EXCLUSIVE: LES MISÉRABLES PRODUCERS BACK CAST BOYCOTT OF TRUMP’S KENNEDY CENTER APPEARANCE
Up to a dozen cast members will sit out June 11 performance during former President’s controversial visit
When Donald Trump attends a high-profile fundraiser and performance of Les Misérables at the Kennedy Center on June 11, he’ll be watching a significantly altered show — because up to a dozen cast members plan to boycott the event, and now the producers are officially backing them.
“We support their choice,” an insider tells #ShuterScoop. “No one is being forced to perform that night. We respect our artists' voices — on and off the stage.”
The boycott — involving both principal and ensemble actors — was first reported by CNN, with sources saying cast members were offered the option to sit out the performance in response to Trump’s attendance.
“It’s not about politics — it’s about personal values,” said one actor involved in the decision. “Performing Les Mis for someone whose policies contradict everything this show represents? That’s something I just can’t do in good conscience.”
Trump’s appearance comes amid increasing tension between the arts community and the Trump-aligned leadership now steering the Kennedy Center. Since appointing longtime ally Richard Grenell as director, the former president has reshaped the board, replacing several appointees from prior Democratic administrations.
The backlash has been swift:
A national children’s tour was canceled.
Multiple artists have pulled out of upcoming collaborations.
And now, one of Broadway’s most iconic musicals is making a public stand.
“Trump at Les Mis is tone-deaf at best,” one theater insider tells #ShuterScoop. “This is a show about injustice and speaking truth to power. Some of these actors feel they’d be betraying the material by performing for him.”
The producers insist the June 11 performance will still go on — but with swing and understudy coverage filling in for those who opt out.
“This is theater,” the producer adds. “The show must go on — but that doesn’t mean the people in it can’t stand up for what they believe.”
#ShuterScoop — where the revolution is being televised.
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