Kennedy Center staff describe climate of fear as events drop from calendar

[mahatmakanejeeves]

Kennedy Center staff describe climate of fear as events drop from calendar
Issa Rae became the first major artist to publicly cancel an upcoming show at the center after President Trump took over its board and leadership.

Updated
February 13, 2025 at 9:51 p.m. EST


The Kennedy Center’s Great Hall seen on Tuesday. (Craig Hudson/For the Washington Post)

By Travis M. Andrews, Manuel Roig-Franzia and Michael Andor Brodeur

The fallout from President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center’s board and purge of its leadership continued Thursday, as the center’s staff worried about the storied arts institution and shows began to disappear from its lineup.

Comedian, actress and Hollywood creator Issa Rae said on Instagram that she was pulling her sold-out show, “An Evening With Issa Rae,” from the slate of programming, becoming the first major artist to publicly cancel an upcoming show at the Kennedy Center. ... “Unfortunately, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I’ve decided to cancel my appearance at this venue,” she wrote, adding that tickets will be refunded.

The cancellation comes the day after the new board of trustees installed Trump as its new chair, while also voting to terminate Deborah Rutter as president and making former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell interim president.

After the shake-up, musician Ben Folds and opera singer Renée Fleming said they were stepping down as artistic advisers with the center, as did the treasurer of its board of trustees, TV producer Shonda Rhimes. ... The center terminated its general counsel and the head of its public relations department, according to people with close knowledge of the Kennedy Center who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they feared reprisal. The center’s new public relations staff did not immediately respond to questions about firings or most of the show cancellations.

{snip}

The White House released a full list of Trump’s new appointees Thursday. They are as follows:

• Donald J. Trump of Florida
• Pamela Gross of Florida
• Mindy Levine of New York
• Lynda Lomangino of Florida
• Allison Lutnick of New York
• Dan Scavino of New York
• Usha Vance of Ohio
• Susie Wiles of Florida
• John Falconetti of Florida
• Cheri Summerall of Texas
• Sergio Gor of Florida
• Emilia May Fanjul of Florida
• Patricia Duggan of Florida
• Dana Blumberg of New York

Hau Chu contributed to this report.

[Irish_Dem]

1. Trump taking a wrecking ball to all of America's iconic strengths and goodness.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. Could be this was the plan to close The Kennedy Center

No revenue and no audiences to keep it viable.

I'd give it six months.

[lapfog_1]

5. Kid Rock concerts every Friday!

[forgotmylogin]

10. Are those "USA Freedom Kids" still around?

Hopefully they're old enough now that it's not Sparkle Motion energy...

?si=SD1DLBZIg9zGq45-

[JohnSJ]

8. The artists and the foundation need to find a private place. f**k the fascists. They need to be boycotted and shunned

at every opportunity.

[lapfog_1]

3. gee... everyone from Florida or New York

plus the wife of Vance.

And a random person from Texas.

My guess is that they are ALL supporters of one Don the criminal POTUS

[Ocelot II]

4. No paywall:

https://archive.ph/VcCo5

[sop]

6. Donald the Vulgarian is the new chair of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Last edited Fri Feb 14, 2025, 02:27 PM - Edit history (1)

It's Trump's chance to exact revenge on the cultural elite who shunned him for years.

[JohnSJ]

7. The performing artist who a pro-Democracy absolutely should not perform there. Not only should they boycott it,

but change the venue to a new place NOT under the influence of the american nazi party.

[LiberalLoner]

9. Time to bring back the infamous Georgetown Gap of a large diameter pipe spewing raw sewage right near

The Kennedy Center.

Those of you who are old enough and were in DC in the late 60s know just what I am talking about.

Let those MAGAts smell the roses when they attend their Kid Rock concert.

[lapfog_1]

11. no need

If Trump is sitting in the Presidential box... they will smell him even in the orchestra pit.

[LiberalLoner]

12. True! 🤣🤣🤣

[2naSalit]

13. Sadly...

Probably best to put it in mothballs until we run off the vermin.