Hillary Clinton on Sunday attended the final performance of the Broadway revival of "The Color Purple" alongside her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and their daughter, Chelsea.
As the Clintons entered the theater, they received a standing ovation from the sold-out crowd before receiving even more applause after the cast acknowledged the failed presidential candidate after the show, the New York Times reported.
"There's a lot of really awesome famous and notable people here today," the actress Patrice Covington, who gave the farewell speech on behalf of the cast after the show, said to the audience. "I'm not going to call all of them out–I know you already know them," she said, before pausing, looking in Mrs. Clinton's direction, and waving at her mischievously. At that, the audience erupted into a new, loud round of applause.
The reaction was substantially warmer than the scattered booing and clapping that greeted the arrival of Vice President-elect Mike Pence when he attended "Hamilton," just one block north, on Nov. 18.
"We love you Hillary," some audience members shouted. Several thanked Mrs. Clinton and told her, "God bless you."
"God bless you," Mrs. Clinton replied.
Clinton was swarmed by photo-seekers before the show and during intermission, but was escorted out a side door following the performance.
An audience member, Jordan Serpone, 33, said he was moved emotionally by her attendance at the show, adding that he was still frustrated that she lost to President-elect Donald Trump in November's presidential election.
"I was having every emotion I've tried to get rid of over the past few weeks," he said during intermission. "She shouldn't be here. She should be planning her cabinet."
Clinton has kept a low profile following the 2016 election, causing her rare public appearances to create a social media stir. While Clinton has delivered a few speeches since the election, she has reportedly spent time hiking through the woods and reflecting on her surprising loss. Despite Clinton's low profile, her aides confirmed last week that she and her husband plan to attend Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony, which will be held on Jan. 20.
"The Color Purple" is a musical based off the 1982 best-selling novel of the same name by Alice Walker, which was awarded the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Walker's novel tells the story of a young African-American woman who was abused by her husband and stepfather in rural Georgia during the 1930s. Steven Spielberg also adapted the novel into a film in 1985, which featured Oprah Winfrey, resulting in her going on to become a co-producer of the musical.