'Cancellations and missed deadlines': Kennedy Center in 'free fall' since Trump takeover

Donald Trump's takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts continues to go poorly as he attempts to change the venue's focus which has led to missed deadlines and artists looking at other Washington D.C. locations at which to perform.

According to a column at MSNBC by culture critic Rebecca Ritzel, the president has been proposing a slate of plays, including "Cats," Camelot,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Hello, Dolly!” seemingly unaware that there are no touring companies presenting those plays from bygone days.

More importantly, Ritzel noted, is that the center normally announces its schedule by the second week of March and nothing has been forthcoming with the end of the month looming.

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As she wrote, "Life at the center has been a tumultuous free fall ever since, with a series of cancellations and missed deadlines," adding, "Across Washington, venues like The Anthem and Shakespeare Theatre Company are fielding calls from artists and organizations looking for somewhere else to perform. Most notably,the producers and creators of the musical theater juggernaut “Hamilton” announced they were canceling a two-month run, which most likely have generated more money than any other show in the 2025-26 Kennedy Center season."

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Pointing out, "most Kennedy Center audiences were never the sort of conservative theatergoers clamoring for a season of 'Cats,' 'Phantom' and 'Fiddler on the Roof,'" she suggested, "The reality is that most Kennedy Center audiences are in the middle of these two demographics: They are federal workers who enjoy classical music, NGO lobbyists with undergraduate theater degrees and labor leaders with affinities for modern dance. And they are exactly the people now weighing whether to boycott Kennedy Center performances, because they are laid off, they are protesting Trump’s takeover or both."

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