Trump to attend 'Les Miserables' at revamped Kennedy Center, where sales have fallen
WASHINGTON, June 11 (Reuters) - Months after orchestrating a conservative takeover of the Kennedy Center's leadership, President Donald Trump will attend "Les Miserables" on Wednesday, his first show at the performing arts facility that has become a symbol of U.S. cultural and political divides.
Trump did not attend events at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts during his first term, but has taken a keen interest in it during his second. Deriding it on social media for putting on "Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth," he pushed out its former chairman, fired its longtime president and pledged to overhaul an institution he described as being in tremendous disrepair.
The fallout has been swift. The musical "Hamilton" canceled plans to appear there, staff left and sales of subscriptions and individual tickets for Kennedy Center shows have dropped, according to two people briefed on the data.
Overall subscription revenue was down 36% to $2.8 million as of early June for next season, which begins in the autumn, according to one source. Theater subscriptions, normally a major revenue driver for the center, were down 82%.
A Kennedy Center spokeswoman declined to comment about the facility's sales. The center depends on revenue from tickets and subscriptions as well as donations to operate.
"President Trump cares deeply about American arts and culture, which is why he is revitalizing historic institutions like the Kennedy Center to their former greatness," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement.
Trump's appearance at "Les Miserables", a show about citizens rising up against their government, comes just days after he sent U.S. Marines and the National Guard to quell protests against his administration's immigration raids in Los Angeles.
Trump will sit in the presidential box overlooking center stage, but he is not guaranteed a friendly reception in the 2,300-seat theater. When Vice President JD Vance attended a Kennedy Center show with his wife earlier this year, the crowd booed.
Supportive donors will be present, but tickets for the musical were available for purchase by the public as well, along with regular subscribers. The night is sold out.
Trump's appearance is meant to juice fundraising. Donors who pay $100,000 to $2 million get to attend a reception before the show, receive a photo with the president and be seated in good locations in the theater. Vance is expected to attend as well.
The Kennedy Center is turning the event into one on par with its signature shows, including the Kennedy Center Honors, featuring a red carpet for high-profile guests with reporters and photographers in place.
Under the leadership of Ric Grenell, a close Trump ally and former ambassador to Germany, the Kennedy Center has sought to add more conservative-leaning programming, including a show that Grenell has described as a celebration of the birth of Christ.
Meanwhile, while Trump zeroed in on drag shows when he said the Kennedy Center had lost its way, multiple upcoming musicals include characters dressed in drag, such as "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Chicago."
Other musicals have pulled out, according to a former Kennedy Center official.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
14 minutes ago
- Leader Live
US strikes three Iranian nuclear sites
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, quoting a provincial official, confirmed attacks on Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. The decision to directly involve the US in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 21, 2025 US and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,500-kg) bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear programme buried deep underground. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,' Mr Trump said in a post on social media. 'All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.' Mr Trump added in a later post that he would address the national audience at 10pm eastern time, writing: 'This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!' Trump said B-2 stealth bombers were used but did not specify which types of bombs were dropped. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation. The strikes are a perilous decision for the US as Iran has pledged to retaliate if it joined the Israeli assault, and for Mr Trump personally, having won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism. Trump told reporters on Friday that he was not interested in sending ground forces into Iran, saying it's 'the last thing you want to do.' He had previously indicated that he would make a final choice over the course of two weeks, a timeline that seemed drawn out as the situation was evolving quickly. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States on Wednesday that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will 'result in irreparable damage for them'. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared 'any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region'. Trump has vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country's leaders to give up its nuclear program peacefully. Israel 's military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran's foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement 'would be very, very dangerous for everyone.' The prospect of a wider war threatened, too. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joins Israel's military campaign. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the US. The US ambassador to Israel announced the US had begun 'assisted departure flights,' the first from Israel since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at Thursday's press briefing that Trump had said: 'I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.' Instead, the U.S. president struck just two days later. Trump appears to have made the calculation — at the prodding of Israeli officials and many Republican lawmakers — that Israel's operation had softened the ground and presented a perhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran's nuclear program, perhaps permanently. The Israelis say their offensive has already crippled Iran's air defences, allowing them to already significantly degrade multiple Iranian nuclear sites. But to destroy the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, Israel appealed to Trump for US bunker-busting bomb, which uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets and then explode. The penetrator is currently only delivered by the B-2 stealth bomber, which is only found in the American arsenal. The bomb carries a conventional warhead, and is believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. Previous Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has said. Mr Trump's decision for direct US military intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push — including with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians — aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear programme. For months, Mr Trump said he was dedicated to a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. And he twice — in April and again in late May — persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on military action against Iran and give diplomacy more time. The US in recent days has been shifting military aircraft and warships into and around the Middle East to protect Israel and US bases from Iranian attacks. All the while, Mr Trump has gone from publicly expressing hope that the moment could be a 'second chance' for Iran to make a deal to delivering explicit threats on Mr Khamenei and making calls for Tehran's unconditional surrender. 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding,' Mr Trump said in a social media posting. 'He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.' The military showdown with Iran comes seven years after Mr Trump withdrew the US from the Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the 'worst deal ever'. The 2015 deal, signed by Iran, US and other world powers, created a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran's enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Mr Trump decried the Obama-era deal for giving Iran too much in return for too little, because the agreement did not cover Iran's non-nuclear malign behaviour. Mr Trump has bristled at criticism from some of his Maga faithful, including conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, who have suggested that further US involvement would be a betrayal to supporters who were drawn to his promise to end US involvement in expensive and endless wars.
