Alt Kennedy Center

George Strait, KISS, Michael Crawford

This doesn’t happen in America. This is what happens in dictatorships, when federal agents silence lawmakers for asking questions. A sitting U.S. Senator was physically removed and restrained by his own government. That’s not just a breach of protocol, it’s a warning sign.

😂

100%

And he’s not Javert or Valjean. He’s Thénardier.

The cheers you hear are from the 500+ WH and MAGA staffers who were given free tickets to attend and “drown out the boos”.

Fun fact - the new KC leaders gave 500+ seats for free to WH and MAGA staffers with instructions to cheer loudly enough to drown out the boos….

How it’s going.

Trump Crony Did Not Want to Answer Yasmin Williams' Kennedy Center Shake-Up Questions Yasmin Williams called out Trump's interim Kennedy Center director for his 'unprofessional' responses to questions about changes at the institution.

Guitarist Yasmin Williams Had Questions about the Kennedy Center Shake-Up

The interim director Richard Grenell, gave "unprofessional" responses.

Absolutely proud of you all! HUG! So far, 3.1 million protesters counted today — that’s nearly 1% of the U.S. population! Photos are flooding social media everywhere. Still waiting on more numbers to come in.

EXCLUSIVE: After Kennedy Center cancels LGBTQ+ musical, Guster brings cast on stage in protest Finn's run at the storied DC venue was axed after Trump took over.

EXCLUSIVE: Tonight at the Kennedy Center, Guster brought on cast members from Finn, an LGBTQ+ kids musical that was recently canceled when Trump took over the center. They performed the band’s song “Hard Times” to a standing ovation.

Full story, exclusive quotes and video on The Handbasket:

Trump Seeks More Sway in Picking Kennedy Center Honorees The president, who recently had himself installed as the center’s chairman, has called a meeting of its board to approve changes that would give him more input in the process.

“Mr. Trump’s push to expand his influence over the Honors program is part of a broader campaign to reshape the Kennedy Center’s cultural identity. Promising a “Golden Age in Arts and Culture,” Mr. Trump has vowed to rid the center of “woke” influences, drag shows and “anti-American propaganda.”“

Gaga, Britney, and a Moldovan Oligarch: A Cultural History of Ric Grenell, Trump’s Man at the Kennedy Center The capital’s premier performing arts center is sitting dead center in the culture war crosshairs. What can its new, Trump-loving leader’s previous arts patronage tell us about plans to de-“wokey” the...

Who is Ric Grenell?

‘Hamilton’ Cancels Kennedy Center Run Over Trump’s Takeover “We’re not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center,” its creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, said after President Trump made himself chairman of the center.

Mr. Seller said the “Hamilton” team believed that Mr. Trump “took away our national arts center for all of us…The Kennedy Center is for all of us, and it pains me deeply that they took it over and changed that. They said it’s not for all of us.”

Trump guts Kennedy Center while JFK's disgraceful nephew stays silent | Opinion It's hard to imagine a greater betrayal of his uncle's legacy than remaining silent as Trump, his boss, tears apart the national cultural center.

How it started: In 1962 as bipartisan when JFK named Jackie Kennedy and Mamie Eisenhower honorary co-chairs of a fundraising drive for a national cultural center. How it's going: Trump did a hostile MAGA takeover and RFK Jr. did nothing. By @stevenpetrow.bsky.social www.usatoday.com/story/opinio...

FINN Musical Will Be Performed at Town Hall Following Kennedy Center Cancellation A special performance of Finn is coming to the Town Hall in New York City next month, presented by Stars in the House. Finn was originally set to be performed at the Kennedy Center but was recently cancelled.

Andrew Rannells, Andrea Martin, Kelli O'Hara, Lea Salonga, Bonnie Milligan, Jessie Mueller, and more have joined a one-night-only performance of Finn, after the musical's Kennedy Center-produced tour was canceled. www.broadwayworld.com/article/FINN-Musica...

❤️💔

‘Not what we signed up for’: inside Trump’s ‘shocking’ Kennedy Center takeover The esteemed bipartisan cultural institution has fallen into the hands of the returning president leading to chaos, confusion and a celebrity exodus

“This coup is antithetical to the founding of the institution…It’s an attack on freedom of expression and speech. It’s repressive. It’s unAmerican.”

Some performers canceled their Kennedy Center shows. Here's why W. Kamau Bell didn't Comedian W. Kamau Bell speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about his decision to perform at the Kennedy Center after President Donald Trump assumed the organization's chairmanship.

Comedian W. Kamau Bell speaks with NPR's Michel Martin about his decision to perform at the Kennedy Center after President Donald Trump assumed the organization's chairmanship.

They called this stolen light the golden age.

YouTube video by NPR Former Kennedy Center president Deborah Rutter talks about dismissal | All Things Considered | NPR

Much like our democracy itself, artistic expression must be nurtured, fostered, prioritized, and protected.