Timothy R. Hughes, an actor in the Broadway production of Disney’s Frozen, confiscated a “Trump 2020” banner from an unruly audience member at the end of Wednesday night’s show.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the audience member was seated in the front row and wearing a “Make America Great Again” visor. During the show’s curtain call, as all the actors were gathering on stage to take their bows, the audience member unfurled a large pro-Trump banner, disrupting the moment.
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Hughes, who plays Pabbie, the leader of the Hidden Folk, in the show, reached down from the stage and took away the flag, throwing it offstage and then finishing his bow. An audience member was able to get video of the moment and posted it on Twitter.
Some asshole decided to hold up a Trump flag @FrozenBroadway 🙃 pic.twitter.com/P6Uwl6Vh2G
— Matt (@broadway_4me) September 6, 2018
Another theatergoer also posted to Twitter when he found the audience member later, as the man stood outside the theater and allegedly threatened to sue if the banner was not returned to him.
He disrupted bows at @FrozenBroadway tonight with a giant Trump 2020 flag in the front row. a cast member snatched the flag. Here he is pouting and threatening to sue if he doesn’t get his flag back. This is a children’s show, people. pic.twitter.com/iQUAtQqsbs
— Joy Rosenthal יוכבד (@TheBroadwayWiz) September 6, 2018
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Hughes later explained his actions in an Instagram post, writing:
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?? 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.
So far, there has so far been no comment from Disney.