Trump Says He Wants to Stage ‘Cats,’ Other ‘Non-Woke’ Shows at Kennedy Center

President Donald Trump has taken over Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center, and after firing the venue’s president and appointing himself to the board chair, he’s preparing to bring some “non-woke” shows to the space.

In audio from a board meeting, obtained by The Washington Post, Trump said that he would like the venue to go “slightly more conservative” with their programming, noting that he wants some “non-woke” musicals to perform there, like “Cats,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” and “Phantom of the Opera.”

“Cats” and “Phantom of the Opera,” both written by Broadway legend Andrew Lloyd Webber, seem to have “non-woke” themes, like diversity, love, non-judgmental views, and social inclusion.

There are some problems with Trump’s plans, however. Rebecca Ritzel, culture critic at MSNBC, noted that “Cats” is not currently touring in North America. Additionally, during the board meeting, members noted that they would like to produce non-equity shows, meaning that they would only produce shows that are not represented by the Actors’ Equity labor union. However, producing a show without labor contracts would lead to various problems.

During the meeting, the board voted to expand the committee that chooses Kennedy Center honorees, throwing out names like Paul Anka, Sylvester Stallone, and Andrea Bocelli for the award. Trump even suggested Elvis Presley, noting that he “sells better as a dead man,” as well as Babe Ruth. The Kennedy Center, however, does not give awards posthumously. Trump said the event could also be expanded to include politicians, executives, and athletes.

“In the past, I mean, these are radical left lunatics that have been chosen,” Trump said during the meeting. “I didn’t like it. I couldn’t watch it. And the host was always terrible.”

Queen Latifah hosted last year’s ceremony. Previously, the event has been hosted by Gloria Estefan, LL Cool J, and David Letterman. This year, Trump said that he would agree to be the ceremony’s host, as, “I don’t want to, but I want this thing to be successful.”

| READ: Drag Artists Hold Protest at Kennedy Center Amid Trump Takeover |

Earlier this month, drag queens and kings showed their support for the LGBTQ+ community by holding a march to the Kennedy Center, followed by a rally, following Trump’s comments regarding the cancellation of “woke” events at the venue. A petition was also launched by the advocacy group Qommittee, which is calling-on the venue’s donors to suspect funding until artistic independence is restored. Currently, the petition has received nearly 40,000 signatures.

The rally follows a list of cancellations at the Kennedy Center, including the notable, award-winning show “Hamilton.” Producer Jeffrey Seller posted a lengthy statement to Instagram last week sharing the cancellation, where he noted that  “recent purge by the Trump Administration of both professional staff and performing arts events at or originally produced by the Kennedy Center flies in the face of everything this national cultural center represents.”

“This is a publicity stunt that will backfire,” the Kennedy Center’s new president Ric Grenell said in a statement after the cancellation. “The arts are for everyone – not just people who Lin likes and agrees with.”

“Hamilton” isn’t alone; the Kennedy Center released a list of show cancellations and postponements over the past six months on Friday. Roma Daravi, VP of public relations at the center, noted in a statement that the list was published “in the spirit of transparency due to the litany of misinformation being spread in the press,” noting that the only shows the venue has cancelled were “due to lack of sales or artist availability.”

Notably,  a planned tour of the children’s musical “Finn” was cancelled last month. The production, which is commissioned and first premiered last year, sold-out during its initial run at the Kennedy Center. While the venue noted in a statement that its decision was a financial one, the production has been dubbed “controversial” as its themes could be portrayed as a metaphor for the LGBTQ+ community.

The public have spoken-out about the direction of the Kennedy Center, with many worried of its future under Trump’s leadership. The President previously said that he plans to eliminate drag shows and “woke” art at the venue, though admitted he has never actually seen a show at the institution.