President Trump is set to attend a performance of “Les Misérables” at the Kennedy Center on Wednesday night, which includes a hefty price tag for other attendees and a planned boycott for some cast members.
Other patrons at the Kennedy Center, following the Trump takeover of the historic venue, will pay $2 million to sit in a box seat, attend a reception with Trump and take a photo with the president, The Washington Post reported. For the package without the box seat, tickets cost $100,000.
Additionally, some cast members are planning to boycott the show and not perform, CNN reported last month, and a Kennedy Center staffer told The Post the Wednesday performance is only the first preview while Thursday evening is opening night.
First lady Melania Trump, Vice President Vance and second lady Usha Vance were also poised to attend the performance. The White House and vice president’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the boycotts. The Hill has also reached out to the Kennedy Center for comment.
Trump overhauled the performing arts institution’s board in February and named himself its chair. The president, who had accused the Kennedy Center of being too “woke,” appointed his envoy for special missions Richard Grenell as its interim executive director and he vowed to “fix” the institution in March after a tour.
Grenell criticized performers who boycott and said they should be outed, in a statement to The New York Times.
“Any performer who isn’t professional enough to perform for patrons of all backgrounds, regardless of political affiliation, won’t be welcomed,” he said. “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.”
Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center rattled Washington. The president did not attend any events n the center during his first term in office, bucking tradition. He had also declined to attend the annual Kennedy Center Honors event after several of the award’s recipients criticized him.
