Posted on 03/05/2025 3:21:18 PM PST by nickcarraway
Producer Jeffrey Seller said the show could not participate in the "new culture" of the institution.
Hamilton will no longer play the Kennedy Center next season in light of President Trump’s takeover of the institution.
The hit musical was set to perform at the Kennedy Center in March 2026, at what would have been the show’s third engagement at the theater. However, lead producer Jeffrey Seller cited the firings of the Kennedy Center president and of the chairman of the board, as well as the cancellation of programming at the center as reasons not to move forward.
“Given the recent actions, our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center,” Seller said in a statement.
In February, Trump became chairman of the institution and ousted Democratic members of the Kennedy Center Board. The contract of Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter was terminated as was that of chairman David M. Rubenstein, after Trump had previously said he would fire him and install himself as chair.
Ric Grenell, who worked in the previous Trump administration, has been named interim executive director and said he plans to “make art great again” and with near-term plans to do “a huge celebration of the birth of Christ at Christmas.”
Several notable names affiliated with the Kennedy Center resigned following the news, including Ben Folds, Renée Fleming and Shonda Rhimes. Issa Rae cancelled her show at the Kennedy Center.
Seller noted that the Kennedy Center had previously had bipartisan support and politics had not impacted the institution in the past. To that point, Hamilton had previously played the Kennedy Center in 2018 during the prior Trump administration.
“We are not acting against his administration, but against the partisan policies of the Kennedy Center as a result of his recent takeover,” the statement reads.
However, the previous Trump administration did have run-in with Hamilton. When Vice President Mike Pence attended the Broadway production he was booed by audience members and was addressed by cast members during the curtain call who remarked on the diversity in the cast and called on the administration to protect all Americans.
Seller added that he was unsure whether the production of Hamilton at the Kennedy Center could have been abruptly cancelled.
“Our cancellation is also a business decision. Hamilton is a large and global production, and it would simply be financially and personally devastating to the hundreds of employees of Hamilton if the new leadership of the Kennedy Center suddenly cancelled or re-negotiated our engagement. The actions of the new Chairman of the Board in recent weeks demonstrate that contracts and previous agreements simply cannot be trusted,” he said.
Winning
It’s a start... MAGA.
Good riddance, racists! 🤬
I found the concept of “Hamilton” offensive. I know a lot of conservatives don’t like Alexander Hamilton because of his role in developing our monetary policy, but apart from that, it is as if they made a movie about Thomas Sowell and had Brad Pitt playing the part.
“‘Hamilton’ Cancels Kennedy Center Run After Trump Takeover”
don’t you just LOVE it when wokeism is self-canceling?
I would be okay if Denzel Washington played him. Or the late Gene Hackman.
I really, really don’t like that show.
It was a stupid concept to begin with.
Winning! Keep this racist trash away.
They are just tired of looking like idiots and probably a declining audience.
Isn’t “Hamilton” a look at history from left field?
Is that the racist play where all the white people are played by black actors?
I remember them openly attacking Trump and Pence on stage back in 2016. Not as bad as the cast of Julius Caesar, who killed “Trump” on stage. Yeah, that was a laugh.
Cultural Appropriation!!
TRUMP The Musical will make a fine replacement.
So, no one will see your play. That’ll show em.
Can we turn The Kennedy Center into a monster truck arena?
So, no one will see your play. That’ll show em.
Attention whores. Why would their play have been canceled? It’s been staged hundreds of times for years in many venues. Nobody cares.
Every hairdresser in DC is having a good cry. DuPont Circle restaurants will probably go broke.
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