Angry theatregoers boycott Les Misérables - because Donald Trump is there
The President was met with boos and heckles as he and the First Lady took their seats at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts for the first time since Trump announced sweeping changes
Donald Trump's arrival at the opening night of Les Misérables caused outrage among theatre-goers, with some audience members choosing to walk out before the show began.
Grainy footage from inside the at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts captures audience members heckle Donald Trump as the President takes his seat for the performance. Trump took his place in the presidential box alongside wife Melania for the first time since his massive overhaul of the venue's output. Several members of Trump's top team were also in attendance.
Trump's controversial changes to the nation's cultural heart have sparked fierce criticism, including appointing himself chairman, putting supporters in powerful positions in the organisation and announcing a cut on what he called "woke" productions, such as drag acts.
Sales of subscription packages are said to have declined since Mr Trump's takeover, and several touring productions, including Hamilton, have cancelled planned runs at the centre. Actor Issa Rae and musician Rhiannon Giddens scrapped scheduled appearances, and Kennedy Center consultants, including musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming, resigned.
When some of the ticket holders for Wednesday night's show donated their tickets when they found out that Trump, Vance and their wives, Melania and Usha, would be in attendance, according to Qommittee, a network of drag performers, fans and allies, as reported by Houston Public Media.
It was not just members of the audience who boycotted the opening night performance. Up to a dozen cast members were reported to had said they would sit out the performance, replaced by understudies, in protest at Trump's changes to the beloved venue.
'The cast was given the option to not perform the night Trump will be in the audience, and both major cast members and members of the ensemble are among those sitting out,' CNN reported last month.
Trump was joined by Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha as well as Attorney General Pam Bondi and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The MAGA takeover was met with heckles in the auditorium itself. People on X also shared the irony Mr Trump chose to see a performance about a mass uprising against a tyrannical king.
Several drag queens were also present in the audience, in protest at Trump's ban on drag acts at the theatre. 'Theatre is supposed to be a place of community, a place of storytelling, a place of celebration, joy, catharsis and it should be open and available to all,' one of the drag queens, who goes by Vagenesis, told NPR.
While many audience members heckled the President and first lady, others in the theatre cheered when they appeared. 'I love Les Mis,' Trump said. 'We've seen it many times. We love it. One of my favourites.'
He was untroubled by reports that cast members may boycott the performance. 'I couldn't care less,' he said. 'Honestly, I couldn't. All I do is run the country well.'
Sales of subscription packages are said to have declined since Mr Trump's takeover, and several touring productions, including Hamilton, have cancelled planned runs at the centre.
Actor Issa Rae and musician Rhiannon Giddens scrapped scheduled appearances, and Kennedy Center consultants, including musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming, resigned.
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