Trump creates an artistic dilemma
Inaugurations are usually star-studded events, but few performers confirmed so far
Several months ago, before the presidential election, San Francisco poet and author Dean Rader found himself engaged in a philosophical debate with some fellow poets: Were Donald Trump to win the presidency, and were he to ask one of them to compose a poem to be read at the inauguration, would they agree?
Many of Rader’s friends responded with an unequivocal no. Others wrestled with the question.
The hypothetical question from August has now become a literal one for artists. Trump has been elected. His inaugural committee is planning an inauguration — an event that, in President Barack Obama’s terms, included performers ranging from Kelly Clarkson to Yo-Yo Ma. Now, less than a month before that inauguration, Trump’s program is filled with question marks.
Currently, just two performers have been publicly confirmed: the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, which was announced Thursday, and Jackie Evancho, a 16-year-old classically trained singer who rose to national fame on America’s Got Talent.
The Beach Boys also confirmed Thursday that they’ve been asked to perform at the inauguration. A spokesperson said the group, which has a busy January schedule, has not decided yet. On Thursday evening, Trump tweeted that several stars had requested to attend his inauguration.
“The so-called ‘A’ list celebrities are all wanting tixs to the inauguration, but look what they did for Hillary, NOTHING. I want the PEOPLE!” Trump wrote, without naming any stars seeking inauguration access.
The silence from official channels on which artists will take part in the Jan. 20 festivities has led many to speculate that the planning committee is struggling to secure major names.
Arecent Saturday Night Live sketch included a dig at the president’s celebrity dearth: a campaign staffer tells Alec Baldwin’s Trump that she’s compiled a list of artists who are willing to perform on Jan. 20. She then hands him a minuscule Post-it note.
Many artists have been connected. Trump adviser Anthony Scaramucci said that Elton John would be performing; John’s publicist quickly denied that.
“I’m not a Republican in a million years,” John had told the Guardian newspaper, months earlier, when asked about Trump using his music to campaign. “Why not ask Ted f-----Nugent? Or one of those f------ coun- try stars. They’d do it for you.”
Country star Garth Brooks implied he might consider it — “It’s always about serving, it’s what you do,” he told TMZ when he was in Washington, D.C., this month for the National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony — but his publicist has denied his participation.
Andrea Bocelli had offered to perform, according to a television interview given by Thomas Barrack, the chair of Trump’s transition team. Barrack said the singer was told it wasn’t necessary. Meanwhile, some of Bocelli’s 226,000 Twitter followers turned on him, launching a #BoycottBocelli movement.
“I love you Andrea,” wrote one such fan. “But I will never listen to you again if you sing for Trump.”
The tweet lays out the tension at hand. Would Bocelli be singing “for Trump”? Or would he have been singing for the country?
And if there’s a difference, does it matter?