Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member Latest Breaking News Editorials & Other Articles General Discussion The DU Lounge All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Wicked Blue

(7,698 posts)
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 06:35 PM Feb 13

Stars pull out of shows and positions at Kennedy Center after Trump takeover

Source: Guardian

Donald Trump’s takeover of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington has generated outcry from performers and members, with several stars pulling out of engagements or associations.

Trump purged the board of the arts foundation last week, clearing the group of appointees by Joe Biden. Stacked with Trump loyalists, the new board terminated the center’s president, Deborah Rutter, and installed Trump as chair. The board then named Richard Grenell, who served as ambassador to Germany during the first Trump administration, as interim president.

In response, several stars have disassociated from the center. Issa Rae, creator and star of Insecure, announced on her Instagram story on Thursday that she was cancelling her upcoming one-night-only show at the Kennedy Center. The sold-out show, An Evening with Issa Rae, was scheduled at the venue in March.

-snip-

On Wednesday, the renowned soprano Reneé Fleming said she would step down from her role as artistic adviser to the center. Though her statement did not mention Trump, she praised its ousted chair David M Rubenstein and Rutter, and said: “Out of respect, I think it right to depart as well."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2025/feb/13/kennedy-center-trump-issa-rae-shonda-rhimes

82 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Stars pull out of shows and positions at Kennedy Center after Trump takeover (Original Post) Wicked Blue Feb 13 OP
Who in their right mind would want to stay? crim son Feb 13 #1
No doubt Putin will send over some Russian performers Wicked Blue Feb 13 #5
Turn it over to the Russian ballet. Change the name to Moscow Dancers. Irish_Dem Feb 13 #12
Sadly, this guy died a few years ago... regnaD kciN Feb 14 #76
Wait for it BonnieJW Feb 13 #47
I'd like to see Toby Keith pull that one off! Haggard Celine Feb 13 #51
They'll dig him and do a "weekend at Bernie's" type show Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Feb 14 #61
... installed as stool Donkees Feb 13 #2
I love your choice of words RainCaster Feb 13 #43
Good for them! 3catwoman3 Feb 13 #3
Perfect solutionj. bluestarone Feb 13 #4
No performer should agree to appear. NADA. NONE. hlthe2b Feb 13 #6
He could rotate with Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, Lara Trump, Carrie Underwood mtngirl47 Feb 13 #9
The Circus Dan Feb 13 #15
I forgot Lara. BonnieJW Feb 13 #50
Hulk Hogan used to sing! Linda ladeewolf Feb 14 #56
The Undertaker. Mawspam2 Feb 14 #59
The Village People Mossfern Feb 14 #68
And no one should buy tickets to the various events there. MLWR Feb 13 #10
Now appearing at Trump's Kennedy Center: Aristus Feb 13 #7
Dont forget Kid Rock! OldBaldy1701E Feb 13 #8
Better yet radical noodle Feb 13 #44
"the body of water formerly known as the gulf of mexico" seth meyers rampartd Feb 14 #60
Kid Who ... pazzyanne Feb 14 #55
LOL! crim son Feb 13 #18
I forgot him. Aristus Feb 13 #24
Don't forget the vocal offerings of Lara Trump! Ocelot II Feb 13 #28
Usually I agree with you, but dissing banjo players is a step too far. quaint Feb 14 #67
Lol I was just thinking that Javaman Feb 14 #70
T-rump can have a nightly clown show. No offense to real clowns. Onthefly Feb 13 #11
He can put his enemies in pillories right on stage Wicked Blue Feb 13 #13
Trump and his cabinet would like lap dancers. Irish_Dem Feb 13 #14
Is Kim available? sheshe2 Feb 13 #48
Kim is too crazy even for the Trumps. DonJr dumped her and his dad sent her to Greece Irish_Dem Feb 14 #64
This would work for a friend IzzaNuDay Feb 13 #16
They won't do classical music. MAGAs find it too snooty. Ocelot II Feb 13 #29
