New Regime's KenCen Coming Out Party: Update

This story was posted on June 10. The event went off as planned. 

June 11 will represent an official kickoff for the new Kennedy Center regime when Donald Trump and legions of supporters gather for a performance of Les Misérables. Billed as a fundraiser, Gold Tier patrons pay as much as $2 million for a reception, “premier seating” for ten, and a photo opportunity with the president.

There is little doubt that the Kennedy Center is a much different institution now than it was four short months ago, when Trump dismissed Center president Deborah Rutter and board chair David Rubenstein, remade the board, and had himself elected chair. Since then around 40 employees have been fired or laid off and, according to a spokesperson for a nascent labor movement within the institution, another 50 or so have quit.

Under Richard Grenell’s tutelage, senior management has insisted the current financial condition of the KenCen is perilous. New CFO Donna Arduin sent an email to all staff claiming that leadership had inherited a “difficult reality” with a large operating deficit and “no cash to pay our bills.” In late May Deborah Rutter, Grenell’s predecessor, fired back, insisting that the current fiscal year budget was on track to balance, the endowment was positioned to grow significantly, and nearly $10 million was in place as a reserve fund.

The possibility of a major infusion of capital funds to address the infrastructure of the 54-year-old building may be the one positive note to be found in Trump’s takeover. A House committee has proposed an allocation of $257 million for the Kennedy Center, almost six times the usual $43 million for bricks and mortar.

Discussions with Mideast countries such as Qatar are apparently underway about funding some of the renovations, and the board has suggested building a dock on the Potomac so boaters can listen from their yachts.

Programming the building poses a far larger challenge to Grenell & Co. The more than 2,000 events presented annually were a major revenue generator. Current ticket sales are lagging well behind last year’s totals—about 36 percent, or $1.6 million—which may be in part due to the cancellation of some events and the refusal by some artists to perform. Christian-themed programs are in the ascendant, with Grenell touting plans to “put Christ back in Christmas,” hiring a director of faith-based programming, and presenting The King of Kings, an animated tale of Christ’s life, complete with a prayer wall sponsored by the Museum of the Bible.

While the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington National Opera thus far seem to have kept Grenell et al at arm’s length, other signature events like the Kennedy Center Honors are likely to fall under his (and Trump’s) sway. Grennell has suggested Radio City Rockettes as a recipient.

It is hard to parse what the Kennedy Center will look like at the end of Trump’s second term. But there is little cause for optimism when Grenell proclaims he is “proud to be a small part of a team where the boss eschews partisan politics in favor of putting American culture, heritage, and excellence first.”  Hardly.

Wall Street Journal