Trump brings red-carpet vibe, and boos, to Kennedy Center’s ‘Les Mis’
The president’s attendance was meant as a fundraiser for the cash-strapped arts center, which has seen a decline in ticket sales since he took control.
His attendance was meant as a fundraiser to help the financially strapped arts center, which has seen a dramatic drop in ticket sales since the president got more involved. But his appearance in the president’s box of the Kennedy Center Opera House for opening night of one of his favorites, the award-winning “Les Misérables,” also marked his takeover of a Washington institution.
It had the feel of a Hollywood movie premiere.
Ahead of showtime, the Kennedy Center was a festival of Trump officials. Attorney General Pam Bondi strolled down the hall in a bright red pantsuit, talking into her cellphone. A tuxedoed Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. walked arm in arm with his wife, actress Cheryl Hines. Far-right activist Laura Loomer ambled into a VIP area.
Do you hear the people sing? Singing a song of angry men?
“Les Misérables,” based on the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo, is the first Broadway musical tour to arrive on the premises since Trump took over the Kennedy Center.
“I love the songs, I love the play,” Trump told Fox News last week. “I think it’s great.”
The story follows a convict on parole seeking redemption, and it is based on a youth-led revolt against the French monarchy and related injustices in the 19th century.
Trump sees himself as a champion of the populist masses. He played the “Do you hear the people sing?” anthem during his 2016 campaign, after Hillary Clinton referred to his supporters as “deplorables.”
Others see him as emblematic of the monarchy that the masses of “Les Mis” assemble against. This weekend, anti-Trump groups are staging rallies around the country they have labeled “No Kings” protests. And his appearance at the theater came just days after he called up the Marines and National Guard to help quash protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids.
The man whose order has led to the tearing down of barricades in Los Angeles watched on as the heroes of the musical sang, “Now we pledge ourselves to hold this barricade.”
Asked before the show whether he identified more with Jean Valjean, the humble protagonist and former convict trying to redeem himself, or Javert, the inspector who uses strict enforcement of the law to pursue Valjean, Trump responded, “Oh, that’s a tough one … I don’t know.”
Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me?
In some ways, the Trump takeover of the cultural institution felt complete. Conservative Political Action Conference President Matt Schlapp was in the audience, and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) took a seat in the back. Kellyanne Conway was up near the president, and Vice President JD Vance was as well.
But for many in the crowd, Trump was not a draw — and became an unwanted distraction.
“We’re just hoping to see the theater — and no theatrics,” said one man who purchased seats in November.
“Hell no,” a woman said when asked if she was there because of Trump.
Matt Byrne bought tickets months ago, wanting to introduce his two children to the musical on a free night with their busy schedule.
“Then, it turned into a debacle,” he said. “I’m just hoping we get to see a real performance.”
Trump initiated his takeover of the storied arts institution in February, when he fired all board of trustees members appointed by Joe Biden and its chairman David Rubenstein, who was appointed by George W. Bush. The board, entirely made of Trump appointees, then voted to appoint Trump as the new chairman and to fire longtime Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter.
On Truth Social, Trump suggested he would usher in a “Golden Age in Arts and Culture.” From his post, it seemed his biggest criticism with the center was its hosting of a smattering of shows that included drag performances, which he wrote were “targeting our youth.”
A group of five drag performers planning to protest Trump’s appearance Wednesday gathered at the nearby Tazza cafe before making their entry in unison around 7 p.m.
“I can’t wait to see all these understudies,” joked Tara Hoot, a reference to the possibility that stars of the performance would boycott Trump’s attendance.
The staff beamed as the drag performers entered, many quietly cheering them on as they were ushered through the Secret Service security gantlet. Their bright pink and red dresses stood out in the sea of more conservative black and silver garb. Their path to the theater was slowed by patrons stopping them to take photos and compliment their evening wear, and the theater burst into applause as they took their seats, some apologizing to those sitting behind them for their large hairdos.
As the president and first lady Melania Trump took their seats, some boos erupted in the crowd before cheers and chants of “U.S.A.!” sought to compete. During intermission, the first couple waved to the crowd below, and someone in the balcony screamed, “We love you, President Trump!”
At intermission, crowds above and below Trump gathered to take photos of him and, when someone yelled out an expletive about him before the second act began, attempted to drown it out with cheers.
The new leadership Trump installed — including its current president, Trump confidant Richard Grenell — have suggested, without providing proof, despite multiple requests from The Washington Post, that the center was in dire financial straits. Previous leadership has rebutted this claim. The takeover, meanwhile, has prompted a mass exodus of both talent and patrons.
Musician Ben Folds and opera singer Renée Fleming stepped down as artistic advisers with the center, as did the treasurer of its board of trustees, TV producer Shonda Rhimes. Artists including Issa Rae, Rhiannon Giddens and the production of “Hamilton” began canceling shows. Others, such as the rock band Guster, protested the center from its own stage.
Ticket sales also plummeted. Sales of subscriptions for the coming season were down by about $1.6 million, or roughly 36 percent, as of early June, according to internal documents reviewed by The Post.
Wednesday represented Trump’s first major fundraising event for the center. Some were offered the chance to pay $2 million to sit in a performance box, attend a VIP reception and take a photo with Trump.
“We want to bring it back better than ever,” Trump said. “As you know, it needs a little help from the standpoint of age and fitness, but it’s going to be fantastic.”
Still, the challenges remain: The fundraiser prompted a large portion of the show’s principal cast to announce a boycott of the evening. Asked about it, Trump noted that the evening had brought in $10 million for the center.
“I couldn’t care less,” he said. “All I do is run the country well.”
When the beating of your heart Echoes the beating of the drums
Trump has long had an affinity for musicals. His rally playlists have often included songs from “Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats.”
His favorite Broadway show is “Evita,” a musical about an entertainer turned political leader.
“I saw it six times, mostly with Ivana,” he wrote in a 2004 book. “Evita is not on Broadway right now, but I’m hopeful that they’ll bring it back. Also, The Phantom of the Opera was great!”
Trump said his parents were told he was a musical genius when he was a child, as he reflected on the role that music has played in his life from childhood flute lessons to his raucous campaign rallies.
When he was 11 or 12, Trump said he underwent multiple days of aptitude testing, which involved remembering what note had been played on a piano. The testers told Trump’s father that he was “brilliant at music” and would be “an incredible musician,” Trump said.
“This is not what my father wanted to hear,” Trump said during an interview on the “Pod Force One” podcast.” “But I do have an ear for music. … I think music has played a big role. I play great music. People like the music I play.”
Music, Trump said, “gives you energy.”
As a child, Trump said he took flute lessons, but he didn’t think he could still play. He said he likes a variety of music, including country and Elton John.
He said on Wednesday’s show that he plays music as much as he can in the White House residence. He also curates the playlists at his rallies and at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida.
“You know what gets them rocking? YMCA,” he said on the “Full Send Podcast” in March 2022. “YMCA, the gay national anthem. Did you ever hear that? They call it the gay national anthem. But YMCA gets people up, and it gets them moving. But we have a lot of good selections, and people love it when I do it.”
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