Broadway Actor Chad Kimball came under fire after he expressed his disagreement with Washington Governor Jay Inslee's tightened COVID-19 restrictions.
"Respectfully, I will never allow a Governor, or anyone, to stop me from SINGING, let alone sing in worship to my God," Kimball said in a tweet dated Nov. 16. He believes the new state restrictions are no longer about keeping people safe but about control.
"Folks, absolute POWER corrupts ABSOLUTELY. This is not about safety. It's about POWER. I will respectfully disobey these unlawful orders," he added, ending his tweet with the hashtags #inslee, #Tyranny, and #truth.
Respectfully, I will never allow a Governor, or anyone, to stop me from SINGING, let alone sing in worship to my God. Folks, absolute POWER corrupts ABSOLUTELY. This is not about safety. It's about POWER. I will respectfully disobey these unlawful orders. #inslee #Tyranny #truth pic.twitter.com/84UDiozOd1
"” Chad Kimball (@chadkimball1) November 15, 2020
Kimball was voicing out his opinion against a specific rule that prohibits churches from singing during a worship service.
Under Gov. Inslee's new restrictions, "Choirs, bands, and ensembles won't perform during services, but soloists will be able to. Facial coverings will be required for congregation members, who won't be allowed to sing."
The regulations also limit the worship service attendees to 25% of the indoor venue's total capacity or 200 people, whichever is less. Six feet of social distancing between households in all directions is required during religious gatherings.
Kimball's tweet was highly criticized by a lot of people, including his colleagues in the industry. His 'Come from Away' co-star Sharon Wheatley, in a reply to his tweet, told him she "respectfully totally and completely" disagrees with him.
"I respectfully feel you are very much on the wrong side of this. I FaceTimed with you when you had Covid, Chad. You were very sick. I remember. It scared me. I love you like a brother, but I disagree with you," Wheatley wrote.
Patti Murin, who played the title role of Princess Anna in the musical 'Frozen,' also tweeted a response to Kimball: "No one said you can't sing. You can sing. Alone. In your own home. Possibly for the rest of your life, after this tweet."
The broadway actor, who received a Tony Award nomination for his performance on 'Memphis,' contracted COVID in March. He eventually recovered from it.
Understanding the value of putting other people's safety, he once said that observing social distancing is an expression of love and compassion for others. However, in recent weeks, he has grown more cautious of the government's "dictates, mandates, and edicts," which he said were "hurting more than helping."
Kimball clarified he wasn't advocating that church goers go "maskless." However, he called the state's restriction on congregational singing an "overreach."
"To be clear: nobody is going maskless. The overreach - in my opinion! - is not being able to sing even WITH a mask. No singing WITH a mask ON. Everyone will continue wearing masks. With respect and with hope and with care," he said in a follow-up tweet.
