“Hamilton” producer Jeffrey Seller released a statement saying the Tony award-winning musical will no longer return to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts amid President Trump’s takeover of the historic venue.
“Political disagreement and debate are vital expressions of democracy,” Seller wrote in the statement shared to the official “Hamilton” X account. “These basic concepts of freedom are at the very heart of ‘Hamilton’. However, some institutions are sacred and should be protected from politics. The Kennedy Center is one such institution.”
He continued, “The Kennedy Center was founded over 50 years ago with a sincere bipartisan spirit. Indeed, it was founded during the administration of President Dwight Eisenhower, named after President John F. Kennedy, and opened in 1971 under the administration of Richard M. Nixon. The Kennedy Center was meant to be for all Americans, a place where we could all come together in celebration of the arts. Politics have never affected the presentation of thousands of shows and the display of extraordinary visual arts.”
Seller went on to say that the “neutrality” of the Kennedy Center has been destroyed with Trump now at the helm, and that “recent purge by the Trump Administration” of staff and events produced or hosted at the venue “flies in the face of everything this national cultural center represents.” For that reason, Seller and his team have canceled “Hamilton’s” third run at the Kennedy Center, which was slated to take place March 3 through April 26, 2026.
“Our cancellation is also a business decision,” Seller added. “‘Hamilton’ is a large and global production, and it would simply be financially and personally devastating to the hundreds of employees of ‘Hamilton’ if the new leadership of the Kennedy Center suddenly cancelled or re-negotiated our engagement. The actions of the new Chairman of the Board in recent weeks demonstrate that contracts and previous agreements simply cannot be trusted. This is sad, because basic integrity and the rule of law have long been great American principles that help serve as a foundation for our Nation.”
Trump first announced his Kennedy Center takeover in early February, writing on his Truth Social platform that he would, “immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees,” including chairman David Rubenstein, in an effort to eliminate “drag shows, or other anti-American propaganda” from the venue’s programming. The following week, Trump said he was “unanimously” elected as the new leader of the Kennedy Center board.
