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In his complaint on Monday, Denver resident Mark Lasser said
Hamilton Uptown LLC and Nederlander Organization, which runs the
Richard Rodgers Theatre in Manhattan where "Hamilton" is
performed, could easily provide live audio narratives to help
visually impaired people follow stage action between songs.
But Lasser said the theater refuses to offer such narratives,
which can be listened to with headphones so other patrons will
not be disturbed.
He said this violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which
prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in places of
public accommodation, and "will continue to deter blind and
visually impaired people from attending musicals."
The proposed class-action lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal
court. It was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal.
Nederlander did not immediately respond on Tuesday to requests
for comment. Spokesmen for Hamilton Uptown declined to comment.
A lawyer for Lasser could not immediately be reached for further
comment.
Lasser seeks to require "Hamilton" to put on at least one show
per week with at least 25 headsets designed to accommodate
visually impaired people.
He noted that former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Nov.
21 signed a final rule requiring many movie theaters to provide
similar accommodations by late 2018 to blind patrons.
"Given the similarities," the complaint said, "live theaters
must also be required to provide live audio description to the
blind."
It is unclear why the lawsuit specifically targets the Broadway
production of "Hamilton."
The New York law firm representing Lasser specializes in ADA
lawsuits.
"Hamilton" tells the story of U.S. founding father Alexander
Hamilton in a musical blending, hip-hop and rap, rhythm and
blues, ballads and Broadway showstoppers.
It won 11 Tony awards last year, including best musical and best
book for creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also won a Pulitzer
Prize.
The case is Lasser v Nederlander Organization Inc et al, U.S.
District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 17-00490
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