.
The Door’s performance of “Hamilton” veered away from the original, CNN reported, including lyrical references to Jesus and Christianity. A sermon delivered at the end of the show reportedly compared homosexuality to drug addiction.
The “Hamilton” spokesperson told CNN they were not aware of “the extensive changes to the show or that there would be a sermon at the end.”
“The ‘Hamilton’ family stands for tolerance, compassion, inclusivity and certainly LGBTQ+ rights,” the statement reads.
“Hamilton,” by Lin-Manuel Miranda, tells the story of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and premiered off-Broadway in 2015. It received a record-breaking 16 nominations and won 22 awards at the 70th Tony Awards. It is now regularly performed by touring companies.