Billy Crystal, 78, injected political commentary into his hosting duties at the Hollywood Bowl's 2026 season opening night, including a jab at the recent removal of President Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center.
"I haven't heard excitement like that since they took Trump's name off the Kennedy Center - unbelievable," Crystal quipped to the audience, referencing a federal judge's order last month that mandated the removal. The venue's executive director, Matt Floca, confirmed in a statement to a federal court that "all physical signage on the Kennedy Center building and grounds... that purports to rename the Kennedy Center after President Trump" had been dismantled.
Crystal, a nine-time Academy Awards host, also touched upon local Los Angeles politics, commenting on the city's traffic and the electoral process. "The stars are out, the music's alive, there's pollutants in the air - what an L.A. night," he said. "Traffic moves so slowly. I got here yesterday, I thought I'll beat it everything's slow here - that's how we count our mail-in ballots - very slow."
His remarks followed a protracted election period that saw City Council member Nithya Raman compete against Republican Spencer Pratt for the chance to challenge incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the upcoming fall election.
Crystal also alluded to a past political event, stating, "Right before I came out, they had the final results of the governor race, and Gray Davis is going to be in," a reference to the 2003 California gubernatorial recall election eventually won by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In another political jest, Crystal contrasted the evening's "Best of Broadway" theme with a potential alternative event. "It was either this or holding a UFC match here, and we decided that we would be classy and respectful," he said, referencing President Trump's UFC Freedom 250 event.
The event featured performances from Broadway-caliber artists including Halle Bailey, Darren Criss, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Lea Salonga, accompanied by the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra led by Thomas Wilkins. Crystal also took the opportunity to promote his upcoming Broadway show.
Crystal concluded his hosting remarks by humorously appealing to the audience to remain seated for a few minutes after the fireworks to allow him to exit the venue easily due to the famously slow Southern California traffic.