GHOST OF JOHN McCAIN Producers Respond to Meghan McCain's Criticism- 'We Think [She] Will Love It'

Just yesterday, it was announced that Soho Playhouse will welcome a new musical this fall- Ghost of John McCain. Authored by Scott Elmegreen, with Drew Fornarola serving as composer and lyricist, Ghost of John McCain offers a unique psychological exploration of power, rivalry, and the human condition. 

Following the announcement, McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain, shared some thoughts on X about the show:

The musical's producers have since released the following statement in response to her comments:

“John McCain remains a universally respected and important figure in the ongoing dialogue about the state and future of American politics--and he certainly lives on inside the mind of Donald Trump. Ghost of John McCain is a psychological exploration of what that might be like for the senator, as he gathers a “Greek Chorus” coalition of Hillary Clinton, Eva Perón, Teddy Roosevelt, Taylor Swift, Lindsay Graham, Roy Cohn and Kanye West and everyone else squatting rent free up there to rebel against the former President’s relentless demands for affirmation. The musical employs everything from outrageous humor and raucous debate to sublime sentimentality to present the clash between McCain and Trump, two American titans of the last century. We hope that their journey can continue the senator's legacy of inspiring all of us to do whatever we can for the causes of justice and freedom.

This show began as the passion project of John McCain’s first chief of staff, the late Grant Woods, who eulogized the senator beside President Biden before his own death in 2021. Our team has been in conversation with the McCain family ever since. Meghan and her husband were invited to our reading of the show this past winter, and they will be invited to our upcoming reading on May 9th as well. We think they will love it, just as audiences have to date.

John McCain once said of his favorite novel, For Whom the Bell Tolls, that it instructed him to see the world as it is, with all its corruption and cruelty, and believe it’s worth fighting for anyway. Such is the power of art that Grant Woods set out to harness in this musical. We've been honored to carry on that work and can't wait to share it with all of New York this coming election season."

Ghost of John McCain will have its world premiere at the Soho Playhouse, New York City, beginning Labor Day Weekend 2024 and will run through Election Day 2024.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos

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