Texas Church Apologizes for Unauthorized ‘Christian’ Hamilton Production That Rewrote Bawdy Raps

The Door McAllen church in Texas has issued an apology after staging an unauthorised production of the hit musical Hamilton without permission. The production altered lyrics, added a “repentance” scene, and included a sermon stating that God would save people who “struggle with homosexuality.”

The production, created by the nondenominational church The Door McAllen, was livestreamed on 5 August and later shared on social media. This led to a cease-and-desist letter from the official Hamilton producers. In a statement posted on Instagram, pastor Roman Gutierrez apologised to Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Hamilton writers and producers for staging the production without permission, acknowledging that it “infringed on the rights and copyrights of many.”

The church admitted it did not seek a license to produce, stage, replicate, or alter any part of Hamilton. It also acknowledged that altering an artistic work like Hamilton without legal permission is not permissible. The statement noted that the ministry would use this moment as a learning opportunity about intellectual property and protected artistic works.

Clips of the production, which circulated on social media, showed changes to the musical’s content. A scene was added in which Alexander Hamilton repents and accepts Jesus Christ as his lord and saviour. Lyrics from songs like “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” and “That Would Be Enough” were modified to include references to Jesus, while swear words and sex references were removed.

In the show’s opening line, Hamilton was no longer described as a “bastard, orphan, son of a whore,” but instead as a “scoundrel, orphan, son of a harlot.” A rap by Hercules Mulligan was also altered, changing “I heard ya mother say ‘come again’” to “Your boy’s spying for the government.” These changes reflected the church’s attempt to align the musical with its Christian message.

The incident highlights the intersection of artistic expression and religious interpretation, raising questions about the boundaries of creative adaptation and intellectual property rights. The church’s actions, while rooted in its mission to share its faith, also underscore the importance of respecting the original intent and legal protections of artistic works.

Source: Read the original report