You would think that George Washington would know the words to The Star-Spangled Banner, right?
Christopher Jackson, a Broadway star who played the first U.S. president in the smash-hit musical Hamilton, botched the lyrics to the country’s national anthem on Thursday before the New York Mets season opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citi Field.
During his rendition, Jackson left out the words “O’er the ramparts we watched,” and instead repeated the previous line’s lyrics, “Whose broad stripes and bright stars.”
The flub was instantly noticeable, with many fans quick to point it out on social media.
What did fans think?
“Leave it to the Mets to mess up the national anthem on opening day,” one fan wrote on X.
“How do you play George Washington on Broadway and mess up the national anthem? What in the name of Francis Scott Key is going on here,” another user posted, referencing the man who wrote the poem that later became the U.S. anthem.
“This is embarrassing on so many levels. Who in the Mets organization green lit this guy?” a third person posted. “And even worse — if you know you’re going to sing the national anthem at an MLB Opening Day game, wouldn’t you practice?”
Footage of Jackson’s rehearsal and mic check before the game was posted by broadcaster SNY, but only showed the singer performing the end of the song.
Jackson also performed the anthem at a New York Knicks game last week, but did so without making a mistake and received a round of applause at Madison Square Garden.
Who is Christopher Jackson?
The performer made his Broadway debut as an ensemble member in the original cast of Disney’s The Lion King in 1997.
Since then, he has gone on to star in several high-profile roles, including In the Heights, HBO’s And Just Like That and all 125 episodes of CBS procedural Bull.
How did the Mets do?
While many of their fans figured Jackson’s flub would be a bad omen, it turned out to be quite the opposite.
Thanks to some awful defensive play by outfielder Oneil Cruz, the Mets were able to chase Pirates superstar pitcher Paul Skenes in the first inning, racking up five runs.
Former Blue Jays all-star Bo Bichette also collected his first RBI as a member of the Mets after signing a three-year deal this off-season, but he was held hitless in four at-bats and struck out three times.
The Mets won the game 11-7 to start the season off on a good foot.