Several performances have been cancelled at DC’s Kennedy Center following President Donald Trump’s move to replace members of the board of trustees. The new board elected Trump as chair, and then announced in December that the venue is being renamed the Trump-Kennedy Center.
Some of the performers haven’t yet scheduled new area gigs. For others, it might take some traveling, but it’s still possible to see them.
Here are some of the biggest names and their closest area performances:
Hamilton
The smash musical Hamilton was set to play The Kennedy Center in March and April. So far, the closest venue for the show is at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore for March 2027.
Martha Graham Dance Company
The Martha Graham Dance Company canceled its appearance at The Kennedy Center for this spring. It was to be part of their 100th-anniversary national tour. If you’re willing to drive a bit, you can see them at the Majestic Theatre, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on February 3.
Washington National Opera
Perhaps the most visible of the defections from The Kennedy Center is the Washington National Opera. The group called the center home since 1971. It’s in the process of rescheduling shows and attempting to free their endowment from The Kennedy Center. In the meantime, they’re staging Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha and Robert Ward’s Pulitzer Prize-winning version of The Crucible at the Lisner Auditorium in March.
Artistic Director Francesca Zembello told Washingtonian that the company is in the process of signing an agreement with a new venue for a gala fundraiser. The event features Stephen Schwartz, the composer and lyricist for Godspell, Pippin and Wicked, which was set for May at The Kennedy Center.
Rhiannon Giddens
The American folk singer and musician is a winner of the Pulitzer Prize and MacArthur Fellowship. She’s performing at the George Mason University Center for the Arts in Fairfax on March 22.
Bela Fleck
Banjo revolutionary Bela Fleck canceled his appearance at The Kennedy Center set for next month. He’ll be at Goucher College in Baltimore on April 16.
Low Cut Connie
The rock band Low Cut Connie’s frontman, Adam Weiner, is performing in a solo Evening of Music and Conversation at Third Space at Shaarei Tfiloh in Baltimore on April 30.
Feature image, avmedved/stock.adobe.com
