A Texas church performed "Hamilton" this weekend, but the team behind the Tony-award winning production says it shouldn't have happened.
"'Hamilton' does not grant amateur or professional licenses for any stage productions and did not grant one to The Door Church," Shane Marshall Brown, a spokesperson for "Hamilton," said in a statement to CNN on Monday.
Officials behind the musical were not aware of the "unauthorized staging" until the day after the church's first of two scheduled performances and sent a cease-and-desist letter, the spokesperson added.
The Door, a in McAllen, a town in South Texas, was allowed to continue with its planned second performance, with conditions, among them that the show would not be live streamed, recorded or shared on social media in photo or video form, according to the statement.
performed on Aug. 5 and 6 with edited content that included lyrical references to Jesus and Christianity throughout, according to of the production shared on social media. A sermon reportedly delivered to the audience also compared homosexuality to drug addiction, according to video.
In an additional statement provided to CNN late Monday, the spokesperson said they were not aware "of the extensive changes to the show or that there would be a sermon at the end" when they allowed Saturday's performance to move forward.
"We have reserved all of our rights and are considering how to proceed based upon what we've learned," the spokesperson's statement said. "The Hamilton family stands for tolerance, compassion, inclusivity and certainly LGBTQ+ rights. We are in the process of reviewing the unauthorized changes made to the script to determine further action."
CNN's attempts to reach The Door for comment over the weekend and on Monday have gone unanswered.
Tony, Grammy and Emmy-winning smash that retells the tale of the "10-dollar founding father" Alexander Hamilton and his contemporaries with a cast mostly comprised of people of colour.
It won both the Pulitzer Prize for drama and the Tony for best musical, and its producers have launched productions on Broadway, in Chicago and in San Francisco, among other cities, not counting its multiple touring companies. It is not available for licensing to theatre companies.
Per copyright law, churches do have an exemption that allows them to perform copyrighted music during religious services but that exemption does not allow for streaming or distribution of those performances and does not extend to any other public performances outside of service.
Much of the footage from the church's first "Hamilton" performance was scrubbed from The Door's social media accounts, per the production's cease-and-desist request. But some clips were preserved online and shared by Hemant Mehta, a writer and atheist advocate.
In one clip, a character appears to read from the Bible while Hamilton is in crisis. The character tells him that "God is the only one that can help you right now."
In another clip, an actor playing Eliza Schuyler sings "My hope is in Jesus. If you could just give him a chance today, that would be enough."
Other footage shared by Mehta reportedly shows The Door pastor Victor Lopez addressing the audience on stage, with "Hamilton" sets behind him, and he says: "Maybe you struggle with alcohol, with drugs, homosexuality. Maybe you struggle with other things in life, your finances, whatever, relationships -- God can help you tonight."
"Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda is a staunch supporter of the LGBTQ2S+ community and to read a sonnet that addressed the shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, that killed 50 people hours before the award show.
Miranda has not individually commented on the unauthorized production.
CNN has attempted to reach Lopez for comment.
Some arts critics who weren't attached to "Hamilton" took issue with the McAllen church's unauthorized production and the changes to its text.
Howard Sherman, an arts administrator and writer who was one of the first users to widely share news of the production, said the rights of the artists behind "Hamilton" had been violated.
"The work of Lin Manuel [sic], Tommy Kail, Alex Lacamoire, Andy Blankenbuehler, David Korins and others cannot be taken for free or manipulated to send other messages," he wrote. "I respect all faiths, but I cannot respect The Door McAllen for stealing material to serve their own purposes."
The statement from the spokesperson for "Hamilton" thanked the show's "devoted fans" for "bringing this to our attention."
Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm off Mexico and threatens Florida, forecasters say.
Days after a political sign was erected outside Chip Wilson's Vancouver mansion, the waterfront property has been vandalized with graffiti.
Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, has died. She was 91.
Two people are in hospital after they were chased and shot at in what appears to be an act of road rage before eventually flipping their car while trying to escape, police say.
A Canadian soldier who was exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits while serving in Afghanistan has been awarded full medical compensation for testicular cancer after Veterans Affairs initially denied his claim.
Sammy Basso, who was the longest living survivor of the rare genetic disease progeria, has died at the age of 28, the Italian Progeria Association said on Sunday.
Scurvy is not just an archaic diagnosis of 18th-century seafarers and doctors should watch for possible cases, according to researchers following a recent case.
Ceremonies, events and protests are being held across Canada today to mark the anniversary of a Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
Days after a political sign was erected outside Chip Wilson's Vancouver mansion, the waterfront property has been vandalized with graffiti.
