Less than a year after taking over the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and appointing himself chairman, President Trump has announced that the venue will shut down for two years, beginning July 4, to undergo a major renovation.
“This important decision … will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music and Entertainment, far better than it has ever been before,” Trump wrote Sunday on his social media website.
The announcement came in the wake of a cascade of Trump-initiated changes for the center that began in mid-December when its board voted to rename the venue the Trump-Kennedy Center and quickly added the president’s name above Kennedy’s on the building’s exterior.
Prominent artists soon began canceling performances, including jazz drummer Chuck Redd, who pulled out of a Christmas Eve show, and the jazz group the Cookers, which canceled two New Year’s Eve performances.
Additional cancellations included banjo player Béla Fleck and “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz, who announced he no longer intended to host a May 15 gala at the center. Opera star Renée Fleming soon followed, although scheduling conflicts were the reason given.
There was also the stunning news last month that the Washington National Opera’s board approved a resolution to leave the venue, which it has occupied since 1971.
Last week brought a new low for the center’s calendar when renowned composer Philip Glass added his name to the growing list of protest cancellations. Glass sent a letter to the Kennedy Center board saying that he would no longer stage June’s world premiere of Symphony No. 15 “Lincoln” at the center.
“Symphony No. 15 is a portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and the values of the Kennedy Center today are in direct conflict with the message of the Symphony. Therefore, I feel an obligation to withdraw this Symphony premiere from the Kennedy Center under its current leadership,” Glass wrote in the letter, which was shared with The Times.
The National Symphony Orchestra had commissioned the piece and appeared to be caught off guard by Glass’ announcement. Executive Director Jean Davidson said the orchestra only learned of the news at the same time as the press.
Arts watchers soon began wondering about the orchestra’s future at the center. Would it leave like the Washington National Opera? Roma Daravi, Kennedy Center head of communications, said that wasn’t a possibility.
“The relationship is strong, and we have a wonderful season here with Maestro [Gianandrea Noseda] in his 10th year leading the NSO,” Daravi wrote in an email, noting the “record-breaking success at the recent Gala benefiting the NSO which launched the new season. The event raised $3.45 million, marking an all-time fundraising record for the organization.”
Daravi’s email did not hint at the prospect of the center closing. Trump also did not appear to be leaning in that direction early last week when he posted on his social media site that he was intent on bettering the arts complex.
“People don’t realize that the Trump Kennedy Center suffered massive deficits for many years and, like everything else, I merely came in to save it, and, if possible, make it far better than ever before!” Trump wrote.
In Sunday’s post announcing the Kennedy Center’s imminent closure, Trump didn’t acknowledge the recent cancellations, nor did he make mention of myriad reports that ticket sales at the venue had been plummeting. He simply said the closure would result in extraordinary results.
“[I]f we don’t close, the quality of Construction will not be nearly as good, and the time to completion, because of interruptions with Audiences from the many Events using the Facility, will be much longer. The temporary closure will produce a much faster and higher quality result!” Trump wrote.
It remains unclear whether the National Symphony Orchestra will perform elsewhere during the closure. The orchestra did not immediately respond to a request for comment.