Posted on 12/30/2025 8:10:39 AM PST by Miami Rebel
A veteran jazz ensemble and a New York dance company have canceled events at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, intensifying the fallout at one of the nation’s pre-eminent arts centers after it was renamed to include President Trump. The center had previously promoted two New Year’s Eve performances by the Cookers as an “all-star jazz septet that will ignite the Terrace Theater stage with fire and soul.” But those performances, like an annual Christmas Eve jazz concert hosted by Chuck Redd, are now canceled. The Cookers did not give a reason for the decision in a statement on Monday that said, “Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice.” But the band’s drummer, Billy Hart, told The New York Times that the center’s name change had “evidently” played a role. He acknowledged that the group was concerned about possible reprisals. Doug Varone and Dancers, a New York dance company, also said on Monday that it was canceling two performances in April that had been intended to celebrate its 40th anniversary. Mr. Varone, the head of the company, said it would lose $40,000 by pulling out. “It is financially devastating but morally exhilarating,” he said in an email. Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center’s chairman, said in a statement on Monday night that the artists canceling shows were “far-left political activists” and that they had been booked by previous leadership. “Boycotting the arts to show you support the arts is a form of derangement syndrome,” he said. After Mr. Redd canceled the Christmas Eve concert, Mr. Grenell called it “classic intolerance” and threatened a $1 million lawsuit.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
No, he didn’t do that but he has raised a lot of money but so did David Rubenstein and they didn’t put his name on the building.
I know this may not be a popular opinion around here, but I don’t think Trump should have put his name on the Kennedy Center. He was doing a great job of de-politicizing it and this just turns it back into a political football. The first Dem in office will remove his name. And now every liberal performer will be able to get on their soap box about not performing there as an act of resistance. It will be so insufferable.
The Kennedy Center should be sold to a private developer and the money used to pay down a bit of the national debt.
This is what is happening.
Now you're talking.
This clearly shows how intolerant the left is. The performers were not canceled by the right, even though that was what the narrative was presented in the early days of the new administration.
The president said he didn’t change the name, the board of trustees changed it. Perhaps they did, but he could have refused to go along with it. To most people, the result appears to be simply another part of a Vanity Project.
This set the stage for a partisan fight or new stumbling block that did not need to happen. There’s almost no way to undo it without straight up admitting a mistake was made.
I’m not holding my breath on that one. Oh well. Newer contacts will have to be made to replace the Refuseniks.
Good. No musician is forced to “work”
If a/he doesn’t want to.
Imagine we can find some non leftist artists and performers that would be happy to perform, and people other than the black tie leftist would love to attend
Why no Spamalot?
I hope it costs them a lot more than $40k.
The booker needs to be vetted as a pro-Trumper and the acts even more.
See if Anna Netrebko is available.
Good luck and good luck finding enough Trump supporters in DC to pay for tickets.
Sometimes reality just has to be accepted and maneuvered around I’m order make things work to one’s advantage. The sledge hammer approach doesn’t always work and in this case was an unforced error.
Quite frankly, I can pretty much admit that there are very few left in the “performing arts” I give ear to when it comes to being influenced. If they say, “jump”, my first inclination is to lie down.
And they call the right divisive. F em, call George Strait, he has a history of short notice performances. Would likely pack the house and put on a hell of a show.
That’s not really realistic.
George Strait is not going to perform a New Years Eve concert at the Kennedy Center.
Maybe it should be torn down. The altars of lefty emo sh*t need not inhabit the capital.
They should start showing old black and white movies and have swing dances
This nation us literally at war. This IS war, the leftists trying to FORCE their point of view down our throats.
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