Two people are in hospital after they were chased and shot at in what appears to be an act of road rage before eventually flipping their car while trying to escape, police say.
A Canadian soldier who was exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits while serving in Afghanistan has been awarded full medical compensation for testicular cancer after Veterans Affairs initially denied his claim.
Lawyers representing the Ontario man accused of selling hundreds of suicide kits with deadly effect around the globe have filed to intervene in a case in Canada鈥檚 highest court, arguing there is no way he can be charged with murder under Canadian law.
A totem pole that has stood on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature for more than 50 years has come down.
Billionaire businessman Frank Stronach, who faces multiple sex assault charges, has had his case put over to next month as lawyers work to have the matter moved to a court in Toronto.
Palestinian militants in Gaza fired a barrage of rockets into Israel on Monday as mourners marked the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attack, without disrupting a nearby ceremony.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday suggested undocumented immigrants who commit murder have 'bad genes,' in the latest example of the former president using dehumanizing rhetoric as he tries to stoke fears about those in the country illegally.
Lawyers for a man who is also under investigation in the 2007 disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann called on Monday for him to be acquitted in his trial on charges of unrelated sexual offences.
A British doctor on Monday admitted trying to kill his mother's long-term partner, who stood between him and an inheritance, by injecting the man with poison disguised as a COVID-19 vaccine.
Tunisia鈥檚 President Kais Saied won re-election in a landslide victory in results announced Monday after a campaign season that saw his opponents jailed alongside journalists, activists and attorneys.
Ukraine鈥檚 military said it struck a major oil terminal Monday in Crimea that provides fuel for Russia鈥檚 war effort as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the war has entered a key phase.
The Oct. 7 attack by Hamas fighters on Israel last year, and the immediate Israeli retaliation that followed, sent shockwaves throughout the world that have shaken Canada culturally and politically.
A federal inquiry says the Liberal government has consented to the public disclosure of summaries of cabinet documents about foreign interference.
Justin Trudeau will travel to Laos later this week for the ASEAN summit, marking what his office says will be the first official visit of a Canadian prime minister to the Southeast Asian country.
Georgia's highest court reinstated a ban on nearly all abortions after about six weeks of pregnancy on Monday while it considers the U.S. state's appeal of last week's ruling by a lower court judge blocking the law.
Sammy Basso, who was the longest living survivor of the rare genetic disease progeria, has died at the age of 28, the Italian Progeria Association said on Sunday.
If your household has recently been hit by a power outage, here are ways to keep your food safe.
A spacecraft blasted off Monday to investigate the scene of a cosmic crash.
The best minds in science will be thrust from academic obscurity into the spotlight this week when the Nobel Prizes in physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine are announced. However, there is no shortage of Nobel-worthy discoveries: Here are five breakthroughs that haven't resulted in a life-changing call from Stockholm 鈥 at least not yet.
Scientists announced on Thursday a milestone in neurobiological research with the mapping of the entire brain of an adult fruit fly, a feat that may provide insight into brains across the animal kingdom, including people.
Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston and a two-time Grammy winner who performed alongside superstar musicians like Elvis Presley, and Aretha Franklin, has died. She was 91.
Janice Small Combs is defending her superstar son, Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
Al Pacino has revealed that he nearly died of COVID-19 in 2020, and shared his view on what happens after death.
Financial strain can be an uncomfortable burden to bear, especially if you feel that you're doing as much as you can and are barely managing to stay afloat. Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew shares some tips for managing financial stress and digging your way out of debt.
JetBlue鈥檚 economy class passengers will no longer find hot meals on the menu aboard transatlantic flights.
Days after a political sign was erected outside Chip Wilson's Vancouver mansion, the waterfront property has been vandalized with graffiti.
Gerontologist Jay Olshansky is used to backlash about his views on human longevity. Decades ago he and his coauthors predicted children, on average, would live to only age 85 鈥 only 1 per cent to 5 per cent might survive until their 100th birthday.
'Eat more vegetables,' doctors and dietitians say over and over. But for many people, it鈥檚 hard to do, because they aren鈥檛 excited about veggies or just don鈥檛 like them.
Travelling on a budget can be stressful, but there are ways you can ensure you're getting the best deal on flights as the holiday season approaches.
Christine Sinclair has been announced as the newest owner of Vancouver's women's professional soccer team.
Victor Lapena is out as head coach of the Canadian women's basketball team. Canada Basketball says the organization and Lapena mutually agreed to part ways.
