Producers of the comedic musical The ghost of John McCainwhich premiered this week at the SoHo Playhouse in New York City, respond to the criticism they received from Meghan McCain.

In an open letter, producers Jason Rose, Max Fose and Lynn Londen addressed the former View The co-host’s criticism of her play, which is about her father, the late Senator John McCain. “Meghan, can we try again?” the letter begins. “Your comments about our new musical make us wonder: How can you judge a show without seeing it first?”

McCain criticized the off-Broadway play on social media in April, writing, “This is garbage – nothing more than a gross rip-off by mediocre, desperate people. I hope it flops.”

The open letter first clarifies who came up with the idea for the piece in the first place, and points out that the concept came from a close colleague of the late politician. “As you may not know, this show was co-conceived by the late Grant Woods, former Attorney General of Arizona and, more importantly, your father’s first Chief of Staff,” the producers write. “We all watched Grant deliver a beautiful eulogy for your father alongside President Biden. Grant loved your father. He would never have done anything that he thought would tarnish your father’s legacy, and neither would we. The three of us producers admired your father as well and now all we want to do is honor him.”

Representatives for McCain did not immediately respond to Weekly entertainmentPlease leave a comment.

The producers go on to say that John McCain would have appreciated their play for its comedic flair. “No one knows better than you what an incredible and wickedly crude sense of humor your father had,” they write. “The comedy in our show is intended to reflect his own love of satire. ‘Would Senator McCain find this funny?’ was a constant refrain throughout the writing and rehearsal process. I like to think that he would have been as amused as anyone by what we created, even the most outrageous material. And sometimes it does get outrageous.”

The letter then explains how the producers hope to use their play to unite political opponents rather than create further divisions. “We believe that art in general, and comedy in particular, are important tools for bridging ideological divides, promoting understanding, and even changing hearts and minds,” the producers write. “Even at its most absurd, our show makes a point about the meaning of leadership and the importance of democracy – two issues that were most dear to your father’s heart. A hilarious take on power, rivalry, and the human condition. The ghost of John McCain is the ticket we need during this hellish election campaign.”

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The letter ends with an invitation to Meghan McCain and her husband Ben to see the show at the SoHo Playhouse in Manhattan. “After you see it, we welcome your feedback,” the producers note. “However, knowing the level of humor, integrity and reverence you have for your father, we feel you might find this art form a wonderful way to celebrate a life well lived and capture a political system at an extraordinary turning point.”

Following McCain’s criticism on social media in April Ghost of John McCain Playwright Scott Elmegreen told EW that the play is only aimed at denigrating Donald Trump, not John McCain. He described the play as “a psychological exploration of what it might be like for the senator if he rallied a coalition of Hillary Clinton, Eva Perón, Teddy Roosevelt, Taylor Swift and whoever else was living there rent-free to rebel against the former president’s relentless demands for confirmation. We hope their journey can continue the senator’s legacy of inspiring all of us to do what we can for the cause of justice and freedom.”

The ghost of John McCain runs until November 10 at the SoHo Playhouse in NYC.