Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and co-star Renee Elise Goldsberry headlined a star-studded fundraiser for Hillary Clinton, which saw the gathering of Hollywood and Broadway’s biggest stars.
Monday night’s event, aptly named “Broadway for Hillary,” was hosted by legendary actor-comedian Billy Crystal.
Those attending the $45 to $10,000 event at the St. James Theatre were treated to performances by actress Julia Roberts, actor Hugh Jackman, and Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actress Sarah Jessica Parker — all performing duets.
But it was Miranda and Goldsberry’s performances of a remixed version of their broadway hit Ten Duel Commandments that stole the show.
The pair sang lyrics lauding Clinton’s experience and motivating voters to take their friends and family to the polls on November to support the Democratic party’s nominee.
“Hillary makes each decision, looking at the world from a rarified position. A public servant with tenacity, agility. Experience is not a liability,” the duo sang.
Miranda and Goldsberry said Clinton is “no quitter,” but Donald Trump just “sits and fiddles with his Twitter.”
Ending the countdown, Miranda sang, “I have only one overwhelming feeling: Anybody here want to shatter a glass ceiling?”
YES @Lin_Manuel @reneeelisegolds debut new, perfect #Hamilton lyrics: "Anybody here wanna shatter a glass ceiling?!" #BroadwayForHillary pic.twitter.com/zQoEzDUFdg
— Ashley Lee (@cashleelee) October 18, 2016
Bill and Chelsea Clinton also made an appearance during the course of the two-hour concert.
“They now feel like outsiders in a country they once felt like home,” Bill Clinton said about the fears Trump supporters harbor, adding that those fears were once shared with “gays[,] immigrants, African-Americans, women, people with disabilities.”
“We don’t want to leave everyone behind,” the former president said. “We just want to tear down the social totem pole so we can rise together.”
Hillary Clinton didn’t attend the fundraiser, but she did address the crowd, asking for their continued support, via a taped message.
“We are in the final stretch of this campaign and we need your help to reach as many people as possible between now and Election Day,” Clinton said.
Other celebrity performances and appearances came from Matthew Broderick, Emily Blunt, and Academy Award winner Helen Mirren.
Les Miserables star Anne Hathaway and Broadway legend Kelli O’Hara joined forces to sing “Happy Days Are Here Again.”
Sarah Jessica Parker teamed up with Broadway singer Andrea Mcardle to sing “Tomorrow” from the musical Annie.
The show was co-produced by longtime Clinton supporter Harvey Weinstein, who hosted a $33,000 per-person “dinner and conversation” fundraiser for Clinton at his New York City home in June.
Other celebrity speakers and guests in attendance included Lena Dunham, Alan Cumming, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jon Hamm, Sarah Paulson, and Uzo Aduba.
Crystal, a longtime Clinton confidant, lobbed several anti-Trump jokes throughout the night.
“Our goal tonight is simple: we need to raise more money than Donald Trump lost in 1995,” the actor said during his monologue, according to Billboard. “He’s the human form of the hurricane season: starts out with a lot of hot air, gets you spinning out of control and hits America and causes a lot of damage and panic. But it’s completely over by November.”
“He’s like a 7/11: he’s open 24 hours and he’s trying to sell us crap that we don’t want,” Crystal said of Trump.
According to CNN, the event hauled in more than $2.3 million. The proceeds from the concert will go to the Hillary Victory Fund and will be used during the final weeks of the presidential campaign.
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @JeromeEHudson.
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