People have been left cringing after the cast of Hamilton performed at the Capitol riot memorial service.
January 6, 2022, marked one year since a mob of protestors stormed the US Capitol building in an attempt to stop President Biden's electoral victory from being certified.
Five people died as a result of the riots, with hundreds more injured. Additionally, four police Capitol police officers have died by suicide since the attacks.
On what was expected to be a solemn day, representatives gathered to mark the anniversary with a prayer vigil and a moment of silence. But proceedings took an unexpectedly theatrical turn when house speaker Nancy Pelosi announced a surprise addition to the service; Hamilton creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda.
"We're privileged to have a contribution from one of the great creative talents of our time," said Pelosi.
She went on to quote one of the most popular songs from his smash-hit Broadway show Hamilton, 'Dear Theodosia'.
"We’ll make it right for you. If we lay a strong enough foundation, we will pass it on to you, and we will give the world to you,” Pelosi quoted.
Miranda then appeared on a screen behind her. Speaking to the chamber via video link, he said: "We should never take our rights and liberties for granted, and we must remain committed to finding a way forward together."
"That’s what I wrote about in the song 'Dear Theodosia' from Hamilton," he added.
Cast members from the popular musical then appeared on screen and gave a performance of the song.
While it may have provided a moment of relief from an otherwise somber service, many people felt that including a musical number in the memorial was a little bit cringy.
"I love Hamilton to death, but this is sending me into a death spiral of cringing second-hand embarrassment," wrote one user.
"This is reaching levels of cringe I did not think were possible," added another.
"Okay 'Lin Manuel Miranda and Hamilton cast being invited by Pelosi to musically commemorate the one year anniversary of the middle-class fash rager at the Capitol' is simply too much cringe for me to handle," agreed a third.
Others compared the performance to Gal Gadot's infamous celebrity cover of Imagine, released at the start of the pandemic. Like that ill-advised performance, many felt that wheeling out the cast of Hamilton to sing a song at such a serious event was just a little tone-deaf.
"Look out Gal Gadot's 'Imagine'. The cast of Hamilton is coming for the throne of cringe," one person tweeted.