Les Misérables audience boo Donald Trump as President angers theatregoers

Daily Mirror

a day ago

Donald Trump attended the Kennedy Center in Washington DC for the first time since he announced huge plans to change the venue's programming - including a ban on drag acts
Grainy footage captures theatregoers boo and heckle Donald Trump as the President takes his seat for the opening night of Les Misérables.
Some cast members were expected to pull out of Wednesday night's gig at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC because they were aware the President was coming. He angered performers and patrons at the venue when he announced huge changes to its programming earlier this year - having controvesially been elected chairman. These plans included a cut on what he called "woke" productions, such as drag acts.
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And the fury could be felt in the auditorium as Mr Trump and wife Melania took their seats ahead of Les Mis. It was his first time at the venue, the national cultural centre of the US, since becoming President again - and since the massive overhaul of its output.
There were also empty seats in the balconies and even in the orchestra section, with talk ahead of the gig that patrons intended to boycott the performance. It is understood understudies filled in for main performers, who also had decided to boycott the night due to Mr Trump's presence. The Mirror is working to confirm if this was the case - and how many cast members dropped out.
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.
Yet, Mr Trump remained proud as, clad in a tuxedo, he sat for the performance on Wednesday. The politician has a particular affection for Les Misérables, the sprawling musical set in 19th-century France, and has occasionally played its songs at his events. One of them, Do You Hear the People Sing?, is a revolutionary rallying cry inspired by the 1832 rebellion against the French king.
Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha, were also there. Ric Grenell, the Trump-appointed interim leader of the Kennedy Center, stood nearby as the President spoke to reporters. Attorney General Pam Bondi chatted with other guests. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr took selfies with attendees.
But 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. Images on X show audience members dressed in drag, a nid to Mr Trump's criticism the venue put on drag shows before his takeover. However, some reports suggest a minority in the audience cheered the President's arrival.
When reporters told Mr Trump it was expected some cast members had pulled out due to his presence, the nonchalant world leader said: "I couldn't care less."