Madonna’s iPad-Gate at “Hamilton” Gets a Fresh Spotlight
Nearly a decade after Madonna’s infamous “Hamilton” incident, Broadway’s whisper network is buzzing again. Anthony Ramos, an original cast member of the groundbreaking musical, recently spilled some fresh tea about that memorable 2015 evening when the Material Girl seemed more interested in her digital materials than the revolutionary storytelling unfolding onstage.
During a candid chat with Andy Cohen on “Watch What Happens Live!” Ramos didn’t hold back. When asked about intimidating celebrity audience members, he zeroed in on Madonna’s distracting device devotion. “The most terrifying was Madonna with her iPad in her face,” he recalled, demonstrating how the pop icon remained glued to her screen throughout the performance.
The irony? Here’s a performer who cut her teeth in New York theater — from treading the boards in Mamet’s “Speed-the-Plow” to bringing Eva Perón to life on screen. You’d think she’d know better.
The aftermath sparked a deliciously messy he-said-she-said situation. Lin-Manuel Miranda — in a tweet that vanished faster than Alexander Hamilton’s political aspirations — apparently threw some diplomatic shade: “Tonight was the first time I asked stage management NOT to allow a celebrity (who was texting all through Act 2) backstage. #noselfieforyou.”
Madonna’s team scrambled to do damage control, naturally. Her publicist insisted to Us Weekly that not only was the story false, but Madonna had been invited backstage four separate times. They even played the charity card, noting she’d made a “generous donation” during the show’s fundraising pitch.
But Jonathan Groff — whose King George III practically stole the show — wasn’t having any of it. His take? Pure Broadway gold: “That b**** was on her phone.” He painted a vivid picture of Madonna’s illuminated face creating a jarring beacon in the darkened theater, visible through “three-quarters of the show.”
This wasn’t Madonna’s first phone faux pas, mind you. Back in 2013, she reportedly got herself banned from the Alamo Drafthouse theater chain for texting during “12 Years a Slave.” When called out, she allegedly snapped back with an eyebrow-raising “It’s for business…enslaver!” (Yikes.)
The whole debacle speaks volumes about our evolving relationship with technology and live performance. Even as we approach 2025, when virtual reality theater experiences are becoming mainstream, there’s still something sacred about live theater that demands presence — both physical and mental.
Let’s face it: if you’re going to watch a groundbreaking musical that would go on to snag 11 Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize, maybe — just maybe — the group chat can wait until after the curtain call.
As this story finds new life through Ramos’s recent revelations, it serves as a reminder that some moments deserve our full attention. After all, you don’t want to miss Hamilton’s son getting shot because you’re too busy shooting off emails — even if you’re the Queen of Pop herself.
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