Glasgow Times
14 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
US strikes three Iranian nuclear sites
Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, quoting a provincial official, confirmed attacks on Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites. The decision to directly involve the US in the war comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities. US and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound (13,500-kg) bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily-fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear programme buried deep underground. 'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan,' Mr Trump said in a post on social media. 'All planes are now outside of Iran air space. A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. All planes are safely on their way home.' Mr Trump added in a later post that he would address the national audience at 10pm eastern time, writing: 'This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!' Trump said B-2 stealth bombers were used but did not specify which types of bombs were dropped. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately elaborate on the operation. The strikes are a perilous decision for the US as Iran has pledged to retaliate if it joined the Israeli assault, and for Mr Trump personally, having won the White House on the promise of keeping America out of costly foreign conflicts and scoffed at the value of American interventionism. Trump told reporters on Friday that he was not interested in sending ground forces into Iran, saying it's 'the last thing you want to do.' He had previously indicated that he would make a final choice over the course of two weeks, a timeline that seemed drawn out as the situation was evolving quickly. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned the United States on Wednesday that strikes targeting the Islamic Republic will 'result in irreparable damage for them'. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei declared 'any American intervention would be a recipe for an all-out war in the region'. Trump has vowed that he would not allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon and he had initially hoped that the threat of force would bring the country's leaders to give up its nuclear program peacefully. Israel 's military said Saturday it was preparing for the possibility of a lengthy war, while Iran's foreign minister warned before the U.S. attack that American military involvement 'would be very, very dangerous for everyone.' The prospect of a wider war threatened, too. Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen said they would resume attacks on U.S. vessels in the Red Sea if the Trump administration joins Israel's military campaign. The Houthis paused such attacks in May under a deal with the US. The US ambassador to Israel announced the US had begun 'assisted departure flights,' the first from Israel since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said at Thursday's press briefing that Trump had said: 'I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.' Instead, the U.S. president struck just two days later. Trump appears to have made the calculation — at the prodding of Israeli officials and many Republican lawmakers — that Israel's operation had softened the ground and presented a perhaps unparalleled opportunity to set back Iran's nuclear program, perhaps permanently. The Israelis say their offensive has already crippled Iran's air defences, allowing them to already significantly degrade multiple Iranian nuclear sites. But to destroy the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, Israel appealed to Trump for US bunker-busting bomb, which uses its weight and sheer kinetic force to reach deeply buried targets and then explode. The penetrator is currently only delivered by the B-2 stealth bomber, which is only found in the American arsenal. The bomb carries a conventional warhead, and is believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. The International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. Previous Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has said. Mr Trump's decision for direct US military intervention comes after his administration made an unsuccessful two-month push — including with high-level, direct negotiations with the Iranians — aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear programme. For months, Mr Trump said he was dedicated to a diplomatic push to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear ambitions. And he twice — in April and again in late May — persuaded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on military action against Iran and give diplomacy more time. The US in recent days has been shifting military aircraft and warships into and around the Middle East to protect Israel and US bases from Iranian attacks. All the while, Mr Trump has gone from publicly expressing hope that the moment could be a 'second chance' for Iran to make a deal to delivering explicit threats on Mr Khamenei and making calls for Tehran's unconditional surrender. 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding,' Mr Trump said in a social media posting. 'He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now.' The military showdown with Iran comes seven years after Mr Trump withdrew the US from the Obama-administration brokered agreement in 2018, calling it the 'worst deal ever'. The 2015 deal, signed by Iran, US and other world powers, created a long-term, comprehensive nuclear agreement that limited Tehran's enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Mr Trump decried the Obama-era deal for giving Iran too much in return for too little, because the agreement did not cover Iran's non-nuclear malign behaviour. Mr Trump has bristled at criticism from some of his Maga faithful, including conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, who have suggested that further US involvement would be a betrayal to supporters who were drawn to his promise to end US involvement in expensive and endless wars.
Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Gabrielle Union reveals the 'stupid' purchase she made after cashing first big paycheck for Bring It On
Gabrielle Union revealed the 'stupid' purchase she made after cashing in her paycheck from her breakthrough film Bring It On. The 52-year-old actress, who rose to fame after starring in the cult classic cheerleading comedy in 2000, opened up about what she regretted doing when she 'made it' in Hollywood. She said that over two decades ago, she made a 'stupid' car purchase with her first big paycheck even against the advice of her father. While making an appearance at the American Black Film Festival in Miami on Thursday, June 12, she recalled her spontaneous purchase during a panel discussion. 'So stupid,' she began about her purchase, which she deemed not very worthwhile, while chatting with moderator Kelley L. Carter for her live, onstage discussion titled Sisterhood & Savings: A Conversation with Gabrielle Union. 'I went on the Mazda lot,' the movie star — who teased an upcoming sequel movie with Kirsten Dunst — recalled. 'I'm like, "Oh, I've made it when I have a Mazda." 'My dad's like, "Don't buy a brand new car. It depreciates the second you drive it off the lot",' she added. 'I walked into Mazda and I bought myself a black on black Mazda Miata with leather seats,' Union said before explaining how the car hurt her nearly every time she drove it. 'Let me tell you about leather seats in Los Angeles. Do you know I scorched myself every time I got out?' She added: 'Yeah, that was my first purchase. And it depreciated the second I drove it off the lot.' Over the years, Union as well as her husband, retired NBA star Dwyane Wade, have openly discussed their finances in the past. They previously revealed that they split their bills evenly even after getting married. Wade, 43, also previously shared that he and Union signed a prenup before they tied the knot in August 2014. While making an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast in 2023, Wade said that they discussed it beforehand to protect each other's best interests. She said that over two decades ago, she made a 'stupid' car purchase with her first big paycheck even against the advice of her father 'So stupid,' she began about her purchase, revealing it was a 'black on black Mazda Miata with leather seats' while chatting with moderator Kelley L. Carter for her onstage discussion titled Sisterhood & Savings: A Conversation with Gabrielle Union 'I told her the same way, "I'll sign a prenup too. You're a millionaire. You got money. You work hard for yourself."' Union's decades-spanning, acclaimed career began in the 1990s with various sitcom appearances. Near the turn of the century, she landed supporting roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and She's All That, rising to fame in the 1999 romantic comedies. Union was 27 whens he starred opposite Kirsten Dunst in Bring It On. Earlier this year, Union teased an upcoming sequel and also admitted that her kids do not like the original movie. The original film starred Union and Dunst as the heads of rival cheerleading teams as they prepare for the national championships. Bring It On was a hit in its theatrical release in August 2000, taking in $90.4 million against an $11 million budget and gaining an enduring fan base. The film also spawned five direct-to-video sequels and a television movie sequel, none of which featured any of the original cast members, as well as a Broadway musical stage adaptation. Now it seems that Union and Dunst are ready to return for a sequel, with Union teasing a sequel during a March appearance on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live. She also admitted during the episode that neither of her kids — 17-year-old Zaya nor six-year-old Kaavia — enjoyed the beloved original, which comes after she opened up about husband Dwyane Wade's cancer diagnosis. Union was asked by a fan when the last time she saw Dunst, and asked about her comments about revisiting the original. 'Well, I ran into Kiki a couple of months ago. Our kids are around the same age, and her child goes to school with one of Kaav's best friends,' Union began.
