Kennedy Center releases list of some performances canceled in last 6 months

Weeks after President Donald Trump fired the board of supervisors for the Kennedy Center and installed himself as the chair, dozens of performances at D.C.'s arts center have been canceled.

The Kennedy Center released a list of some of those canceled performances late Thursday night, "in the spirit of transparency and due to the litany of misinformation being spread in the press," according to the official statement from Roma Daravaci, vice president of the Kennedy Center's public relations arm.

The list of performances is "a complete account of program cancellations over the last 6 months," according to the release and includes 26 scheduled performances at the Kennedy Center that were canceled or postponed.

Here's that list of shows, dates and reasons for cancellation, in its entirety:

• "VOICES: Nadine Sierra," scheduled for Nov. 10, 2024 — "Cancelled due to artist illness"
• "WNO: Macbeth," scheduled for Nov. 23, 2024 — "one show cancelled due to fire/flood"
• "Shear Madness", scheduled to take place from Jan. 8 to Feb. 29, 2025 — "Cancelled due to theatre repairs." The list includes Feb. 29 as a date for the show's run, though 2025 is not a leap year.
• "NEMR," scheduled for Feb. 7 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "Megan Gailey," scheduled for Feb. 8— "Cancelled due to low ticket sales"
• "R&B Love Songs Edition," scheduled for Feb. 13 — "Cancelled by producer"
• "Shear Madness," scheduled for Feb. 24 and 26, and for March 6, 12 and 13 — "Cancelled for low sales." The duplicate February cancellation dates for the same show were not explained.
• "Balún," scheduled for Feb. 27 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "Eureka Day," scheduled to take place from March 4 to March 22 — "Cancelled by producer due to financial reasons"
• "RIOT!" scheduled for March 6 — "Cancelled due to artist availability"
• "An evening with Issa Rae," scheduled for March 16 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "Blacks in Wax," scheduled for March 15 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "Lowcut Connie," scheduled for Mach 19 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "Peter Wolf (Book Launch)," scheduled for March 21 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "Samhot," scheduled for March 21 — "One show cancelled due to low ticket sales"
• "Skipper the Seal," another book launch, scheduled for March 22 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "Arts & Wellbeing Panel," scheduled for March 26 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "Amanda Rheaume," scheduled for April 5 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "Bard and the Beat II," scheduled for April 18 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "Saigon Nights," scheduled for April 19 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "Bring Them Home (Film)," scheduled for April 20 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "National Youth Poet Laureate Commemoration," scheduled for April 26 — "Cancelled by artist"
• "NSO: A Peacock Among Pigeons," scheduled for May 20 and 21 — "Cancelled for financial reasons"
• "Maria João Pires," scheduled for May 27 — "Postponed to following season"
• "Bluey," scheduled to take place from July 8 to July 20 — "Postponed to following season"
• "Hamilton," scheduled to take place from March through April 2026 — "Cancelled by producer"

News4 reached out to the press email listed on the release to ask for clarification on the "financial reasons" given for the "A Peacock Among Pigeons" performance by the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, which was scheduled to take place during WorldPride. The Kennedy Center has not yet responded.

The Gay Men's Chorus had been set to perform alongside the National Symphony Orchestra in May, but the show was canceled just days after the board of supervisors switch-up.

A spokesperson for the group, in a statement released the Tuesday after that switch-up, said the group learned of the cancellation over that weekend.

"While we are saddened by the decision, we are committed to this work and to our mission and raising our voices for equality for all," a public statement from the choir says in part.

"We will continue to advocate for artistic expression that reflects the depth and diversity of our community and country. And we will continue to sing and raise our voices for equality."

Though the Kennedy Center statement says "the only shows under the Kennedy Center programming umbrella that we have cancelled since February 12th were due to lack of sales or artist availability," the statement does not include the reasons given by some of the artists for cancelling or pulling out of their shows.

Several of those artists released statements on their own websites or social media accounts stating they made their decisions in reaction to Trump's takeover.

Actress Issa Rae announced on Instagram on Feb. 13, the day after Trump appointed 14 new members to the Kennedy Center board, that she was pulling her appearance.

"Hey D.C. Fam," she began the post to her Instagram story. "Thank you so much for selling out the Kennedy Center for "An Evening With [Me]." Unfortunately, due to what I believe to be an infringement on the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds through all mediums, I've decided to cancel my appearance at this venue."

Rae added that all tickets to the canceled event would be refunded. The show had been sold out.

On March 5, producer Jeffrey Seller of the megahit Broadway show "Hamilton" announced that the musical would not perform at the Kennedy Center in 2026 as planned, citing "this new culture" as the reason.

“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 his statement.

It would have been the show's third run at the Kennedy Center.

The list also omitted some canceled performances, such as the one by award-winning singer-musician Rhiannon Giddens scheduled to take place on May 11.

"I have decided to cancel my show at The Kennedy Center on May 11, 2025 and move it to The Anthem,” she wrote on social media, referring to the venue at The Wharf. “The Kennedy Center show was booked long before the current administration decided to take over this previously bipartisan institution.”

A book launch for "The Black Wolf," a new book by Canadian author Louise Penny, was also canceled by the author in the wake of Trump's takeover. That event cancellation was also omitted from the Kennedy Center list.

"I was supposed to launch THE BLACK WOLF at the Kennedy Center in DC, but in the wake of Trump taking over, I have pulled out," Penny said in a Feb. 14 post to Facebook. "It was, of course, going to be a career highlight. But there are things far more important than that."

Penny has since canceled all of her U.S. appearances in protest of the tariffs imposed against Canada.