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title: Frozen Actor Rips Trump Flag From Audience Member&#x27;s Hands
description: A performance of Frozen on Broadway turned heated when one of the show&#x27;s actors ripped a pro-Trump flag out of an audience member&#x27;s hands.
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author: Megan McCluskey
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article:published_time: 2018-09-06T16:49:40.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:54:42.401Z
og:title: &#x27;Frozen&#x27; Actor Rips Trump Flag From Audience Member&#x27;s Hands
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og:image:alt: &quot;Frozen&quot; Broadway Opening Night - Curtain Call
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twitter:title: &#x27;Frozen&#x27; Actor Rips Trump Flag From Audience Member&#x27;s Hands
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![](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltad2cae14f0b93efa/698939948fd2ee104f35c8ed/frozen-broadway-trump-flag.jpg?branch=production&width=549&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9)


# _Frozen_ on Broadway Actor Rips Trump Flag From Audience Member's Hands

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![Megan McCluskey](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf85e445233dc41d2/698940894ee2620cd9313802/m_mccluskey.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)


![Megan McCluskey](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf85e445233dc41d2/698940894ee2620cd9313802/m_mccluskey.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Megan McCluskey


Staff Writer

Sep 6, 2018 4:49 PM UTC

!["Frozen" Broadway Opening Night - Curtain Call](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltad2cae14f0b93efa/698939948fd2ee104f35c8ed/frozen-broadway-trump-flag.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

Caissie Levy and Patti Murin with cast during the Broadway Musical Opening Night Curtain Call for 'Frozen' at the St. James Theatre on March 22, 2018 in New York City.

Caissie Levy and Patti Murin with cast during the Broadway Musical Opening Night Curtain Call for 'Frozen' at the St. James Theatre on March 22, 2018 in New York City. Walter McBride/Getty Images

![Megan McCluskey](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf85e445233dc41d2/698940894ee2620cd9313802/m_mccluskey.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)


![Megan McCluskey](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf85e445233dc41d2/698940894ee2620cd9313802/m_mccluskey.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Megan McCluskey


Staff Writer

Sep 6, 2018 4:49 PM UTC

A performance of [_Frozen_ on Broadway](http://time.com/4743174/frozen-broadway-musical-casts-elsa-anna/) turned heated on Wednesday when one of the show’s actors ripped a [pro-Trump](http://time.com/5387876/trump-administration-resistance-op-ed/) flag out of an audience member’s hands.

As the cast took bows during the curtain call at the St. James Theatre, Timothy Hughes—who plays Pabbie the troll in the musical adaptation of the Disney film—snatched a banner that read “Trump 2020” from a front-row audience member wearing a “Make America Great Again” visor and threw it backstage.

Hughes later took to Instagram to say that he stood behind his decision.

“What does it say about our country and politics when a man at the show tonight felt the need to protest Disney’s _Frozen_ on Broadway with a pro Trump flag??” he captioned a video of the incident. “How frightening is it that our show’s messages of love, acceptance, and diversity have become the opposition to supporting Trump? The curtain call is a thank you between actors and audience, a final connection to end a shared experience. I will not apologize for how I responded to the disrespectful man trying to interrupt this moment with a pathetic political platform. Not at our show! Not in front of my beautiful, diverse, talented cast at [@frozenbroadway](https://www.instagram.com/frozenbroadway/). I appreciate everyone’s support.”

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