Vice President-elect Mike Pence was booed by a theatre audience as he attended a showing of the musical Hamilton in New York last night.
After the curtain call, the cast addressed Mr Pence directly, asking him to "protect diversity".
Video footage from Twitter shows Mr Pence being booed as he took his seat. It's reported that the show was intermittently interrupted by booing.
Here's Pence getting booed as he gets to his seats at Hamilton pic.twitter.com/IRQG68x1sB
— David K (@dkipke12) November 19, 2016
It was believed that Mr Pence had left the show at the interval, but it later turned out that he had returned to his seat, possibly after the lights went down, at the beginning of the second act.
Pence ended up watching the whole show, but as he was about to leave the theatre at the end of the curtain call, a member of the cast called him back.
Brandon Dixon, who plays vice-president Aaron Burr, stepped forward and took out a piece of paper.
He thanked the audience then said: “Vice-president Mike Pence, I see you walking out, but I hope you will hear us, just a few moments.”
As some quiet boos emanated from the audience as it began to disperse, Dixon hushed the audience and delivered a message.
“There is nothing to boo here, ladies and gentlemen, we are sharing a story of love,” he said.
Tonight, VP-Elect Mike Pence attended #HamiltonBway. After the show, @BrandonVDixon delivered the following statement on behalf of the show. pic.twitter.com/Jsg9Q1pMZs
— Hamilton (@HamiltonMusical) November 19, 2016
He continued: “Mike Pence, we welcome you here. We are the diverse Americans who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents.”
Many of the remaining audience began to cheer softly as Dixon, who is African American, pointed towards Pence.
“Or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights … we hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us,” he continued, to rising cheers.
“We thank you for sharing this wonderful American story, told by a diverse group of men and women of different colors, creeds and orientations,” he concluded.
It was not clear whether Pence heard the whole address or made any response.
Hamilton, written by by Lin-Manuel Miranda, has a pointedly diverse cast. Javier Munoz, his understudy plays US founding father Alexander Hamilton. Mr Munoz is openly gay and HIV-positive. He has made a point of speaking out about living with HIV since 2002 and how he hopes to diminish the stigma around HIV and Aids.
Mr Munoz is openly gay and HIV-positive. He has made a point of speaking out about living with HIV since 2002 and how he hopes to diminish the stigma around HIV and Aids.
Mr Pence has previously come out against gay rights, including marriage equality. During his time as governor, he closed STI clinics in the state of Indiana.
