The Kennedy Center’s new Trump-appointed director responded to murmurs of a boycott with ire, calling the ‘Les Mis’ cast “vapid and intolerant”
Multiple performers in a touring production of Les Misérables are reportedly planning to boycott a performance at the Kennedy Center that President Donald Trump is scheduled to attend.
On Wednesday, May 7, CNN reported that 10 of 12 actors in the musical are not planning to perform on June 11, the night when Trump, 78, plans to be in attendance.
According to sources who spoke to the outlet, the cast was given the option to not perform, and both ensemble members and starring cast members opted out.
The boycott comes just a few months after Trump installed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center and purged much of the group’s leadership, appointing new trustees himself. Trump also announced that Richard Grenell, a member of his administration, would take on the role of director at the Kennedy Center.
In a statement to CNN about the apparent boycott, Grenell said that he was unaware of cast members planning to sit the show out and added that the arts center will “no longer fund intolerance.”
“Any performer who isn’t professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won’t be welcomed,” Grenell told CNN, calling any boycotters “vapid and intolerant artists.
“The Kennedy Center wants to be a place where people of all political stripes sit next to each other and never ask who someone voted for but instead enjoys a performance together,” Grenell continued, despite that Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center was designed to snuff out liberal influences.
Trump publicly spoke about his takeover of the cultural institution in February, just one month after taking office. At the time, he wrote on Truth Social, “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA — ONLY THE BEST.”
The Kennedy Center released a statement quickly after Trump’s declaration, saying, “Throughout our history, the Kennedy Center has enjoyed strong support from members of congress and their staffs — Republicans, Democrats, and Independents.”
“Since our doors opened in1971, we have had a collaborative relationship with every presidential administration,” the statement continued. “Since that time, the Kennedy Center has had a bi-partisan board of trustees that has supported the arts in a non-partisan fashion.”
According to CNN, a source said that Center was using the Les Misérables performance “as an opportunity” to better the organization’s finances. Trump is set to host a fundraiser for the Center the same night as the performance, according to ABC News.
A number of other performances have been cancelled since Trump has taken over the Center, including a performance of Hamilton, according to CNN.
In March, Trump criticized the Lin-Manuel Miranda-written musical during a visit to the center, telling reporters: “I never liked Hamilton very much.”
“But we are going to have some really good shows,” Trump added. “I would say this, come here and watch it, and you’ll see, over a period of time, it’ll improve very greatly physically. And we’re going to get some very good shows. The thing that does well are Broadway hits.”