CNN
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When President Donald Trump descends on the Kennedy Performing Arts Center next month for a high-dollar fundraiser and a performance of “Les Misérables,” he won’t be seeing the usual cast performing, sources told CNN.
At least 10 to 12 performers in Les Mis are planning to sit out the show on June 11, the night that Trump attends at the Kennedy Center, the sources said. The cast was given the option to not perform the night Trump will be in the audience, and both major cast members and members of the ensemble are among those sitting out, according to the sources.
The move highlights friction between the Trump administration and members within the center as the president has made an aggressive push to reshape it, thrusting the Washington, DC-based performing arts complex into the middle of culture wars.
The boycott follows Trump’s decision to effectively take control of the Kennedy Center as part of a widespread effort his administration has undertaken to bend American institutions – including cultural, legal and educational pillars – to the president’s will.
Less than a month into his presidency, Trump installed himself as chairman of the Kennedy Center thanks to a newly constituted board, including several new Trump appointees who replaced trustees appointed by Democratic presidents. He also named Richard Grenell, a longtime confidant already serving in multiple administration positions, to the director role earlier this year.
The same night that Trump will attend the performance of Les Mis, he will also hold a fundraiser to benefit the Kennedy Center. The fundraiser was first reported by ABC News.
“We are definitely using the Les Mis opening as an opportunity” to shore up the center’s finances, one person familiar with the plans told CNN.
During his 2016 campaign, Trump used music from Les Mis during his campaign rallies, which the co-creators of the musical objected to, according to the Guardian.
In a statement to CNN, Grennell, who identified himself as president of the Kennedy Center, said he was unaware that some cast members planned to boycott the performance on the night of Trump’s appearance and that the Kennedy Center will “no longer fund intolerance.”
“Any performer who isn’t professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won’t be welcomed,” said Grennell. “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.”
CNN reached out for comment to the Kennedy Center, the company producing Les Mis and the union that represents the cast members.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump has both publicly and privately complained about the state of the Kennedy Center, while Grenell previously asserted that it has “no cash on hand, no reserves.”
“NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA — ONLY THE BEST,” Trump wrote on Truth Social in February. “RIC, WELCOME TO SHOW BUSINESS!”
Artists including Issa Rae, Shonda Rhimes and Ben Folds have resigned from their leadership roles or canceled events at the space in response to the changes, while the center has canceled performances, including the tour of the children’s musical “Finn.”
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center told CNN, “‘Finn’, which was not yet announced, was canceled for financial reasons PRIOR to the change in Kennedy Center leadership. The authors were also notified prior to the change.”
“Finn” was commissioned by the Kennedy Center in 2023. In February, one of the show’s co-creators, Michael Kooman, told the Washington Post that before the board met to change the Kennedy Center’s leadership, the “Finn” creative team received a phone call from the center telling it the tour was canceled because “the financials weren’t working out,” Kooman said.
“It’s hard to ignore the circumstances in which the cancellation of the tour is happening,” he added.
High-profile shows like “Hamilton,” meanwhile, scrapped planned performances at the Kennedy Center after Trump’s takeover.
During a visit to the center in March, Trump criticized Hamilton, the hit musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda that is a modern telling of the country’s founding through the eyes of Alexander Hamilton, including a multi-ethnic cast.
“I never liked Hamilton very much,” Trump told reporters.
“But we are going to have some really good shows,” Trump added. “I would say this, come here and watch it, and you’ll see, over a period of time, it’ll improve very greatly physically. And we’re going to get some very good shows. The thing that does well are Broadway hits.”
This story has been updated with new information.