Oedipus Rex should be the first play starring Barron and Melania. twodogsbarking Feb 13 #17
I, for one, am looking forward to Chachi's one man show. Midnight Writer Feb 13 #19
It's so sad to see all the old heart throbs who markodochartaigh Feb 13 #22
Wait... druidity33 Feb 13 #46
I guess I'm not that picky. markodochartaigh Feb 14 #57
I would guess most people who go see shows at The Kennedy Center will not be going anymore. Raftergirl Feb 13 #20
K&R Solly Mack Feb 13 #21
Ted Nugent is waiting for his phone call - he's a headliner! FakeNoose Feb 13 #23
Underage Girls nwliberalkiwi Feb 13 #25
Trump doesn't seem to know much about booking talent perdita9 Feb 13 #26
The Aristocrats appearing nightly and twice on Sunday. crud Feb 13 #27
Will An Evening With Kid Rock sell? Sneederbunk Feb 13 #30
Seriously I do expect the Kennedy Family Chipper Chat Feb 13 #31
I think so too serbbral Feb 14 #77
I foresee a stripper pole in the center of the stage. n/t TurboDem Feb 13 #32
Good for them! The felon will have plate jugglers and ventriloquists headlining in no time. Scrivener7 Feb 13 #33
I feel bad vankuria Feb 13 #34
Me too serbbral Feb 14 #78
The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Beck23 Feb 13 #35
I have no doubt sdfernando Feb 13 #49
Nope. They are all DEI hires. Ray Bruns Feb 14 #66
Hopefully Rebl2 Feb 14 #79
Fascists have no taste in creativity Dem4life1234 Feb 13 #36
Tickets now on sale for Kevin Sorbo and his Donkey Express! NBachers Feb 13 #37
He is probably looking into renaming it the Trump Center from the Kennedy Center. mackdaddy Feb 13 #38
I wouldn't be shocked if changed it to the 🍑💩🤡 center kimbutgar Feb 13 #39
Don't give them any ideas ... and that idea is terrifying FakeNoose Feb 13 #53
The resistance is determined. Martin68 Feb 13 #40
Ok here is a problem ... Will PBS continue to showcase Kennedy Center? off-the-clock Feb 13 #41
"If PBS say no then bye-bye PBS..." LudwigPastorius Feb 13 #52
EVERYTHING THAT TRUMP TOUCHES DIES. n/t birdographer Feb 13 #42
Truth. sheshe2 Feb 13 #45
They could have Snoop Dog but then they would be investigated for DEI. Norrrm Feb 13 #54
Nah. aocommunalpunch Feb 14 #74
yes by all means, refuse to work YoshidaYui Feb 14 #58
He'll be flushing that thing forever then. Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Feb 14 #62
Kid Rock will get lots of playing time rpannier Feb 14 #63
Jill Biden, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton should resign too - Laura Bush as well muriel_volestrangler Feb 14 #65
Good, and no artist who believes in Democracy should perform there as long as the sociopath is the chair. JohnSJ Feb 14 #69
Rightwingers will just say this proves their point about wokeness or whatever. Beartracks Feb 14 #71
Any Artist With Even an Ounce of Integrity Would Do the Same Thing! Daleuhlmann Feb 14 #72
Yep 😡. he ruins everything TommieMommy Feb 14 #73
the cult still has Sailingdiver Feb 14 #75
Big deal. The Kennedy Center is now an organ of the State. malthaussen Feb 14 #80
Protestors take to the streets of Washington D.C. last night to protest Trump's hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center LetMyPeopleVote Feb 16 #81
Ty. electric_blue68 Feb 16 #82

crim son

(27,529 posts)
1. Who in their right mind would want to stay?
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 06:37 PM
Feb 13

I applaud those who have decided not to indulge The Convicted Felon's fantasy that he has artistic taste.

3catwoman3

(26,331 posts)
3. Good for them!
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 06:38 PM
Feb 13

My late mother was the school nurse at the middle school Renee Fleming attended, and she followed her career with great interest.

hlthe2b

(108,333 posts)
6. No performer should agree to appear. NADA. NONE.
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 06:43 PM
Feb 13

Let Lee Greenwood appear every night for the next four years and see who shows up.

