Broadway Star Forgets Lyrics to U.S. National Anthem at Mets Opener
Singing the U.S. National Anthem is never easy, and there have been multiple instances of singers going viral for not quite pulling it off. When it came to Hamilton star Christopher Jackson, though, it wasn't his singing ability that provoked the criticism.
It was the fact that he forgot part of the lyrics. The video went viral on March 26; it showed the singer delivering a pretty uncontroversial version of the Star Spangled Banner until he got to one key line. That's when it went sideways. However, Jackson took it all in stride.
"Jackson was supposed to sing 'O'er the ramparts we watched,' but instead went in reverse and repeated, 'What so proudly we hailed' before moving on to the rest of the anthem," Fox News explained.
Christopher Jackson Said, '1 Line Got Away From Me. I'm Human'
Jackson spoke about the moment to TMZ Sports. "Today it was for about 5 seconds … and one line got away from me. I’m human," he told the site. "But I won’t hesitate to step up to a mic and pay tribute to those that we honor with the Anthem. Grateful to the Mets and MLB for allowing me to be a small part of the Day."
He also spoke positively about being asked to sing the Anthem for the Mets' 2026 Opening Day. “I’ve had the honor of singing the National Anthem countless times in Stadiums around the country. Today was a beautiful Opening Day, and it was thrilling to be there!" he told TMZ Sports.
(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Disney)
According to Fox News, Jackson is a Tony Award winner who played George Washington in the Broadway hit, Hamilton. He has starred in other Broadway hits, like The Lion King.
People Mocked the Viral Moment on Social Media, But Some Defended Christopher Jackson
"He literally played George Washington on Broadway, yet he couldn't take five minutes to actually memorize the National Anthem. Isn't this the absolute perfect metaphor for how completely out of touch the entertainment elite is today?" wrote one person on X.
Wrote another person, "If you can’t handle the anthem, maybe stick to the stage. National pride isn’t a performance to improvise."
"Yikes! Even Broadway stars have off days! Hope the Mets fans were forgiving," added another person.
However, other people were kinder. "As someone who sings this a lot at different events, small and very large…. It happens. Your brain leaves for a minute or a second and then you have goofed. It’s one of my biggest fears. No music to prompt you. It happens more that you realize," wrote one man.
"Oops. Good save though, and nicely done," wrote a woman. "That is so real of him honestly. I could be performing a song I’ve sung a million times (in front of significantly fewer people mind you) & can easily forget a line or two. He did the right thing by repeating another line to the same tune. very professional & not a big deal," wrote another person.