A "Love Letter" to the Person in the MAGA Hat at 'Hamilton'

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

Every now and then, theatre gifts you a moment so baffling, so perfectly absurd, you almost have to stop and applaud it. And friends, I didn’t even see this moment happen in person — I saw it mentioned in a Reddit comment — so take this story with the tiniest grain of salt. But honestly, whether it happened exactly the way it was described or not, the very idea of it still made me want to bang my head against a wall.

Apparently, someone proudly wore a bright red Make America Great Again hat… to a performance of Hamilton.

Yes. Hamilton. The musical that celebrates immigrants, revolution, fighting tyranny, and yes, rapping about why the system is stacked against you. That Hamilton.

So to the person who apparently wore that hat,

What did you think you were seeing? I genuinely need to know. Did you mistake the program for a playbill for 1776? Did you hear “Founding Fathers” and assume it would be a two-hour Fox News highlight reel with a hip-hop beat?

It’s not even that they wore political merch to the theatre (although, let's be real, wearing any kind of slogan hat to a show is already a choice). It’s that they picked this show. This cast. This story. It's like showing up to a Pride parade in a "Straight Pride" T-shirt and wondering why people are side-eyeing you.

And let’s be honest — when you pull a stunt like that, it’s not really about expressing your opinion. It’s about getting a reaction. It’s about antagonizing the people around you, stirring the pot, and making the night about you instead of the performance. It’s a cheap, tired trick, and frankly, it’s beneath the dignity of the very art form you came to see.

And before anyone starts getting defensive: no, I’m not saying you can't love Hamilton and have different political views, even if you’re a fan of the current administration. Theatre is for everyone. Truly. You are absolutely welcome in the audience. But there’s a difference between coming to experience the show and making yourself the show. There’s a difference between loving the art and completely missing the point of it. Imagining this person nodding along to “Immigrants: We get the job done” while repping that hat feels like watching a cat try to do algebra.

Also — and I can’t believe this even needs to be said — take your hat off at the theatre, period(separate column coming on this). Political statement or not, giant billboard on your head or not, basic manners still apply. People behind you paid good money too, and they deserve a clear view of the stage without having to peer around your "statement piece" all night. Hat etiquette is literally Theatre 101. Look it up.

Look, theatre is supposed to challenge you. It's supposed to stir things up. But it’s also supposed to be a place where you come in with some respect — for the story, the cast, the space, and yes, for the hundreds of people around you who now have to process the cognitive dissonance of you cheering for “Rise up!” while repping a slogan that's historically been used to push people down.

So to whoever that was: I sincerely hope you enjoyed yourself. I hope you clapped and cheered and maybe, just maybe, felt a little something you weren’t expecting. Theatre has a funny way of sneaking truth into even the most stubborn hearts.

But next time? Please. By all means, come to the theatre — just leave the hat at home. Hamilton is many things — but a campaign rally isn't one of them.