Six months after the Israeli offensive on Gaza began in March 2024, when over 120 Palestinians died daily from airstrikes, Broadway performer Ellie Trimm received a message from the creator of the project she was recently fired from.
The project creator told her: 'We are not so different. We both do not want to see innocent people suffer,' adding, 'We just have a different idea of who is innocent.'
Trimm, who has been involved in acting and singing since the age of nine, became a defender of Palestinian rights after images of children torn apart by US-supplied weapons appeared on her social media, similar to what happened to countless Americans after Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
On that day, just under 1200 people died—Israelis and foreign nationals, including IDF casualties. The subsequent Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, later deemed genocide by the United Nations and Holocaust scholars, has killed 74,000 Palestinians to date, more than 22,000 of whom are children. Researchers from the Lancet Global Health Journal believe these figures are likely significantly understated.
Trimm told Middle East Eye that industry professionals called her a 'jihadist' and 'antisemite,' warning that her activism put her at risk. She questioned, 'How is humanizing the Palestinian people equated with antisemitism?' and noted that this was the first time she had encountered such strong suppression of topics she felt should not be discussed.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders killed by Israel. This move increased pressure on Israel amid escalating international condemnation of its actions in Gaza. The US has since stated its intention to dismantle the ICC 'brick by brick.'
Trimm told MEE that she did not work for nine months of that year before landing the lead role in the Broadway hit 'The Wizard of Oz' in 2025, where she was previously an understudy. This contract ended in March of this year, six months after the ceasefire agreed upon by the US on October 10, 2025, and at the start of the US-Iran war, which diverted attention from the devastation in Gaza.
It took nearly half a year before Trimm publicly spoke about the pressure she faced while trying to remain silent about Palestinian rights during a performance in one of the world's most profitable and long-running musicals. On September 15, she posted a video on Instagram, inspired by how rapper Mac Miller reacted to his firing from Ed Sheeran's tour by billionaire Robert Kraft.
In her video, Trimm stated: 'When I was working on 'The Wizard of Oz,' they told me there were 'ifs' and 'thens.' If I kept talking about Palestine or Palestinian human rights online, I could expect phones to stop ringing, and all the bonuses that should accompany my contract would cease.'
Although show producer Mark Platt never met with her personally, Trimm expressed concern over the views he voiced in a podcast, including the suggestion that criticizing Israel is 'hate against Jews,' and that Hollywood actors calling for a ceasefire in Gaza are 'not fully informed.' Trimm told MEE that when someone at a high level holds such a position, it has a chilling effect on the entire company.
Trimm shared her experience: 'I started experiencing quite intense censorship. When I ran into this, I sought help from the union. I also hired a lawyer. I was extremely upset throughout this ordeal, and the union told me I should double-check because the government changed the definition of antisemitism, and I could very well be antisemitic.'
The Trump administration adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism. Critics of the IHRA definition argue that it conflates antisemitism with anti-Zionism, including criticism of historical and current policies that led to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948 and the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes.
MEE repeatedly contacted Actors Equity, the union representing 51,000 professional actors and stage managers, but received no response. Platt recently drew attention by criticizing stage and screen star Rachel Zegler for posting 'Free Palestine' on social media, which, according to his son, harmed ticket sales for Platt's film 'Snow White,' in which she starred.
Trimm stated in her video, which garnered almost 60,000 likes: 'I was singled out in this process' in 'The Wizard of Oz.' 'I was singled out, and I was the only employee subjected to this censorship and monitoring.'
To examine how the industry has been affected by the global consequences of the ongoing Israeli offensive on Gaza, MEE spoke with more than a dozen performers, directors, and writers working or continuing to work in the New York musical theater scene, both on Broadway (meaning one of 41 venues seating at least 500 people in Midtown) and off-Broadway, including some regional theaters.
In June, 26-year-old Ali Louis Bourzgui won the highest Broadway honor—a Tony Award—for Best Leading Actor in the vampire musical 'Lost Boys.' Many considered this a big surprise, given that 80-year-old Andre De Shields was widely expected to win this award for his role in 'Cats: The Jellycat Ball.'