Sad as this will hurt the Kennedy Center long after Trump is dust (what a thought...

mtngirl47

(1,140 posts)
9. He could rotate with Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, Lara Trump, Carrie Underwood
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 06:59 PM
Feb 13

Snoop Dog, Billy Ray Cyrus, Kanye West

am I forgetting anyone?

BonnieJW

(2,785 posts)
50. I forgot Lara.
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 11:23 PM
Feb 13

And i said Toby Keith and meant Ted Nugent. Can you imagine who will comprise the audience? A Kennedy Center with SRO nazis

Aristus

(69,314 posts)
7. Now appearing at Trump's Kennedy Center:
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 06:44 PM
Feb 13

Pole-dancers, banjo players, the entirety of Branson, Missouri's entertainment establishment, Miss Pre-Teen America contests (swimsuit competition only), and Rob Schneider.

radical noodle

(9,558 posts)
44. Better yet
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 10:56 PM
Feb 13

Ted Nugent and Kanye (I'll call him "Ye" when I call the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America... never)

Ocelot II

(123,555 posts)
28. Don't forget the vocal offerings of Lara Trump!
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 08:52 PM
Feb 13

She might threaten to sing, if that's what she calls the disturbing sounds she makes with her face.

quaint

(3,796 posts)
67. Usually I agree with you, but dissing banjo players is a step too far.
Fri Feb 14, 2025, 08:49 AM
Feb 14

humpf

But you get my last heart, anyway.

Javaman

(63,426 posts)
70. Lol I was just thinking that
Fri Feb 14, 2025, 11:12 AM
Feb 14

He’s going to turn the Kennedy center into Branson Missouri

Wicked Blue

(7,698 posts)
13. He can put his enemies in pillories right on stage
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 07:15 PM
Feb 13

and encourage the audiences to throw rotten vegetables at them.

Irish_Dem

(65,586 posts)
64. Kim is too crazy even for the Trumps. DonJr dumped her and his dad sent her to Greece
Fri Feb 14, 2025, 07:25 AM
Feb 14

to be the US ambassador. Got her out of the country.

IzzaNuDay

(896 posts)
16. This would work for a friend
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 07:23 PM
Feb 13

They are somewhat famous in classical music and a Trumper. We’ve agreed to disagree on many topics, but common bond is music. Hope they are happy.

Ocelot II

(123,555 posts)
29. They won't do classical music. MAGAs find it too snooty.
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 08:55 PM
Feb 13

If it doesn't turn up on a juke box at a truck stop in Dumbfuckistan they won't have it at Trump's newly-defiled Kennedy Center.

twodogsbarking

(12,961 posts)
17. Oedipus Rex should be the first play starring Barron and Melania.
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 07:25 PM
Feb 13

Well that was, well, disgusting.

Midnight Writer

(23,491 posts)
19. I, for one, am looking forward to Chachi's one man show.
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 07:52 PM
Feb 13

A two-hour monologue covering everything from why Joanie Loves Chachi to why Charles Is In Charge.

Should be fire!

markodochartaigh

(2,426 posts)
22. It's so sad to see all the old heart throbs who
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 08:18 PM
Feb 13

are reich-wing. Scott Baio, Antonio Sàbato, Eduardo Verástegui, Ricky Schroder, Kirk Cameron.

Raftergirl

(1,641 posts)
20. I would guess most people who go see shows at The Kennedy Center will not be going anymore.
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 07:53 PM
Feb 13

I expect touring Broadway shows will cancelled, too. Much too woke for that venue now. And it’s far from Podunk Amerika to go see a show there. Will be a pretty empty place from now on.

perdita9

(1,220 posts)
26. Trump doesn't seem to know much about booking talent
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 08:45 PM
Feb 13

Popular artists can afford to have standards. They're not going to show up to a venue if it will cause them to compromise on their pricipals.

