More artists cancel Kennedy Center performances after board vote on name change

Washington — Some artists have announced cancellations of their upcoming performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, following the addition of President Trump's name to the building. Richard Grenell, president of the Kennedy Center, referred to the artists who canceled their shows as "far left political activists" who "were booked by the previous far-left leadership." 

The Kennedy Center board, whose members were selected by Mr. Trump, voted earlier this month to add his name to the building. An official name change appears to require approval by Congress. The president and his allies assumed control of the board earlier this year, sparking the decision by some artists not to perform at the institution. In March, Lin-Manuel Miranda canceled a production of "Hamilton" that was supposed to be part of the events planned around the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Recently, more artists announced cancellations, including the jazz ensemble The Cookers, scheduled to perform on New Year's Eve. 

"Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice," The Cookers said in a statement on their website, although they didn't cite a specific reason for their cancellation. "Some of us have been making this music for many decades, and that history still shapes us. We are not turning away from our audience, and do want to make sure that when we do return to the bandstand, the room is able to celebrate the full presence of the music and everyone in it."

Some artists who announced cancellations were more blunt. 

The New York City-based Doug Varone and Dancers company cited the renaming of the building as the catalyst for their decision to pull out of April shows. 

"While we totally disagreed with the takeover by the Trump Administration at the Kennedy Center, we still believed it was important to honor our engagement out of respect for both Jane Raleigh and Alicia Adams, who curated a first-rate dance season, as well as for the dance audiences in DC," the dance company wrote. "However, with the latest act of Donald J. Trump renaming the Center after himself, we can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution."

American Folk singer Kristy Lee posted on Instagram last week to announce the cancelation of her concert scheduled for Jan. 14, citing the decision to "rebrand" American history.

"I won't lie to you, canceling shows hurts," Lee wrote. "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, I can't stand on that stage and sleep right at night. America didn't get built by branding. It got built by people showing up and doing the work. And the folks who carry it don't need their name on it, they just show up."

Grenell responded to the cancellations in a post on X. 

"The artists who are now canceling shows were booked by the previous far left leadership," he wrote 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. Boycotting the Arts to show you support the Arts is a form of derangement syndrome. The arts are for everyone and the left is mad about it."

When Kennedy Center leadership was revamped earlier this year, the president was trying to move away from what he views as "woke culture."