A performance of Frozen on Broadway turned heated on Wednesday when one of the show’s actors ripped a pro-Trump 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. I appreciate everyone’s support.”
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