"The Cookers, a jazz supergroup that has performed together for nearly two decades, announced their withdrawal from "A Jazz New Year's Eve" on their website, saying the "decision has come together very quickly" and acknowledging frustration from those who may have planned to attend. Doug Varone and Dancers, a dance group based in New York, said in an Instagram post late Monday they would pull out of a performance slated for April, saying they "can no longer permit ourselves nor ask our audiences to step inside this once great institution.""
"Those moves come after musician Chuck Redd canceled a Christmas Eve performance last week. They also come amid declining sales for tickets to the venue, as well as news that viewership for the Dec. 23 broadcast of the Kennedy Center Honors which Trump had predicted would soar was down by about 35% compared to the 2024 show. The announcements amount to a volatile calendar for one of the most prominent performing arts venues in the U.S. and cap a year of tension in which Trump ousted the Kennedy Center board and named himself the institution's chairman."
"The Kennedy Center is ending the year with a new round of artists saying they are canceling scheduled performances after President Donald Trump's name was added to the facility, prompting the institution's president to accuse the performers of making their decisions because of politics."
Several artists announced cancellations of scheduled Kennedy Center performances following the addition of President Donald Trump's name to the facility and his appointment as chairman. The Cookers withdrew from a New Year's Eve jazz event and expressed concern for audience experience. Doug Varone and Dancers pulled out of an April engagement, citing unwillingness to invite audiences into what they called a once great institution. Chuck Redd also canceled a holiday performance. Ticket sales and viewership have declined, with the Dec. 23 Honors broadcast down roughly 35% from 2024, reflecting an unsettled season and broader tensions after the board ouster.
Read at www.npr.org
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