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New Year’s Eve Concerts at Kennedy Center Are Canceled
New York Times ^ | December 29, 2025 | Adam Nagourney and Neil Vigdor

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 ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography
KEYWORDS: jazz; kennedycenter; music; newyears; tds; trump; trumpkennedycenter
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To: vivenne
It implied I didn’t know what I was talking about.

A one word post ask for "source" implies no such thing.

61 posted on 12/30/2025 9:04:07 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: Miami Rebel
He acknowledged that the group was concerned about possible reprisals.

Sue the little Commies till they can't afford socks.

62 posted on 12/30/2025 9:04:08 AM PST by kiryandil (Resistance to The Odor is defiance to grainpidity)
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To: Miami Rebel

It was and the idea was formulating when Kennedy was elected and he and Jaqueline continued it as their own. Johnson and Congress named it after JFK was killed. Eisenhower family was not happy so they named one of the theaters in the center after him.


63 posted on 12/30/2025 9:04:38 AM PST by vivenne (7Come to think of it. Fact)
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To: FreeReign

It did. Look things up yourself or have a discussion. Anything less is annoying at best.


64 posted on 12/30/2025 9:05:59 AM PST by vivenne (7Come to think of it. Fact)
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To: BenLurkin
Does anyone know why Trump put his name on that place?

No - but it's great that he smoked out a bunch of Commies.

65 posted on 12/30/2025 9:06:31 AM PST by kiryandil (Resistance to The Odor is defiance to grainpidity)
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To: kiryandil

True, but not all are Commies, they are just acting as such because they are not very brave and are afraid they won’t be able to get future work if they perform at the Trump Kennedy Center. It’s a bad situation and one that could be forseen.


66 posted on 12/30/2025 9:09:34 AM PST by vivenne (7Come to think of it. Fact)
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To: vivenne
A one word post asking for a "source" implies no such thing.

It did.

LOL!

67 posted on 12/30/2025 9:11:25 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: FreeReign

Let it go, my dudes. It’s almost the new year!


68 posted on 12/30/2025 9:16:26 AM PST by Miami Rebel
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To: Miami Rebel

Have a good New Year.


69 posted on 12/30/2025 9:19:19 AM PST by FreeReign
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To: vivenne

More supporters than you think, and by the listings for homes for sale in DC area I think the rats are leaving maybe for Minnesota 😂


70 posted on 12/30/2025 9:33:25 AM PST by blitz128
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To: blitz128

by the listings for homes for sale in DC area I think the rats are leaving maybe for Minnesota 😂

Probably also because of the job losses. I guess once they took those early outs they found out their worth was not as much, by far, as they were being paid by the G. Now they have to find some dimwit to buy those homes for what they were once worth.


71 posted on 12/30/2025 9:47:49 AM PST by Mouton (There is a new sheriff and deputy in town now!)
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To: blitz128

I’d be grateful if they left for Minnesota, but, alas, most are still here and housing prices are still going up and are selling quickly abd above asking price.


72 posted on 12/30/2025 9:51:24 AM PST by vivenne (7Come to think of it. Fact)
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To: kosciusko51

...He knows that


73 posted on 12/30/2025 10:03:44 AM PST by farmguy ( )
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To: Salman

Agreed


74 posted on 12/30/2025 10:05:15 AM PST by vmpolesov
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To: BenLurkin
Does anyone know why Trump put his name on that place?

E. G. O.
75 posted on 12/30/2025 10:10:37 AM PST by Reynoldo (BurnLootMurder)
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To: Miami Rebel

What a bunch of sob sisters.


76 posted on 12/30/2025 10:14:33 AM PST by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: BenLurkin
Does anyone know why Trump put his name on that place?

President Trump wanted to annoy the Democrats and RINOs who populate the gentrified neighborhoods and affluent suburbs of Washington, DC. In a similar vein, his West Wing ballroom is another slap in the face to the liberal power brokers and legacy media outlets who applauded the defacing and pulling down of statues and burning of flags during the George Floyd riots of 2020 but now are citing precedent and tradition.

What Trump is doing is an upper class parallel to former New York mayor Giuliani having the police arrest people for minor crimes. Giuliani was sending a statement to the criminal lower classes that the days of lenient law enforcement that were in place for 30 years was over. Likewise, Trump is telling the Beltway elite that their day of power is over.

77 posted on 12/30/2025 10:19:58 AM PST by Wallace T.
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To: vivenne

That may change if the money laundering scheme ends.

Imagine the house I could afford with that kind of cash


78 posted on 12/30/2025 10:42:13 AM PST by blitz128
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To: vivenne

That may change if the money laundering scheme ends.

Imagine the house I could afford with that kind of cash


79 posted on 12/30/2025 10:42:34 AM PST by blitz128
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To: 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

If they can afford to lose that revenue, then good for them....


80 posted on 12/30/2025 10:47:07 AM PST by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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