WASHINGTON — A growing list of artists are canceling their scheduled shows at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., after President Donald Trump added his name to the building, an act that some performers have called divisive and contrary to the arts center’s legacy.
At least half a dozen performers or shows have been withdrawn from the schedule after the new name was approved unanimously by the Kennedy Center board, which is made up of members hand-picked by Trump earlier this year. The Trump administration has criticized the cancellations, accusing artists of showcasing “a form of derangement syndrome” in their decisions to leave.
“The artists who are now canceling shows were booked by the previous far left leadership,” Richard Grenell, the interim president of the Kennedy Center, said in a post on X. “Their actions prove that the previous team was more concerned about booking far left political activists rather than artists willing to perform for everyone regardless of their political beliefs.”
The creation of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was approved in 1958 by then-President Dwight Eisenhower. After Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Congress passed a law the following year to dedicate the center as a memorial named after him.
Several Democrats in Congress have opposed the decision to add Trump’s name to the center, arguing the board broke the law by adding his name. The law includes language prohibiting the board from making changes to the name without congressional approval.
Here’s a roundup of the artists who have canceled their shows so far:
Annual Christmas Eve concert led by Chuck Redd
Chuck Redd, longtime jazz musician who has led the annual Christmas Eve concert at the Kennedy Center for nearly 20 years, abruptly canceled the show earlier this month in protest of Trump’s name change.
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” Redd told The Associated Press in an email.
Grenell has since threatened to sue Redd after the holidays for the cancellation, decrying the decision as a “political stunt.” The Trump administration official plans to sue for $1 million in damages.
New Year’s Eve performances by The Cookers
Adding to the quiet holiday lineup, veteran jazz ensemble The Cookers canceled their New Year’s Eve performance scheduled for the end of this year.
The group did not specifically cite the name change as the reason for the cancellation, but the band’s drummer told The New York Times that it “evidently” played a role. In a statement announcing the withdrawal, the ensemble alluded to political division in Washington.
“Our hope is that this moment will leave space for reflection, not resentment,” the statement said. “To everyone who is disappointed or upset, we understand and share your sadness. We remain committed to playing music that reaches across divisions rather than deepening them.”
New York-based Doug Varone and Dancers cancel anniversary event
A New York dance company, Doug Varone and Dancers, canceled its 40th anniversary performances scheduled for April in protest of the name change — a decision that would cost the group $40,000, according to the head of the company.
“It is financially devastating but morally exhilarating,” Varone said.
The anniversary event was set to take place on April 24-25 to honor two of the Kennedy Center’s top dance administrators, Jane Raleigh and Alicia Adams. Both have since stepped down from their positions.
But Varone said the company could “no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution” with Trump’s name added to the beginning.
Kristy Lee
Kristy Lee, a folk singer from Alabama, canceled a free concert she was scheduled to host on Jan. 14, acknowledging the financial impact it would have on her career.
“I won’t lie to you, canceling shows hurts,” she said in a social media post. “This is how I keep the lights on. But losing my integrity would cost me more than any paycheck.”
“When American history starts getting treated like something you can ban, erase, rename, or rebrand for somebody else’s ego,” she added, “I can’t stand on that stage and sleep right at night.”
‘Hamilton,’ Issa Rae and more
Some groups and shows had already been canceled earlier in the year before the name was changed, but the reasons as to why still pointed back to the Trump administration.
The Broadway hit “Hamilton” was scheduled for a performance at the Kennedy Center for March 3 through April 26 but has since been canceled. That decision came in response to leadership changes within the center’s board after Trump changed leadership of the arts center.
“Given these recent actions, our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center,” “Hamilton” producer Jeffrey Seller said in a statement in March.
Artists such as Issa Rae, Peter Wolf and Rhiannon Giddens also canceled performances earlier this year.