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By Marni Rose McFall
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The cast of Les Misérables have sparked backlash after reportedly considering boycotting a performance of the musical, which President Donald Trump is planning to attend at the Kennedy Center.
Newsweek has reached out to representatives for the Les Misérables cast for comment via email, outside of regular working hours.
Why It Matters
In February, Trump named himself chairman of the Kennedy Center and announced that he was firing most of the board of trustees. He now presides over a mostly Republican board which includes Attorney General Pamela Bondi and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
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Trump told reporters in February that he "didn't like what they were showing," and he would "make sure it's good," and "it's not going to be woke." Ticket sales have slumped since the leadership change, with artists including Issa Rae cancelling shows and the musical Hamilton cancelling its run.
What To Know
On Wednesday, CNN reported that 10 of the 12 actors in a 'Les Misérables' tour group are planning to boycott a performance at the Kennedy Center that Trump is planning to attend.
The network reported that the cast had been given the option not to perform the night that Trump is in the audience, and both major cast members and members of the ensemble will reportedly be sitting out the performance.
It's not the first clash between Trump and the famous French musical. The co-creators of Les Misérables complained back in 2016 during Trump's first campaign for president, after he used the song "Do You Hear the People Sing?" at a rally, according to a report from The Guardian.
The reported boycott has prompted backlash online. Kennedy Center director Richard Grenell, who was appointed as interim director of the Kennedy Center after Trump purged the venue's former leadership, issued a statement which was shared with Newsweek, where he said that the Kennedy Center "will no longer fund intolerance."
Others have defended the performers' choice not to perform.
What People Are Saying
Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center director, in a statement shared with Newsweek: "Any performer who isn't professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won't be welcomed. In fact, we think it would be important to out those vapid and intolerant artists to ensure producers know who they shouldn't hire - and that the public knows which shows have political litmus tests to sit in the audience. 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."
Scott Jennings, a media personality speaking on CNN: "These people are too fragile to show up for work... Most people in America don't have the luxury of being able to call in sick from politics, but it sounds like that's what these people did."
Ashley Allison, a political commentator speaking on CNN: "We live in America, if they don't want to perform, they don't have to perform."
What's Next
The performance that Trump is planning to attend is set to take place on June 11.
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