The much anticipated 2021 revival of perennial favorite The Music Man, starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, began preview performances on December 20th to much trumpeting and fanfare. Originally slated to open in September of 2020, the global pandemic pushed back their residency at the Winter Garden Theatre. Due to Jackman’s incredible box office appeal from his status as a bona fide movie star, demand has been high. But I, for one, will not be attending.
In 2018, Jackman’s friendship with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump surfaced. This was in the middle of the Donald Trump Presidency, in which both Jared and Ivanka were employed. When asked about his friendship with these dangerous people, he responded, “I’ve known those guys for 15 years…We don’t talk politics at birthday parties” (you can read more about Jackman’s statement here.) That would be more understandable if this was about politics; unfortunately, this is about human rights violations. And I have yet to find any evidence that Jackman has since clarified his position to indicate that he condemns their participation in these actions.
Taking the position of categorizing human rights issues as politics is not only dangerous but also a luxury of the privileged. Here is a rich, white, cisgender, able-bodied man who is content to be friends with people who have contributed to and support these human rights violations: blocking LGBTQ+ rights, impeding journalists covering the southern border, separating children from their parents at the border, sending asylum seekers back to their country of origin, neglect of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, abuse and neglect of immigrant children in custody, banning immigration from Middle Eastern countries, halting equal pay act, revoking workplace protections for women, and more. (Click here for complete list of Trump Administration human rights violations.)
As Alexander says in Hamilton: An American Musical, “If you stand for nothing Burr/What will you fall for?” It is actually actively dangerous to enable and even passively accept dictators, fascists and narcissists (he is arguably the former two and demonstrably the latter). If someone is not willing to risk a friendship with people who are maliciously causing harm, what else are they willing to tolerate? (This is actively harmful, as evidenced by history you can read more about at the website for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.)
Jackman’s public persona appears quite affable. He is very likely a “nice guy”. But as Sondheim wrote, “Nice is different than good”. Let me be clear: This is not a protest. This is not a call to action. I am not saying anyone mentioned in this piece is a Nazi. This is not a condemnation of other peoples’ choice to attend. This is not to say what anyone else should do. For my money and humanity, I don’t find it entertaining to watch someone tap dance across the stage who has supported dangerous people.