The highly successful Broadway musical Hamilton has decided against performing at the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington next year. This decision comes in response to Donald Trump’s recent changes to the leadership of the art institution.

In a statement, producer Jeffrey Seller expressed that the show cannot in good conscience participate in the new culture being imposed on the Kennedy Center. The musical, created by Lin-Manuel Miranda, has been a mega-hit, winning numerous awards including the Tony Award for Best New Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Hamilton previously performed at the Kennedy Center in 2018 during Trump’s first administration and again in 2022 when Joe Biden was president. The show was scheduled to return from March to April next year, but those plans are now off.

Seller emphasized that the decision is not against the Trump administration itself, but rather against the partisan policies being implemented at the Kennedy Center as a result of Trump’s takeover. This move is seen as part of Trump’s broader campaign against “woke” culture.

Other artists such as Issa Rae and Rhiannon Giddens have also canceled their scheduled events at the Kennedy Center in protest. Singer-songwriter Victoria Clark went ahead with her performance but wore a T-shirt with an anti-Trump message.

This is not the first time Hamilton has taken a political stance. In 2016, the cast addressed Mike Pence, then the vice-president-elect, during a curtain call appeal, asking the incoming Trump administration to uphold American values.

The Kennedy Center, funded by both the government and private donations, is a popular destination attracting millions of visitors each year. The complex includes various venues such as a concert hall, opera house, theater, lecture hall, meeting spaces, and a “millennium stage” for free shows.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/mar/05/hamilton-musical-kennedy-center-trump