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The president of the Kennedy Center wants to seek “$1 million in damages” from a musician after a Christmas concert was canceled.
Richard Grenell threatened jazz musician Chuck Redd with legal action after he canceled his performance because of… Donald Trump had canceled the renaming of the venue.
The reason for the cancellation was the decision of the board appointed by US President Donald Trump to name the venue after Trump himself.
In a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Friday, Grenell compared Redd’s decision to “the sad intimidation tactics” used by parts of the political left.
Accusation of “intolerance”
“Their decision to withdraw at the last moment – expressly in response to the Center’s recent renaming that honors President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to save this national heritage site – is classic intolerance. And very costly for a nonprofit arts institution,” Grenell wrote.
“Unfortunately, your action falls in line with the sad intimidation tactics used by certain elements of the left. Those who have attempted to intimidate artists into boycotting performances at our national cultural center.”
Claim for damages
Grenell said the letter served as “official notice” that they would be “seeking $1 million in damages” from Redd. He described the cancellation of the concert as a “political stunt.”
Redd did not immediately respond to ROLLING STONE’s request for comment.
Traditional Christmas jazz concert
For more than two decades, the Kennedy Center – officially known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts before recent changes – has hosted the Christmas Eve Jazz Jam. Redd has led this event since 2006.
A week before the scheduled Christmas Eve performance, the center’s board of trustees, hand-picked by Trump, voted unanimously to rename the formerly prestigious institution the Trump Kennedy Center. A controversial and possibly illegal decision.
Redd publicly explains the cancellation
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and a few hours later on the building itself, I decided to cancel our concert,” Redd told the Associated Press on Dec. 24.
At least 26 performances have been canceled since Trump appointed himself chairman of the Kennedy Center in early February. Including 15 by the planned artists themselves.
More prominent cancellations
Issa Rae canceled her show scheduled for February 14th. She justified this as “an infringement on the values of an institution that has always celebrated artists of all backgrounds and forms of expression.” On February 13th, the Philadelphia rock and soul band Low Cut Connie fronted by Adam Weiner canceled their concert planned for March 19th.
The following month, the band Guster protested changes at the Kennedy Center – including the cancellation of performances of the LGBTQ+ musical Finn – by having the cast of Finn perform onstage during their concert.
Impact on future seasons
The consequences of the changes at the once respected institution also affect the schedule for the coming year. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeffrey Seller planned to bring Hamilton to the Kennedy Center in 2026. However, they canceled the series of performances.
“The Kennedy Center was not created in that spirit. And we will not be a part of it as long as it is the Trump Kennedy Center. We simply will not be a part of it,” they said.