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Several cast members of Les Misérables will not be performing “One Day More” at their Kennedy Center concert next month — instead, they’ll be performing one day less in direct protest against Donald Trump’s attendance.
As reported by CNN, between 10 and 12 members of the touring cast of Les Misérables will boycott their June 11th performance at the Kennedy Center, which is set to follow a fundraiser headlined by the president. According to the report, the entire cast was given the choice to sit out, with both lead actors and ensemble members opting to do so.
The boycott follows Trump’s takeover — and subsequent gutting — of the Kennedy Center in February. Ironically though, he has since expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming Les Misérables booking, citing it as an exciting upcoming event in line with his “non-woke,” Broadway-centric vision of the center.
Indeed, Trump is known to have a long-running interest in musicals, and The New York Times has cited Les Misérables as one of his favorites.
In audio of the first board member meeting since Trump declared himself chairman of the center, the president mentioned Les Misérables as one of several “very good shows” booked at the center. He’s even played Les Misérables songs at rallies in the past, including the use of “Do You Hear the People Sing?” in 2016, which the musical’s original creators objected to.
Likewise, the aforementioned cast members will object to him attending their opening night next month. They will, however, continue performing past that, with their run at the center slated to conclude on July 13th.
Beyond this boycott, Trump’s tenure overseeing the Kennedy Center has been off to a rocky start, with several advisors resigning (like Ben Folds) and over 20 show cancellations, including Hamilton. In the audio from his board meeting last month, Trump attempted to save some face on the Hamilton cancellation, saying he “never liked Hamilton very much.”
English (US) · 