DAVID MARCUS: Five ways to make the Trump-Kennedy Center great in 2026

Over the past fewer days, respective petulant "pick-me" performers person canceled engagements astatine the Donald Trump and John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts implicit objections to the building's caller title.

Acts specified arsenic the jazz septet, The Cookers and creation ensemble, Doug Varone and the Dancers, among others, person each pulled retired successful defiance, with Varone claiming his institution is losing $40,000 for taking its stand.

Workers instal Donald J. Trump supra the existent signage connected the Kennedy Center connected Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, successful Washington. (Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo)

But let's not kid ourselves: Varone and each of these groups volition beryllium fundraising disconnected of their anti-Trump antics for years to come.

The question is however tin the center’s president, Ric Grenell, and its committee determination guardant successful an situation successful which truthful galore artists simply garbage to play? I person 5 suggestions that could marque 2026 the champion successful the venue’s history.

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1. Name David Mamet Artistic Director

Somewhat astonishingly, the relation of creator manager does not beryllium astatine the Trump Kennedy Center. Instead, each division, beryllium it opera, oregon the symphony, has idiosyncratic leadership. This should alteration and playwright Mamet is perfectly the close antheral for the job.

Mamet has proved to beryllium the 1 blimpish arts fig who simply cannot beryllium canceled due to the fact that helium is conscionable that good. I don’t attraction however acold near an histrion is, for the accidental to look successful "Glengarry Glen Ross," they’d locomotion implicit blistery coals.

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Mamet besides has the connections to bring successful a wide scope of endowment some connected the creator and the accumulation side. There could beryllium nary amended look of the halfway today.

2. More Celebrity-Driven Straight Plays

Speaking of playwrights, the Trump Kennedy Center should determination immoderate of its accent distant from classical euphony and dance, and towards consecutive (non-musical) plays Doing truthful would let it to bargain the concealed condiment that Broadway has discovered successful the past decennary oregon so.

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A constricted tally of a classical oregon fashionable play with movie stars successful it conscionable flat-out sells. Even Samuel Beckett’s notoriously analyzable "Waiting for Godot" is afloat 8 days a week with Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter connected the boards. It's a no-brainer.

Kelsey Grammer called Donald Trump 1 of the "greatest" presidents ever. (Getty Images)

From Kelsey Grammar to James Woods, to Patricia Heaton, determination are stars who thin right, oregon who astatine slightest would not eschew making bully creation successful the sanction of politics. Five specified productions a twelvemonth would beryllium a large draw, and dissimilar musicals, consecutive plays are precise inexpensive to produce.

3. Country and Rap Musicals

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The philharmonic cannot beryllium abandoned of course, but the Trump Kennedy Center should absorption connected genres of euphony that are unfastened to each Americans ideologically, not conscionable the left. Country euphony is an evident choice, but arsenic Nicki Minaj conscionable showed from her quality astatine TPUSA alongside Erika Kirk, rap has its moderates too.

Why not a state clothesline philharmonic awash successful large modular hits? Why not the archetypal existent gangta rap musical? This ludicrous boycott from truthful galore of the aforesaid aged radical successful the philharmonic industry, specified arsenic the hams from "Hamilton," should beryllium seen arsenic an accidental to innovate, not an invitation to surrender.

4. More Rentable Theater Space

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While snobby creator elites thumb their noses astatine the accidental to look astatine the Trump Kennedy Center, determination are thousands of artists and arts companies that would beryllium ecstatic astatine the accidental and consenting to pay, wrong their means, for the chance.

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I produced theatre successful New York City for implicit a decennary and the top situation was ever uncovering affordable space. The Trump Kennedy Center could beryllium that for truthful galore artists, today, and portion galore productions whitethorn beryllium unremarkable, who knows what diamonds could beryllium developed successful a crucible of non-ideological art? This could besides instrumentality the signifier of a Trump Kennedy Center Fringe Festival.

5. More Outdoor Events

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Among its myriad charms is the information that the Trump Kennedy Center is connected a stunning crippled of onshore with breathtaking views of the Potomac, and conscionable an each astir large spot to walk a outpouring oregon summertime day oregon evening. Host plaything dancing, oregon outdoor popular concerts. Hell, big a chili cook-off. Just get radical utilized to going to the center.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is lit successful red, white, and bluish and reflected successful the Potomac River astatine dusk connected May 8, 2025, successful Washington, DC. (David Ake/Getty Images)

The existent extremity here, 1 that has not been met successful galore years, if ever, is to marque the Trump Kennedy Center a regular venue successful the repertoire of mean section denizens, not conscionable the affluent movers and shakers. Outdoor events are a fantastic mode to pull conscionable specified audiences.

If the creator elites, who hatred President Trump, and let's beryllium honest, aren’t that fond of America itself, person decided they are excessively bully for the Trump Kennedy Center, I say, "Good riddance."

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There are endless artists who would emotion this opportunity. Yes, it volition instrumentality immoderate time, arsenic it does for each creator organizations to summation a following, to go a portion of the beingness of its community. But it tin happen, and it is much than worthy trying.

The twelvemonth to marque the Trump Kennedy Center large is 2026, and it is simply a extremity that is perfectly successful reach.

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