During the Los Angeles Lakers' preseason game against the Phoenix Suns, LeBron and Bronny James became the first father/son duo to play together on an NBA team.
New data from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) shows that even though claims for auto theft dropped in the first half of 2024 compared to their 2023 peak, the rates of reported theft remain well above those of years prior.
Tesla is recalling more than 27,000 Cybertrucks because the rearview camera image may not activate immediately after shifting into reverse, the fifth recall for the vehicle since it went on sale late last year.
A Pickering, Ont., student going to college to be a mechanic is shocked the engine in his two-year-old car will not be repaired under warranty after the dealership claimed he had been 'over-revving' the engine.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Bernie Hicks, known as the 鈥楤atman of Amherst,鈥 always wanted to sit in a Batmobile until a kind stranger made it happen.
Bubi鈥檚 Awesome Eats, located on University Ave West took to social media to announce the closure on Friday.
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority and the Government of Ontario have awarded a $1.8 billion fixed-price contract to design, build and finance a new Far North hospital.
Manitobans are in cleanup mode after intense winds barreled through southern parts of the province this weekend.
Avry Wortman, 13, scored two touchdowns on Sunday during her team's win in the under 14 Greater Moncton Football Association.
A gargantuan gourd 鈥 affectionately named 鈥極rangina鈥 by the urban gardeners who grew it in the front yard of their Vancouver home 鈥 earned the massive honour of being named B.C.鈥檚 heaviest giant pumpkin Saturday.
Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.
From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.
A Canadian soldier who was exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits while serving in Afghanistan has been awarded full medical compensation for testicular cancer after Veterans Affairs initially denied his claim.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad promised to 鈥渆nd tent cities鈥 in the province Saturday while standing at a podium set up in front of a Kelowna encampment whose residents he acknowledged he had not spoken to.
A 36-year-old woman who was charged with aggravated assault and assault with a weapon following a stabbing last month in Surrey, B.C., has now been charged with murder after the victim died in hospital.
Two people are in hospital after they were chased and shot at in what appears to be an act of road rage before eventually flipping their car while trying to escape, police say.
Lawyers representing the Ontario man accused of selling hundreds of suicide kits with deadly effect around the globe have filed to intervene in a case in Canada鈥檚 highest court, arguing there is no way he can be charged with murder under Canadian law.
Billionaire businessman Frank Stronach, who faces multiple sex assault charges, has had his case put over to next month as lawyers work to have the matter moved to a court in Toronto.
A Lethbridge police officer involved in a scandal involving former Lethbridge New Democrat MLA Shannon Phillips has been reprimanded.
Two lottery tickets purchased in Alberta won big in draws last week, with prize money totalling more than $1.2 million.
RCMP arrested and charged a 38-year-old Foothills County man in connection with firearms offences as well as animal neglect.
The fate of an Ottawa man who admitted to murdering his wife and stabbing his daughter in broad daylight in 2021 is now in the hands of a jury.
The Ottawa Police Service is investigating after a body was found along a road in Barrhaven. Emergency crews responded to a report of a deceased person at approximately 10:15 a.m. Monday in the 3100 block of Greenbank Road, at Strandherd Drive.
A unique form of clouds made an appearance over the skies of Ottawa on Sunday evening.
Students and supporters from Montreal universities have two protests and vigils planned to mark the anniversary of the current war between Israel and Gaza.
Celine Dion introduced the marquee Dallas Cowboys - Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday Night Football game before getting drenched by orange Gatorade.
The Quebec government has announced details of its 2030 Nature Plan, a $922 million roadmap that should enable Quebec to protect 30 per cent of its territory in the coming years.
Albertans can start booking their annual flu and COVID shots as of Monday, with appointments beginning next week.
A Westlock, Alta., man faces several child pornography charges.
A kidnapping victim was found by police during a traffic stop in northern Alberta earlier this month.
With exactly two-weeks to go until election day, New Brunswick鈥檚 three main political parties spent Monday on the campaign trail talking about crime and health.
CTV Atlantic meteorologist Kalin Mitchell has details on rain and downpours expected Monday through early Wednesday in the Maritimes, plus an update on Hurricane Milton.
A Canadian soldier who was exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits while serving in Afghanistan has been awarded full medical compensation for testicular cancer after Veterans Affairs initially denied his claim.
Power is restored across southern Manitoba after a weekend windstorm wreaked havoc in several communities.
A 16-year-old male has died following a shooting over the weekend.