In his speech, Bourzgui said: 'The people of Palestine deserve a free, full life without occupation.' The audience responded with loud applause. In this commercial entertainment industry of the country, this was a colossal shift. And this shift might have been inevitable due to changing demographics.
Bourzgui, whose father is Moroccan, continued: 'To Arab theater artists and creators: let us continue to tell our stories and show our faces so that our humanity becomes undeniable, and so that our families can no longer be seen merely as collateral damage.' He added: 'Let them know the beauty of our kisses on every cheek and the romance of a language rooted in passion for love and life itself.'
Nick Laparra, social impact advisor for artists and co-founder of Broadway Voices for Palestine, told MEE that 'there was a lot of drama above and below the surface in the theater world regarding this speech, which clearly called for a free Palestine and an end to the genocide.'
This group held a demonstration near Radio City Music Hall, the venue for the awards ceremony in New York. CBS, owned by Paramount Skydance and Israeli magnate David Ellison, holds exclusive broadcasting rights to the Tonys. 'There were disagreements about whether the video recording should be online, as it was removed and unavailable for several days until the official Tony Awards account published the entire clip, and only then, and only then, did the official 'Lost Boys' account agree to collaborate on Instagram and post the full video.'
MEE contacted Bourzgui's team about this, but his press secretary, Lisa Goldberg, stated that he would not comment.
Laparra described Broadway as 'the most Zionist of all entertainment industries.' He noted: 'As soon as performers start posting messages like 'Free Palestine,' 'Stop the blockade,' 'All eyes on Rafah,' all these various oscillations of genocide over the last three years, relentless opposition is observed.'
Laparra added: 'Most people support Palestine. They just cannot speak up. They need this job. It is their dream job.' He acknowledged that awareness and education about Palestinian rights have grown exponentially.
He continued: 'Our group represents many of the biggest shows on Broadway, as well as many off-Broadway and small productions.' Among those he meets, he noted: 'Most people support Palestine. They just cannot speak up. They need this job. It is their dream job. Thus, many have to navigate the complexities of this issue.'
However, as one performer told MEE who is set to take a leading role in one of Broadway's most anticipated shows next year, the situation is changing. 'Now we are having conversations that five years ago would have been a dream to have,' he said. 'I think people exist in too much cognitive dissonance. I think the industry reflects what is happening in the country... it can only defend itself through media and levers of power for so long before people stop. We will continue to see progress over time. Israel has never been so unfavorable right now.'
Like any cultural institution, Broadway reflects society. Adam Feldman, an experienced theatre critic for TimeOut and president of the New York Drama Critics' Circle, explained to MEE: 'Broadway reflects changes in culture and mirrors political sentiments and shifts in urban culture.'
He added: 'One thing that happened after the COVID closure was that the Black Lives Matter movement became a much more central element of American discourse, and therefore, when the theater returned, you saw many more plays... by Black playwrights. This somewhat promotes or reflects a political viewpoint.'
This season, two productions attempted to address the wars and occupation of Israel: 'Giant,' starring John Lithgow, which closed on Broadway in June; and 'Right to Be Born,' a play with a young ensemble that closed off-Broadway in August. 'Giant' mainly focused on criticism of Israel bordering on antisemitism, while 'Right to Be Born' explored Zionism and concluded that neither side was truly right.'
Feldman told MEE: 'Audiences dislike being lectured. Yes, even when it's about politics they agree with, or perhaps especially when it's about politics, because it seems a bit excessive... one of the things art does particularly well is create space for exploring complexity.'
The 2025-2026 Broadway season hosted 14.5 million visitors and generated an impressive $1.91 billion, despite operating at a loss, with the cost of a single evening at the theater constantly rising, and against the backdrop of the accessibility crisis in the US, which dominates the discussion ahead of the November midterm elections. Broadway League, the trade association representing producers and theater owners, stated that a quarter of all ticket sales in the 2024-2025 season came from international tourists, many of whom travel solely to see the show (or several).
