Kennedy Center reps attack artist who canceled Christmas recital after renaming building after Trump
Representatives of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts, unofficially renamed the “Donald Trump and John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” slammed a musician who canceled his concert in protest.
Donald Trump/PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Musician Chuck Redd, who has headlined the annual Christmas Eve event since 2006, was accused by the center's president, Richard Grenell, of creating a “political show” costly, canceling the recital at the last minute, writes the Daily Beast.
“Your decision to withdraw at the last minute — explicitly in response to the Center's recent name changes honoring President Trump for his extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure — is a classic example of intolerance and is costing a non-profit arts institution dearly.”said the letter, obtained by The Associated Press.
“This is official notice that we will be seeking $1 million in damages for this political spectacle.”
Chuck Redd, a standout jazz musician who has performed alongside legends such as Charlie Byrd and Dizzy Gillespie, has canceled his Christmas Eve recital at the Kennedy Center in protest of President Donald Trump's unofficial renaming of the center.
He thus joins other artists and organizations that have distanced themselves from the prestigious center inaugurated in 1971 as a memorial to John F. Kennedy.
Donald Trump, who took issue with the center's LGBTQ programs earlier in the year, fired the board and installed a new one, which quickly named the center president — a position he used to align the arts program with the administration's agenda.
Actress, writer and producer Issa Rae was one of the people who canceled her attendance at the Kennedy Center after the center came under Trump's control.
“Due to what I consider to be a violation of the values of an institution that has faithfully celebrated artists of all backgrounds and backgrounds, I have decided to cancel my appearance at this venue,” she wrote in response to the takeover in February.
In the letter to Redd, Grenell satirizes the Maryland School of Music lecturer, accusing him of under-performing the center's program and at the same time causing significant costs by his late withdrawal.
“The most avant-garde and acclaimed performers of your genre will continue to perform regularly and, unlike you, will play to packed houses regardless of the audience's political orientation”Grenell wrote.
“True artists perform for everyone, regardless of the audience's political affiliation”he continued.
The 59-year-old diplomat, known for his sour demeanor, took legal action against Redd, exemplifying how the Trump administration threatens critical artists.
Trump has previously targeted comedians for their jokes, threatened TV stations for negative news and is now suing publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the BBC.
