‘Hamilton’ Cancels Run at Kennedy Center Amid ‘Purge by Trump Administration’
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s award-winning musical “Hamilton” was set to take over Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center for a limited run through 2026, however, amid programming changes after President Donald Trump took over as chairman of the theatre board, the engagement has now been called-off.
The show was slated to run from March 3, 2025 through April 26, 2026. However, producer Jeffrey Seller cancelled the run, noting in a lengthy statement on “Hamilton’s” social media channels that the “recent purge by the Trump Administration of both professional staff and performing arts events at or originally produced by the Kennedy Center flies in the face of everything this national cultural center represents.”
Seller noted that “political disagreement and debate are vital expressions of democracy,” however, “some institutions are sacred and should be protected from politics,” pointing to the Kennedy Center.
“The Kennedy Center was founded over 50 years ago with a sincere bipartisan spirit,” Seller said. “Indeed, it was founded during the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower, named after President John F. Kennedy, and opened in 1971 under the administration of Richard M. Nixon. The Kennedy Center was meant to be for all Americans, a place where we could all come together in celebration of the arts. Politics have never affected the presentation of thousands of shows and the display of extraordinary visual arts.”
“However, in recent weeks we have sadly seen decades of Kennedy Center neutrality be destroyed. The recent purge by the Trump Administration of both professional staff and performing arts events at or originally produced by the Kennedy Center flies in the face of everything this national cultural center represents. This spirit of nonpartisanship ended on February 7, 2025, with the firing of Kennedy Center President Deborah Rutter, the Chairman of the Board David Rubenstein, and numerous other Kennedy Center board members, as well as the cancellation of important programming. These actions bring a new spirit of partisanship to the national treasure that is the Kennedy Center.”
Seller went on to explain that his decision to cancel ‘Hamilton’ shows was not an act of protest against the Trump Administration. Instead, the cancellation is an act “against the partisan policies of the Kennedy Center as a result of his recent takeover.” He also pointed to the possibility that the Kennedy Center’s new leadership could suddenly cancel or re-negotiate the engagement.
“The actions of the new Chairman of the Board in recent weeks demonstrate that contracts and previous agreements simply cannot be trusted,” Seller said. “This is sad, because basic integrity and the rule of law have long been great American principles that help serve as a foundation for our Nation.”
The Kennedy Center has become a “beacon of nonpartisanship and celebration” over the last five decades, Seller said, though the production “cannot presently support an institution that has been forced by external forces to betray its mission as a national cultural center that fosters the free expression of art in The United States of America.
Find Seller’s full statement below:
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The Kennedy Center’s new president Richard Grenell responded to Seller’s statement with one of his own, calling Miranda “intolerant of people who don’t agree with him politically” and “it’s clear he and Sellers don’t want Republicans going to their shows.”
In addition to the cancellation of “Hamilton,” Melissa Errico revealed that she would move her World War I-themed concert from the Kennedy Center to a venue of Northern Virginia, citing concerns of seating capacity.
Last month, the Kennedy Center cancelled a planned tour of the children’s musical “Finn.” The production, which is commissioned and first premiered last year, sold-out during its initial run at the Kennedy Center. While the venue noted in a statement that its decision was a financial one, the production has been dubbed “controversial” as its themes could be portrayed as a metaphor for the LGBTQ+ community.
In addition to “Finn,” other artists have voluntarily cancelled their upcoming performances, including comedian Issa Rae and rock band Low Cut Connie. Additionally, musicians Ben Folds and Renee Fleming have resigned from their roles as artistic advisors.
News also broke last week that J6 Prison Choir — group comprised of around 20 men who were previously imprisoned for their involvement on the January 6 attack at the U.S. Capitol — will perform at the Kennedy Center. While the news was shared by Trump ally and conservative activist Steve Bannon, a representative for the Kennedy Center said that this is not “a Kennedy Center confirmed event.”
The public have spoken-out about the direction of the Kennedy Center, with many worried of its future under Trump’s leadership. The President previously said that he plans to eliminate drag shows and “woke” art at the venue, though admitted he has never actually seen a show at the institution.
In response to Trump, drag artists and community organizers are set to hold a “Rally & March for Drag” on March 8. They’ve called on the Kennedy Center Board to “reinstate queer programming” and an “end to congressional attempts at criminalizing gender non-conformity.”
