The 2025 Tony Awards proved once more that Broadway has little stage time for conservative voices. As a conservative actor, I often seem like an endangered species on today’s stage. Rarely do conservative ideas or creatives shape the storytelling, leaving the industry stagnant despite its “progressive” label. Theatre claims to champion diversity, yet it mirrors exactly what it condemns: an echo chamber where true diversity of thought finds no welcome. The performing arts need a reset, one that embraces ideological variety and rediscovers stories that unite rather than divide.
So-called “progressivism” dominates Broadway storylines, pushing playwrights and lyricists in the 21st century to embrace it not just as the norm, but as the sole creative path.
Musicals liked “A Strange Loop,” which explores queer identity and stages simulated sex scenes, and “Some Like It Hot,” a reimagined classic featuring a non-binary character, saturate Broadway, showered with praise and awards. These shows don’t merely explore human stories, either – they are delivered as radical, ideological manifestos thinly veiled as entertainment.
The Tony Awards reflect this ideological drift. In 2018, Robert De Niro took the stage to scream “F*** Trump,” receiving a standing ovation. In 2023, Denée Benton referred to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as the “Grand Wizard,” a title associated with the Ku Klux Klan, and again, the line was met with enthusiastic cheers from the Broadway elite. So much for tolerance.
The leftist root has not just taken hold on Broadway; it pervades culture and social media, too. When conservative actors express concern about not feeling welcome in the theatre community, the common response is alarmingly hostile.
A recent Instagram post from @whitesquirrelmagic highlighted this very fact in a reel criticizing the hostility towards conservative performers – and drew a flood of sarcastic and dismissive remarks:
“I voted for the party that wants to remove their equal rights. Why aren’t they hiring meeeeeeee?”
“Why would a pet store hire someone that hates puppies?”
“Oh no! The people you’re known for oppressing don’t like you?! Who could’ve seen this coming!”
Accusations that social conservatives aim to “remove equal rights” or oppress others are baseless attempts to silence public debate over identity, human sexuality, and science. Disagreement is not oppression. Yet – ironically – the industry that claims to defend marginalized groups has no problem marginalizing social conservatives simply for dissenting beliefs.
Isn’t this marginalization what the theatre industry so loudly claims to abhor?
Broadway’s Rewriting of History
This exclusion is not limited to new works. Even beloved classics and historical tales are retold exclusively through a leftist ideological lens. The musical “1776” recently recast the Founding Fathers as non-binary and transgender, reframing America’s birth as a story of oppression rather than of liberty. Most recently, the play “Oh, Mary!” takes a disrespectfully comedic approach to Mary Todd Lincoln’s life, casting a self-identified non-binary man who wears dresses to awards shows.
Rather than honoring the depth and drama of real stories, many modern productions reduce history to shallow ideological boxes. Tales are hijacked and twisted to prop up today’s cultural crusades.
The problem goes even deeper. Studies and personal stories confirm the discrimination or outright hostility toward conservatives in the performing arts. A “Backstage” report highlighted how conservative actors feel they must conceal their beliefs to avoid career consequences. “American Theatre” documented similar concerns, noting the intense scrutiny and social pressure conservative actors face.
A Conservative Exodus
As theater increasingly showcases polarizing narratives driven by activism rather than authentic storytelling, it’s no surprise that many conservatives are distancing themselves. This isn’t due to disinterest, but rather a response to art that prioritizes ideology over honest reflection of the human condition.
Some conservatives haven’t so much rejected the arts as they’ve deprioritized them in the face of other, more pressing concerns. When choosing where to raise a family, proximity to theaters and art museums takes a backseat in favor of affordable housing and education. A 2014 Pew Research study reflects this trend: only 23% of consistent conservatives considered proximity to arts and cultural institutions important when choosing a community, compared to 73% of consistent liberals. As a result, conservatives have often been absent from cultural spaces, ceding influence in the performing arts world.
A Crumbling Stage – and a Path Forward
What’s more, Broadway’s departure from genuine storytelling is reflected in recent viewership numbers. In 2016, the Tony Awards rode the wave of success of “Hamilton” to 8.7 million viewers. By 2024, that number had collapsed to just 3.5 million – a nearly 60% decline in less than a decade. Even with a modest rebound to 4.85 million this year, viewership remains a far cry from the 10 million-plus audiences that Broadway’s biggest night routinely attracted in the 1990s.
The message is clear: for many Americans, theatre no longer feels like it’s telling their stories.
Yet, this doesn’t mean people have stopped caring about the arts. Quite the opposite. When offered performances with shared values, craftsmanship, and universal themes, audiences respond enthusiastically.
Just look at the Kennedy Center during the Trump administration. Rather than using the arts as a platform for ideological activism, the institution made a conscious effort to return to excellence, accessibility, and national unity. The result? Packed houses, robust ticket sales, and a revived sense of purpose. The success proved that audiences are hungry for performances rooted in timeless human experience, not transient political trends.
This isn’t about pushing a partisan agenda. It’s about recovering the heart of good storytelling: tales of courage, sacrifice, perseverance, and forgiveness – stories that resonate across belief systems and political divides. The performing arts don’t need to be less ambitious; they need to be less preachy and more human.
The Proof is Already Here
We don’t have to speculate whether values-driven, quality theatre can succeed. Just look at Sight & Sound Theatres in Lancaster, Pennsylvania:
Every week, thousands of families pack the 2,000-seat auditorium to experience live productions of Biblical stories staged with excellence and heart. Their parking lot overflows, and their shows sell out months in advance.
And it’s not just theatre. Film and television are experiencing a similar hunger for positive and uplifting entertainment. Angel Studios, for example, has proven to Hollywood that stories rooted in truth, hope, and morality can resonate with audiences. After all, “The Chosen,” a multi-season series about Jesus’ life, has captivated millions of viewers around the world.
If Christian theatre and television can flourish in rural Pennsylvania – and reach audiences around the world – why shouldn’t values-driven storytelling succeed on Broadway?
Conservatives aren’t seeking to dominate the performing arts. We’re simply asking for a return to productions that captivate and uplift without leaning on activist agendas. Art should be a medium where diverse perspectives flourish, not a platform that stifles them. Theatre, in particular, ought to challenge audiences to grapple with questions of freedom, morality, beauty, and what is objectively real rather than settle for narrow, one-sided narratives.
It’s time to raise the curtain on works that stir the soul, not by chasing radical or divisive trends, but by exploring the enduring principles of natural law, moral order, and the profound mystery of being human.