Chipper Chat

(10,230 posts)
31. Seriously I do expect the Kennedy Family
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 08:57 PM
Feb 13

To demand the removal of the Kennedy name. It's coming.

vankuria

(947 posts)
34. I feel bad
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 09:10 PM
Feb 13

I really enjoyed watching the Kennedy Center Honors, I can think of so many wonderful performances like Paul McCartney being honored and singing “Michelle” to Michelle Obama. Now this is just another place he’ll destroy and make into a MAGA amateur hour with Ted Nugent or some other vile, no talent creep.

serbbral

(287 posts)
78. Me too
Fri Feb 14, 2025, 05:50 PM
Feb 14

I used to really enjoy watching the Kennedy Awards. It was so great seeing those who had put in so many years of talent and humanitarian work receive their flowers. What a lot of Republicans call 'woke' is not the same as its original meaning. I wonder who exactly is he referring to when he talks of 'woke' people/artists.

Beck23

(358 posts)
35. The National Symphony Orchestra (NSO)
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 09:22 PM
Feb 13

Will Trump fire all the women and blacks who play in the NSO?

Dem4life1234

(2,520 posts)
36. Fascists have no taste in creativity
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 09:22 PM
Feb 13

Why does he think he deserves worship? He's not even a good leader.

He will turn it sleazy.

mackdaddy

(1,716 posts)
38. He is probably looking into renaming it the Trump Center from the Kennedy Center.
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 09:42 PM
Feb 13

He renamed an entire Gulf don't you know...

off-the-clock

(252 posts)
41. Ok here is a problem ... Will PBS continue to showcase Kennedy Center?
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 10:42 PM
Feb 13

If PBS say no then bye-bye PBS, if they say yes then what other crap will PBS have to showcase?

By the way there is a famous opera star who I believe is associated with Putin and maybe she'll appear there. Anna Netrebko.

LudwigPastorius

(11,848 posts)
52. "If PBS say no then bye-bye PBS..."
Thu Feb 13, 2025, 11:41 PM
Feb 13

The PBS network may be gone regardless of what they do with Kennedy Center broadcasts.

Now that Trump and the GOP hold the White House and both houses of Congress I don't doubt that they will try to kill the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (which funds PBS, NPR, American Public Television, and others).

If they can't kill it completely, they will defund it.

They've tried in the past, but didn't have the numbers in Congress. Now they do.

YoshidaYui

(43,352 posts)
58. yes by all means, refuse to work
Fri Feb 14, 2025, 12:47 AM
Feb 14

go find some where else to work,... and let all it FALL into Trumps toilet

muriel_volestrangler

(103,208 posts)
65. Jill Biden, Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton should resign too - Laura Bush as well
Fri Feb 14, 2025, 07:33 AM
Feb 14

As "Honorary Chairs", it's not as if they'll have any power to alter what the Criminal Rapist does to the institution. There's no "honor" left in them being there.

JohnSJ

(97,986 posts)
69. Good, and no artist who believes in Democracy should perform there as long as the sociopath is the chair.
Fri Feb 14, 2025, 10:24 AM
Feb 14

Beartracks

(13,784 posts)
71. Rightwingers will just say this proves their point about wokeness or whatever.
Fri Feb 14, 2025, 12:10 PM
Feb 14

Assuming they actually have a point beyond petty vindictiveness.

===============

Daleuhlmann

(407 posts)
72. Any Artist With Even an Ounce of Integrity Would Do the Same Thing!
Fri Feb 14, 2025, 01:26 PM
Feb 14

No reputable artists should lower themselves to giving a command peformance for his Orange Majesty!

Sailingdiver

(215 posts)
75. the cult still has
Fri Feb 14, 2025, 04:14 PM
Feb 14

Ted "crap muh pants" nugent and the idiot from Detroit, the Joe dirt like guy, hell i forget his name, the moron who shoots at bud light.

So I'm sure the KC will be filled.

malthaussen

(18,014 posts)
80. Big deal. The Kennedy Center is now an organ of the State.
Fri Feb 14, 2025, 06:05 PM
Feb 14

Any artists who perform there will be expected to convey the State's message. They neither need nor care about any who will not comply.

-- Mal

LetMyPeopleVote

(159,683 posts)
81. Protestors take to the streets of Washington D.C. last night to protest Trump's hostile takeover of the Kennedy Center
Sun Feb 16, 2025, 05:26 PM
Feb 16
Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Stars pull out of shows a...