On Wednesday, the producers of the Tony Award-winning musical "Hamilton" announced the cancellation of its spring 2026 run at the Kennedy Center, citing the Center's recent politicization as the paramount factor behind their decision. Jeff Seller elaborated, stating that "the spirit of nonpartisanship expired on February 7th" when President Donald Trump dismissed former President Deborah Rutter and appointed himself as chairman, replacing the esteemed billionaire donor David Rubenstein.
"In 2018, 'Hamilton' proudly graced the Kennedy Center's stage during the first Trump administration," Seller penned in a statement to X. "Our actions are not directed against his administration but rather against the partisan leanings imposed upon the Kennedy Center following his recent takeover."
Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of the musical, echoed this sentiment during a joint interview with Seller on Wednesday. "This latest maneuver by Trump signifies that it is no longer the Kennedy Center we once knew," he asserted. "The Kennedy Center was not conceived in such a partisan spirit, and we refuse to be associated with it while it bears the Trump moniker. Quite simply, we will not participate."
Since Trump's assumption of control over the Kennedy Center, numerous artists have rescinded their performance commitments, including Issa Rae, the rock band Low Cut Connie, and Pulitzer Prize-winning singer Rhiannon Giddens. Executive producer Shonda Rhimes stepped down as the center's treasurer, while opera singer and actress Renee Fleming resigned her position as artistic advisor in protest of Trump's self-appointment.
"The Kennedy Center was intended to be a sanctuary for all Americans, a place where we could collectively celebrate the arts," Seller continued in his statement. "Politics have historically remained divorced from the thousands of performances and extraordinary visual arts exhibitions held there."
"However, in recent weeks, we have witnessed with sorrow the dismantling of decades of Kennedy Center neutrality," he lamented. Trump had purged several Democratic members from the bipartisan board of directors, filling it instead with his own loyal supporters.
Seller further noted that the decision to cancel "Hamilton's" third engagement at the Kennedy Center was also a preemptive measure to safeguard the hundreds of employees who might suffer should the new leadership cancel the production for promoting what Trump might deem as "woke culture."
"Regardless of the political landscape, I have always felt a sense of belonging at the Kennedy Center, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who has contributed over the past five decades to making it a symbol of nonpartisanship and artistic celebration," Seller added. "Yet, we cannot currently lend our support to an institution that has been compelled by external forces to betray its mission as a national cultural hub fostering free artistic expression in the United States of America."
