Donald Trump and Richard Grenell have a problem. Most theater artists despise them.
CNN reports that around a dozen members of the touring cast of “Les Miserables” won’t perform on their opening night at the Kennedy Center on June 11th.
Trump and lackey Grenell are shocked. I don’t know why. Trump has made huge cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts, to theater programs, to programs that serve gay and minority communities.
The June 11th opening was planned as a big night for Trump, a fundraiser for his repellent ideas, and a tribute to him.
The “Les Miz” cast has the option of not being there. If CNN is correct, this could be half the cast, including the main players.
Ironically, “Les Miz” is all about resisting tyranny. Maybe Trump can play Javert. He’d been perfect for it.
Grenell, who is either clueless or doesn’t care how he’d be welcomed in the arts and culture community, issued a statement.
Grenell said: “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.”
He added: “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.”
The New York Times says the June 11th pre-show fundraiser offers a gold sponsorship level for $2 million, and a silver sponsorship for $100,000; each come with Trump photo ops. The cast, however, will be somewhere in Georgetown, carrying out their characters’ roles as resistors.
