The Broadway mega-hit “Hamilton” has canceled an upcoming run at the Kennedy Center after President Trump’s recent shake-up of its leadership and proposed “anti-woke” vision for its future. Jeffrey Seller, the show’s producer, cited Mr. Trump’s overhaul and the center’s “new spirit of partisanship” when he announced the cancellation Wednesday.
“Given these recent actions, our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center,” Seller said in a statement shared on social media. “We are not acting against his administration, but against the partisan policies of the Kennedy Center as a result of his recent takeover.”
“Hamilton,” a biographical hip-hop period piece by creator Lin-Manuel Miranda that put a rhythmic spin on the life of America’s first treasury secretary, Alexander Hamilton, has won marked popularity and record critical acclaim since its 2015 debut on Broadway. The show hasn’t shied away from politics in the past, and in 2016 the musical’s then-star Brandon Victor Dixon closed one “Hamilton” performance, attended by then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence, with a statement that implored the upcoming administration to “uphold our American values and work on behalf of all of us.”
“Hamilton” had two previous runs at the Kennedy Center, in 2018 during Mr. Trump’s first term and in 2022 during the Biden administration. It was set for a third session at the performing arts house from March 3 to April 26 next year.
Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File
In his announcement, Seller said part of the decision to call off that scheduled run was business-related, as “it would simply be financially and personally devastating to the hundreds of employees of ‘Hamilton’ if the new leadership of the Kennedy Center suddenly cancelled or re-negotiated our engagement.”
The Kennedy Center’s governing board voted unanimously last month to elect Mr. Trump as its new chair, soon after the president unveiled plans to replace the center’s previous chairman and fill the role himself, while also removing the board of trustees. Sources told CBS News at the time that the White House quickly began filling open spots with administration officials as well as their donors and members of their families, and the Kennedy Center’s website ultimately went on to reflect those changes.
Mr. Trump has also made clear his intention to reshape the center’s productions and performances, which he views as examples of “woke culture.”
In a post on social media, Kennedy Center interim President Richard Grenell called the decision by Seller and Miranda “a publicity stunt that will backfire.” He accused Miranda of being “intolerant of people who don’t agree with him politically.”
The New York Times was first to report the cancellation.
Launched in 1971, the Kennedy Center describes itself as “the nation’s cultural center.” A “social credo” featured on its website says the center’s “objective is to invite art into the lives of all Americans and ensure it represents the cultural diversity of America.”
