In the wake of what's being called the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history, the cast of the musical "Hamilton" will reportedly drop the use of muskets from its Tony Awards performance Sunday night.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the decision to nix the props surfaced Sunday afternoon, noting that Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical, nominated for a record-breaking 16 Tony Awards this year, features a scene -- based on historical events -- in which Aaron Burr fatally wounds Alexander Hamilton in a duel.
The "Hamilton" performance of two battle songs, "History Has Its Eyes on You" and "Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)," featuring nominated actors Miranda and Christopher Jackson, is set to take place near the end of the ceremony, sans the traditional infantry weapons.
Organizers of the 70th Annual Tony Awards released a statement in response to the death of at least 50 people in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla., early Sunday morning.
"Our hearts are heavy for the unimaginable tragedy that happened last night in Orlando," the statement from Tony Award Productions reads. "Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those affected. The Tony Awards dedicate tonight's ceremony to them."
Prominent members of the Broadway community have also taken to social media to document their reactions to the horrific instance of gun violence, committed by Omar Mateen at the downtown Pulse nightclub:
The Tony Awards, hosted by James Corden, will air on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.
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