Boy George’s 'Moulin Rouge' Co-Star Calls Him a “Terrible Performer” After Pro-Israel Song
Photo Credit: Moulin Rouge Broadway / Evan Zimmerman
by Chris Tremblay Jul 30
3 MIN READ
Patrick Clanton, who performed alongside Boy George during a recent Broadway run of Moulin Rouge! The Musical, criticized the singer’s stage performance after Boy George released a new song supporting Israel.
On July 28, Clanton shared an Instagram story featuring an article about the backlash to Boy George’s song. In the accompanying text, Clanton wrote: “Y’know, I used to defend his performance in our show, but f*** it. He was a terrible performer and I was embarrassed to be in the show with him. Boy, Bye!”
Clanton later posted that when people asked him about Boy George, he had previously described the singer as “really nice,” before adding that “nice is different than good.” The phrase references a lyric from “I Know Things Now,” a song from Stephen Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods.
Clanton’s remarks were presented as his personal assessment of Boy George’s performance and were not accompanied by an independent evaluation of the singer’s work in the production.
Boy George released We Will Dance Again, also titled Od Nirkod in Hebrew, on social-media platforms rather than through major streaming services. The track was posted on X and Instagram with the caption “Shalom.”
The reggae-influenced song opens with the lines: “You say genocide, I say war / When you’re attacked, that’s what the army’s for.” It also refers to the October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel and criticizes people whom Boy George portrays as having “selective memory” about violence.
The lyrics describe people at the Nova music festival as having been murdered “for the crime of dancing.” Later, Boy George sings: “If you’re ever confused: I stand with the Jews.”
The song’s title echoes “We Will Dance Again,” a phrase used by survivors and supporters of those affected by the Nova festival attack as a symbol of resilience. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that the attack killed hundreds of people and involved the abduction of dozens of others.
Boy George said on Threads on July 28 that the song was created using artificial intelligence. “I call it ‘AI for good’,” he wrote, adding: “Truthfully, I would struggle to write this with a human!”
The disclosure added an artificial-intelligence issue to an existing political and humanitarian dispute over the song’s message. The reported criticism, however, focused primarily on the lyrics’ apparent defense of Israel’s military campaign and their rejection of descriptions of Israel’s conduct in Gaza as genocide.
The Guardian reported that Boy George characterized Israel’s actions as a legitimate military response rather than genocide. The singer also said that expressing support for Jewish people did not mean he lacked compassion for Palestinians or agreed with everything happening in Israel.
The song prompted criticism from musicians, activists and other public figures, with opponents accusing Boy George of denying or minimizing the allegations of genocide in Gaza. Those reactions reflect disagreement over how the October 7 attack, Israel’s military response and the humanitarian situation in Gaza should be represented in popular culture.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency also reported supportive responses from pro-Israel voices. Stop the Hate UK, a British campaign opposing antisemitism, thanked Boy George for expressing support for Jewish communities. The official Nova Music Festival Instagram account responded to the announcement with the words “We will dance again.”
The United Nations independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel has described Israel’s conduct in Gaza as genocide, a finding that Boy George’s lyrics reject. That finding is distinct from Boy George’s stated political position and from Clanton’s criticism of his performance.
Boy George and Clanton shared the stage in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, the theater adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s film. The available reporting identifies Clanton’s comments as relating to their time in that production, but does not provide a detailed account of the pair’s working relationship or explain whether Clanton had previously voiced concerns about Boy George’s performance publicly.
Boy George has not been reported as responding directly to Clanton’s “terrible performer” remarks. The singer’s publicly reported responses have instead addressed the song’s political meaning and its use of artificial intelligence.
Clanton’s intervention therefore linked two separate controversies: the political message of Boy George’s new recording and an actor’s personal criticism of the singer’s performance in a major musical production. As of July 30, the reporting does not indicate that Moulin Rouge! The Musical or its producers had issued a public statement about Clanton’s comments.
Clanton later posted that when people asked him about Boy George, he had previously described the singer as “really nice,” before adding that “nice is different than good.” The phrase references a lyric from “I Know Things Now,” a song from Stephen Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods.
Clanton’s remarks were presented as his personal assessment of Boy George’s performance and were not accompanied by an independent evaluation of the singer’s work in the production.
The song at the center of the dispute
Boy George released We Will Dance Again, also titled Od Nirkod in Hebrew, on social-media platforms rather than through major streaming services. The track was posted on X and Instagram with the caption “Shalom.”
The reggae-influenced song opens with the lines: “You say genocide, I say war / When you’re attacked, that’s what the army’s for.” It also refers to the October 7, 2023, attack in southern Israel and criticizes people whom Boy George portrays as having “selective memory” about violence.
The lyrics describe people at the Nova music festival as having been murdered “for the crime of dancing.” Later, Boy George sings: “If you’re ever confused: I stand with the Jews.”
The song’s title echoes “We Will Dance Again,” a phrase used by survivors and supporters of those affected by the Nova festival attack as a symbol of resilience. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that the attack killed hundreds of people and involved the abduction of dozens of others.
Boy George’s explanation of the production
Boy George said on Threads on July 28 that the song was created using artificial intelligence. “I call it ‘AI for good’,” he wrote, adding: “Truthfully, I would struggle to write this with a human!”
The disclosure added an artificial-intelligence issue to an existing political and humanitarian dispute over the song’s message. The reported criticism, however, focused primarily on the lyrics’ apparent defense of Israel’s military campaign and their rejection of descriptions of Israel’s conduct in Gaza as genocide.
The Guardian reported that Boy George characterized Israel’s actions as a legitimate military response rather than genocide. The singer also said that expressing support for Jewish people did not mean he lacked compassion for Palestinians or agreed with everything happening in Israel.
Reactions to the release
The song prompted criticism from musicians, activists and other public figures, with opponents accusing Boy George of denying or minimizing the allegations of genocide in Gaza. Those reactions reflect disagreement over how the October 7 attack, Israel’s military response and the humanitarian situation in Gaza should be represented in popular culture.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency also reported supportive responses from pro-Israel voices. Stop the Hate UK, a British campaign opposing antisemitism, thanked Boy George for expressing support for Jewish communities. The official Nova Music Festival Instagram account responded to the announcement with the words “We will dance again.”
The United Nations independent Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel has described Israel’s conduct in Gaza as genocide, a finding that Boy George’s lyrics reject. That finding is distinct from Boy George’s stated political position and from Clanton’s criticism of his performance.
The Broadway connection
Boy George and Clanton shared the stage in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, the theater adaptation of Baz Luhrmann’s film. The available reporting identifies Clanton’s comments as relating to their time in that production, but does not provide a detailed account of the pair’s working relationship or explain whether Clanton had previously voiced concerns about Boy George’s performance publicly.
Boy George has not been reported as responding directly to Clanton’s “terrible performer” remarks. The singer’s publicly reported responses have instead addressed the song’s political meaning and its use of artificial intelligence.
Clanton’s intervention therefore linked two separate controversies: the political message of Boy George’s new recording and an actor’s personal criticism of the singer’s performance in a major musical production. As of July 30, the reporting does not indicate that Moulin Rouge! The Musical or its producers had issued a public statement about Clanton’s comments.
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