A totem pole that has stood on the grounds of the Manitoba legislature for more than 50 years has come down.
Regina resident Murray Yagelniski says a city-owned tree on his property is the root of the issue behind his basement flooding.
The Saskatchewan Party says it plans to improve health services for women by providing them with a self-screening kit for HPV as an alternative to the Pap test.
Those in the area of Elphinstone Street and 4th Avenue were witness to an extended police presence on Sunday.
The penalty hearing for Guelph Police constable Corey McArthur has heard from two character witnesses, both supporting an eventual return to policing for the officer who has admitted to assaulting a teen who was handcuffed to a hospital bed.
Waterloo Regional Police say two groups of people met in the area of Eagle Street North and Laurel Street, and a dispute occurred.
Jalen Belle-McCormack, 20, from Toronto, is currently wanted on a warrant in connection to a shooting at a Waterloo business on May 18.
Saskatoon鈥檚 Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) says a staff member arrived to work on Thursday morning to find someone at its doorstep, unresponsive from a suspected drug overdose.
The Saskatchewan Party says it plans to improve health services for women by providing them with a self-screening kit for HPV as an alternative to the Pap test.
As campaigning continues in the lead up to election day in Saskatchewan, a date and time has been chosen for this year's leaders' debate.
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating a fatal crash of a side-by-side off-road vehicle east of Parry Sound that killed one and injured another Friday.
The North Bay Battalion hockey team is mourning the loss of a former player who died at 23 after a battle with cancer.
One man has been charged after a nearly four-hour armed standoff in Attawapiskat First Nation ended without incident Sunday afternoon.
Emotions have boiled over after a judge acquitted two out of three defendants in a manslaughter case, while the third accused has since died
More than five years after a hit-and-run crash left a London, Ont. man with life-altering injuries, his family is asking for help. They want to remodel their newly purchased home to accommodate 23 year old Tristan Roby.
Hurricane Milton strengthens into a Category 5 storm off Mexico and threatens Florida, forecasters say.
One person was taken to the hospital with what police describe as minor injuries after a loose wheel caused a collision on Highway 400 in Bradford on Monday.
Officers arrested a man accused of pointing a firearm at two people in Barrie over the weekend.
The cause of a fire that caused significant damage to a home in Oro-Medonte over the weekend is under investigation.
Students in Sports and Recreation Management at Lambton College have been given the opportunity to work alongside the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Winds through their Fundraising and Sport Sponsorship course.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized $17,000 in unreported cash at the Ambassador Bridge.
Emotions have boiled over after a judge acquitted two out of three defendants in a manslaughter case, while the third accused has since died
A Canadian soldier who was exposed to toxic chemicals from burn pits while serving in Afghanistan has been awarded full medical compensation for testicular cancer after Veterans Affairs initially denied his claim.
B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad promised to 鈥渆nd tent cities鈥 in the province Saturday while standing at a podium set up in front of a Kelowna encampment whose residents he acknowledged he had not spoken to.
Days after a political sign was erected outside Chip Wilson's Vancouver mansion, the waterfront property has been vandalized with graffiti.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
NDP Leader David Eby is promising to offer a $75-million loan forgiveness program to entice doctors, nurses and heath professionals to expand health-care services in rural British Columbia.
Three young suspects have been arrested in connection with a swarming attack on a teenager in B.C.'s Okanagan last week 鈥 and authorities have asked the public to stop circulating disturbing videos of the incident.
A Lethbridge police officer involved in the so-called 'MemeGate' scandal involving former Lethbridge New Democrat MLA Shannon Phillips has been reprimanded.
Lethbridge police say a man who escaped from a psychiatric ward at the Chinook Regional Hospital has been found.
While the summer may be over, construction season in Lethbridge is not.
Greater Sudbury in partnership with the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, is hosting the organization's annual mining conference.
As part of an ongoing investigation, provincial police are seeking the public鈥檚 assistance in locating a Kubota tractor stolen in North Shore Township, Ont., last month.
A 33-year-old man was arrested Saturday for allegedly spraying bear mace at three individuals in northwestern Ontario.
As millions in federal funding flow into a Labrador group whose claims of Inuit identity have been rejected by Indigenous organizations across Canada, a national Inuit leader worries the Liberal government is putting the rights of Indigenous Peoples at risk.
He may not have logged the fastest time or even gone the full distance, but residents of a Newfoundland town agree the goat who unexpectedly joined the local weekend half marathon was the event's undisputed champion.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people鈥檚 basic human right to food.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 麻豆影视. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
