Broadway legend Michael Crawford told Breitbart News that he was incredibly pleased and excited to be recognized as a Kennedy Center honoree by President Donald Trump in the Oval Office this weekend.
Breitbart News caught up with Crawford on the red carpet ahead of the Kennedy Center Honors Sunday evening, a day after Trump presented him and the rest of the Kennedy Center Honors 2025 class their medallions in the Oval Office on Saturday night.
When asked what that moment on Saturday was like, Crawford said he couldn’t believe he was there.
“Well, I saw a picture of myself today online, and I’m standing against the wall, and I’ve got this ridiculous expression on my face. But it was quite, I don’t know, it must have been frightening because I was so pleased, so excited, but it wasn’t something where you go, ‘That was great.’ You were, ‘I can’t believe I’m here.’ It was that,” Crawford said.
Trump is a major fan of Crawford and his portrayal as the Phantom in the original Phantom of the Opera. Crawford said it is a great advantage for the theater industry to have a president in Trump who is a fan.
“I’m sure it’ll be a great advantage to theater. Hopefully it will be… We need everybody out there,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what they are, what they do, how tall they are, how short they are, you want, as they say commonly, you want bums on seats, and then you’re a happy person. But it was very surprising that he was such a fan and that we’re on his playlist. So very fortunate.”
Along with Crawford, the president honored rock band KISS, actor Sylvester Stallone, disco legend Gloria Gaynor, and country great George Strait. Breitbart News also caught up with KISS on the red carpet.