A forthcoming musical centered around the late Senator John McCain has already drawn criticism, particularly from the senator's daughter, Meghan McCain.
Titled "The Ghost of John McCain," the production is set shortly after the senator's passing and portrays his spirit trapped within the mind of former President Donald Trump, as he grapples with gaining the endorsement of the Republican establishment.
Penned by Scott Elmegreen, the unconventional musical recently had an exclusive table read near Times Square and is slated for a run in a New York City theater. However, Meghan McCain has expressed her distaste for the concept, stating to The Post, "I am not going to see it. I am grossed out by the entire concept. My dad hated musicals. My dad liked comedies and old war movies and cowboy movies. I am trying not to let it upset me, but I think its gross and I have no interest in seeing it."
She further questioned the appropriateness of the plot, asking, "How would you feel if you were me? Your dead dad died and in the afterlife, hes living in Trumps brain? Give me a break. You think Im going to like something like that?" The 39-year-old concluded, "I want nothing to do with any of this."
Despite the criticism, director Marya Mazor defended the production, describing it as "a unique psychological exploration of power, rivalry, and the human condition." She explained, "We use McCains story in conjunction with the story of Donald Trump to tell a more theatrical tale about ethics and how to live an ethical life in a culture in which the price of winning can seem to make that impossible."
Mazor, whose work on a California production of "Fun Home" received acclaim from the Los Angeles Times in 2020, insisted that the musical is not a one-sided critique of Trump. Instead, she said, "Its something looking more broadly at society, and how we have changed as a culture."
The production includes a Greek Chorus of notable figures, including Hillary Clinton, late Trump attorney Roy Cohn, late Argentine first lady Eva Pern, President Teddy Roosevelt, and Senator Lindsey Graham.
John McCain, a veteran Republican senator, succumbed to brain cancer in 2018. In his final years in office, he frequently clashed with Trump, often on a deeply personal level. Trump notoriously belittled McCains heroic years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, stating, "I like people who werent captured."
McCain, in response, frequently criticized Trumps performance as president. Just a month before his death, McCain described a press conference between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin as "one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory." McCain also famously thwarted Trumps attempt to repeal Obamacare.
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