The cast and crew of “Hamilton” on Tuesday paid a special visit to former President George H.W. Bush’s office in Houston, Texas, in an effort to lift his spirits after his wife, former first lady Barbara Bush, passed away in April.
“A complete joy to welcome the ‘HamFam’ — the cast and crew of @HamiltonMusical — to our Houston office for a special performance I will never forget. History never sounded so powerful,” Bush tweeted Tuesday.
Jim McGrath, Bush’s spokesman, told People magazine Bush and the former first lady had hoped to see the musical together when it came to Texas.
A complete joy to welcome the “HamFam” — the cast and crew of @HamiltonMusical — to our Houston office for a special performance I will never forget. History never sounded so powerful. pic.twitter.com/dL224SkMKn
— George Bush (@GeorgeHWBush) May 15, 2018
Bush called the performance “powerful and wonderful,” and had promised to try to see the full production before it leaves Houston next week, McGrath told CNN.
McGrath also noted that the 41st president, known for his collection of themed socks, has yet to purchase a Hamilton pair, so he wore U.S. Navy ones adorned with anchors instead.
“Hamilton” is a Broadway musical based on the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, which earned a record 16 Tony nominations in 2016, winning 11.
Cast members of “Hamilton” have not been shy about voicing their political views in the past. Shortly after the 2016 election, the group singled out then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence while he was attending one of their performances in New York.
“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,” one cast member said. “We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of all of us.”
