Nathan Lane Weighs In on Trump's HAMILTON Twitter Rant

Last night, Broadway stars such as Christine Baranski and Matthew Broderick came together to pay tribute to Tony Award winning actor Nathan Lane, who was being honored at the Manhattan Theatre Club's annual Fall Gala.

During his speech, Lane thanked the theater industry for the honor, but also took a few moments to weigh in on president-elect Donald Trump's recent Twitter posts regarding an appearance by Vice President elect Mike Pence at Broadway's HAMILTON at which he was booed by the crowd.

Joked Lane, "We must all try to enjoy ourselves right now because once President Trump takes control, we could all wind up in internment camps for the highly theatrical. Living on nothing but cosmopolitans and cast albums. Anyway, let's not dwell on the future."

He continued,"Donald Trump recently tweeted that the theater must always be a safe and special place, though he's probably thinking more Guantanamo Bay than Neverland."

Lane later added, "The theater should also be a dangerous and daring place, an angry and unforgiving place. A place where anything can happen and be brought to life by talented artists."

Nathan Lane has starred in seven plays at Manhattan Theatre Club: A Backers' Audition; Claptrap; The Lisbon Traviata; Bad Habits; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; Love!Valour! Compassion!; and Mizlansky/Zilinsky or "Schmucks" and served on MTC's Board of Directors from 1994-2007.

Lane currently stars in the Broadway revival of The Front Page alongside John Slattery and John Goodman. Previously, he appeared on Broadway in the smash hit revival of Terrence McNally's It's Only a Play and in the critically acclaimed Robert Falls production of The Iceman Cometh at the Brooklyn Academy Of Music as Hickey. Prior to that, he starred on Broadway in the Lincoln Center Theatre production of The Nance, for which he received Tony and Drama Desk Award nominations and won the Outer Critics Circle and Drama League Distinguished Performance Awards. He will next star in the National Theatre revival of Angels in America in London as Roy Cohn.

He made his Broadway debut opposite George C. Scott in Present Laughter (Drama Desk nomination), followed by Merlin; The Wind in the Willows; Some Americans Abroad; On Borrowed Time; Guys and Dolls (Tony nomination, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle Awards); Laughter on the 23rd Floor; Love! Valour! Compassion!(Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards); A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards); The Man Who Came to Dinner; The Producers (Tony, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and Olivier Awards); The Frogs; The Odd Couple; Butley; November; Waiting for Godot (Outer Critics Circle nomination); and The Addams Family (Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle nominations). Off-Broadway: 1992 Obie Award for Sustained Excellence in Performance; The Common Pursuit; The Film Society; The Lisbon Traviata (Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Awards, Outer Critics Circle nomination); Lips Together, Teeth Apart; Love! Valour! Compassion! (Obie Award); Bad Habits; Dedication or The Stuff of Dreams (Drama Desk nomination); Mizlansky/Zilinsky or "Schmucks"; Trumbo; Measure for Measure (St. Clair Bayfield Award); A Midsummer Night's Dream; The Merry Wives of Windsor; She Stoops to Conquer; In a Pig's Valise; Love; White Rabbit, Red Rabbit; and Do Re Mi at Encores.

On television, he was last seen as F. Lee Bailey in FX's Emmy winning "The People V. O.J. Simpson" and has had recurring roles on "The Good Wife" and "Modern Family" as well as many guest appearances (receiving six Primetime Emmy nominations, two Daytime Emmy Awards and a People's Choice Award).

Lane has appeared in 35 films including The Birdcage (Golden Globe nomination, Screen Actors Guild and American Comedy Awards); Ironweed; Frankie and Johnny;Mousehunt; Jeffrey; The Lion King; Stuart Little; Nicholas Nickleby (National Board of Review Ensemble Acting Award); The Producers (Golden Globe nomination); Swing Vote; Mirror Mirror; The English Teacher; No Pay; Nudity; and Carrie Pilby. He will next be seen in Sidney Hall alongside Logan Lermanand Elle Fanning. In 2006, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in 2008, he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Source: Variety

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos