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  • The Kennedy Center has added Trump’s name to the memorial Congress created for John F. Kennedy – WTOP News

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    The Kennedy Center started the work of adding Donald Trump’s name to the building on Friday, a day after the president’s handpicked board voted to do so.

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    Kennedy Center starts work on renaming

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center on Friday quickly added Donald Trump’s name to the performing arts center Congress designated as a living memorial to John F. Kennedy, a day after the center’s board of trustees voted to make the change.

    Blue tarps were hung in front of the building to obscure workers on scaffolding as they executed the transformation. Hours later it had a new name: The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

    The board of trustees, handpicked by Trump, voted unanimously Thursday to add his name to what was enshrined as a living memorial to the Democratic president. Trump, a Republican, also is the board’s chairman. The Kennedy Center said the vote recognized Trump’s work to revitalize the institution.

    Critics of the vote, including Democratic members of Congress who are ex-officio board members, as well as some historians, insist that only Congress can change the name.

    “The Kennedy Center was named by law. To change the name would require a revision of that 1964 law,” Ray Smock, a former House historian, said in an email. “The Kennedy Center board is not a lawmaking entity. Congress makes laws.”

    Congress named the performing arts center as a living memorial to Kennedy in 1964, the year after he was assassinated. The law explicitly prohibits the board of trustees from making the center into a memorial to anyone else, and from putting another person’s name on the building’s exterior.

    Some Kennedy family members oppose the renaming. Kerry Kennedy, a niece of John F. Kennedy, said in a social post on X that she will remove Trump’s name herself when his term ends.

    “Three years and one month from today, I’m going to grab a pickax and pull those letters off that building, but I’m going to need help holding the ladder. Are you in?” she wrote on a photo of the center’s new name. “Applying for my carpenter’s card today, so it’ll be a union job!!!”

    The Kennedy Center is the latest building in Washington to have Trump’s name added to it. The U.S. Institute of Peace was recently renamed after him.

    The Kennedy Center did not respond to an emailed request for comment Friday.

    ——

    AP National Writer Hillel Italie in New York contributed to this report.

    Copyright
    © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

    Tarps are installed in front of the sign on the Kennedy Center on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington.
    (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

    AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

    Trump Kennedy Center
    A worker drills holes near letters being installed above the signage on the Kennedy Center on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington.
    (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

    AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

    Trump Kennedy Center
    Tarps are installed in front of the sign on the Kennedy Center on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington.
    (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

    AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

    Kennedy Center
    Workers working on the Kennedy Center signage on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.
    (WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

    WTOP/Jimmy Alexander

    Trump Kennedy Center
    Tarps are installed in front of the sign on the Kennedy Center on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington.
    (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

    AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

    Workers on a forklift stand near the letters "The Donald" above the signage on the Kennedy Center on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
    Workers on a forklift stand near the letters “The Donald” above the signage on the Kennedy Center on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington.
    (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

    AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

    Kennedy Center
    A close-up of workers on a forklift working on thee Kennedy Center signage on Friday, Dec. 19, 2025.
    (WTOP/Jimmy Alexander)

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  • Trump’s handpicked board votes to rename Washington performing arts center the Trump Kennedy Center – WTOP News

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    President Donald Trump’s handpicked board voted Thursday to rename Washington’s leading performing arts center as the Trump-Kennedy Center, the White House said.

    President Donald Trump talks to the media while walking the red carpet before the 48th Kennedy Center Honors, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)(AP/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s handpicked board voted Thursday to rename Washington’s leading performing arts center as the Trump Kennedy Center, the White House said, in a move that made Democrats fume, saying the board had overstepped its legal authority.

    Congress named the center after President John F. Kennedy in 1964, after his assassination. Donald A. Ritchie, who served as Senate historian from 2009-2015, said that because Congress had first named the center it would be up to Congress to “amend the law.”

    Ritchie said that while Trump and others can “informally” refer to the center by a different name, they couldn’t do it in a way “that would (legally) stick.”

    But the board did not wait for that debate to play out, immediately changing the branding on its website to reflect the new name.

    Since returning to office in January, Trump has made the center a touchstone in a broader attack against what he has lambasted as “woke” anti-American culture.

    House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries told reporters that a name change requires legislative action.

    “Only Congress can rename the Kennedy Center,” said the New York Democrat, who serves on the board as an ex officio member because of his position in Congress.

    Trump has teased the name change for some time

    Roma Daravi, a spokesperson for the center, said its board voted unanimously for the new name: The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

    White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the vote on social media, attributing it to the “unbelievable work” she said Trump has done on the center since he returned to office in January.

    Trump, a Republican who’s chairman of the board, said he was honored.

    “The board is a very distinguished board, most distinguished people in the country, and I was surprised by it and I was honored by it,” he said at the White House.

    Trump had already been referring to the center as the “Trump Kennedy Center.” Asked Dec. 7 as he walked the red carpet for the Kennedy Center Honors program whether he would rename the venue after himself, Trump said such a decision would be up to the board.

    Earlier this month, he talked about a “big event” happening at the “Trump Kennedy Center” before saying, “excuse me, at the Kennedy Center,” as his audience laughed. He was referring to the FIFA World Cup soccer draw for 2026, in which he participated.

    Kennedy family members aren’t on board with it

    The board vote did not sit well with some of the Kennedys.

    Maria Shriver, a niece of John F. Kennedy, said it is “beyond comprehension” that Trump has sought to add his name to the memorial to her uncle and “beyond wild” that he would think doing so is acceptable. “It is not,” she said in a social media post.

    Shriver said Kennedy was a president who brought the arts into the White House and she speculated that Trump might next seek to rename John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York or any of the other memorials to presidents in Washington.

    Earlier this year, Trump renovated the Kennedy-era Rose Garden at the White House to replace the lawn with paving stones.

    In his own post on the social platform X, Shriver’s brother, Tim Shriver, called the renaming an “insult to a great president.”

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is cousins with the Shrivers, serves in Trump’s Cabinet as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services.

    Congressional reaction breaks along party lines

    Republicans approved of the vote while Democrats denounced it.

    Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is close to Trump, called it a “well-deserved honor” for the president “because he has poured his heart and soul into refurbishing and revitalizing” the institution.

    Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, another ex officio board member, said she participated in the meeting remotely and was muted when she tried to voice her concerns about the vote. “This is just another attempt to evade the law and not let the people have a say,” she said.

    In response, Daravi said the entire board was invited to attend in person “and the privilege of listening in on the meeting was granted to all members, even those without a vote,” such as Beatty.

    Beatty is among a group of non-voting Democratic lawmakers serving on the board who said the vote was illegal.

    A bill introduced in Congress in July by Rep. Bob Order, R-Mo., — if passed and signed into law — would designate the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts as the Donald J. Trump Center for the Performing Arts. The House transportation committee has yet to take up the bill.

    Trump is more focused on the Kennedy Center

    Trump showed scant interest in the Kennedy Center during his first term as president, but since returning to office in January he has replaced board members appointed by Democratic presidents with some of his most ardent supporters, who then elected him as board chairman.

    He has criticized the center’s past programming as too liberal and current physical appearance and has vowed to overhaul both.

    Trump secured more than $250 million from the Republican-controlled Congress for renovations of the building, including the promise of fresh paint, new seats in the theaters and other upgrades.

    He attended opening night of the musical “Les Misérables,” and last week he served as host of the Kennedy Center Honors program after not attending the show during his first term as president. The awards program is scheduled to be broadcast by CBS and Paramount+ on Dec. 23.

    Sales of subscription packages are said to have declined since Trump’s takeover of the center, and several touring productions, including “Hamilton,” have canceled planned runs there. Rows of empty seats have been seen in the Concert Hall during performances by the National Symphony Orchestra.

    Some performers, including actor Issa Rae and musician Rhiannon Giddens, have scrapped scheduled appearances, and Kennedy Center consultants including musician Ben Folds and singer Renée Fleming have resigned.

    ___

    AP National Writer Hillel Italie in New York and Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Mary Clare Jalonick and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed to this report.

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    © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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  • Board of Kennedy Center votes to change its name to Trump-Kennedy Center, White House says

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    Washington — The Kennedy Center’s Board of Trustees voted to rename the performing arts institution the Trump-Kennedy Center, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Thursday.

    “I have just been informed that the highly respected Board of the Kennedy Center, some of the most successful people from all parts of the world, have just voted unanimously to rename the Kennedy Center to the Trump-Kennedy Center, because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building. Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation,” Leavitt wrote on X.

    Mr. Trump moved to put his stamp on the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts soon after he returned to the White House for his second term. He removed Democratic-appointed members of its board and installed his allies and administration officials to the panel. The board also consists of local and federal officials, as well as members of the House and Senate from both parties. Trustees serve six-year terms. 

    Mr. Trump also tapped Richard Grenell, who worked in the first Trump administration, as the Kennedy Center’s president.

    The board in February selected Mr. Trump to serve as its chairman. 

    Among the members appointed by the president are White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, Attorney General Pam Bondi and second lady Usha Vance. 

    Mr. Trump told reporters at the White House that he was “honored” and “surprised” by the vote, and praised the board as “very distinguished.” 

    “We’re saving the building. We saved the building,” he said. “Now it’s very solid, very strong.”

    Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat who serves on the Board of Trustees, disputed that the vote to rename the Kennedy Center was unanimous, as Leavitt said. She wrote on X that she “was muted on the call and not allowed to speak or voice my opposition to this move. Also for the record, this was not on the agenda.”

    “Clearly the Congress has a say in this,” she said in a video shared to X. “This center, The Kennedy Center, was created by the Congress. I think it’s important for us to know that this is just another attempt to evade the law and not let the people have a say.”

    Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the move.

    “At a time when costs are at an all-time high and Americans are paying more and getting less, Trump proves once again that he cares about his ego — not your family,” he wrote on X.

    Mr. Trump had pledged to make “a lot of changes” to the Kennedy Center, “including the seats, the decor, pretty much everything.”

    The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts was established by Congress as a national center for performing arts as a living memorial to the late President John F. Kennedy and opened its doors in 1971. It honors achievements in music, theater and dance each year with its honors ceremony. The Kennedy Center Honors, which Mr. Trump hosted, was broadcast on CBS television stations and Paramount+ earlier this month.

    The law establishing the Kennedy Center restricts “additional memorials or plaques in the nature of memorials” to be designated or installed.

    Because the Kennedy Center was created by Congress, any change to its name would appear to require approval from lawmakers. Still, Mr. Trump from sought to unilaterally make sweeping changes to other federal entities that would require congressional action.

    The president in September signed an executive order to begin the process of renaming the Department of Defense to the Department of War. The directive allowed the Pentagon to start using Department of War as a “secondary title” and let Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth use the title of secretary of war.

    Mr. Trump also signed an executive order in March that sought to dismantle the Department of Education. Fully eliminating the agency would require an act of Congress.

    House Republicans have already proposed renaming the Kennedy Center’s opera house after first lady Melania Trump.

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  • Democratic senator clashes with Ric Grenell over Kennedy Center operations

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    Washington — Kennedy Center president Ric Grenell and Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island are clashing over the center’s spending and operations records, after Trump allies were appointed to key roles at the Kennedy Center earlier this year, and President Trump was elected chairman of the board.

    In a letter to Grenell, Whitehouse said that under Grenell’s stewardship, “The Center is being looted to the tune of millions of dollars in foregone revenue, cancelled programming, unpaid use of its facilities, and wasteful spending on luxury restaurants and hotels.” He called it “an unprecedented pattern of self-dealing, favoritism, and waste.” 

    At one point, Whitehouse alleged that the Kennedy Center had let FIFA use the space for free, waiving its rental fee. On Friday, the center told the Associated Press that it would actually receive $7.4 million in connection with the FIFA event.

    Grenell posted a long letter on X that responded to Whitehouse’s accusations, point by point: “.@SenWhitehouse just stepped in it,” Grenell wrote. “He attacked the Kennedy Center with outrageous claims. So we responded with the facts.”

    Grenell said when he arrived at the Kennedy Center, it was “paying a bloated staff with our future debt reserves account,” but “today, and for the first time in decades, we have a balanced budget at the Kennedy Center.” 

    Grenell also denied the center has “cancelled shows,” but instead said that he has “installed a break-even policy for programming” and rentals. Grenell said that if ticket sales won’t cover a program, it won’t be confirmed unless the cost shortfall is covered by a sponsor or donor.

    Whitehouse, citing records his committee staff obtained about the center, accused the former acting director of national intelligence of using the center as a “playground for the president of the United States and his allies” and requested a slew of records from Grenell regarding the Kennedy Center’s financial management. 

    Whitehouse is the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which has oversight responsibility for the Kennedy Center and authorizes its federal funding. Since Democrats are in the minority in the Senate, Whitehouse is only able to request information from Grenell. Only Republicans have subpoena power. It remains to be seen whether Grenell will provide any more information to Whitehouse, beyond his social media post.

    He asked for material on the Kennedy Center’s financial management and ethics, a description of the process for selecting contractors and consultants, reimbursement policies, and information about audit protocols. 

    Rental fee for FIFA?

    Whitehouse, in his letter, accused the Kennedy Center of offering FIFA “free and exclusive use of the Kennedy Center.” 

    The Washington Post previously reported the center in August had waived a rental fee in the range of $5 million for FIFA, which will be using the Kennedy Center from Nov. 24 through Dec. 12 to host its 2026 World Cup draw. The Post noted that it wouldn’t be the first time that a venue waived a rental fee for the draw, but it would be unusual for the Kennedy Center, since it usually has a crowded schedule at that time of year.

    Grenell said that FIFA “has given us several million dollars, in addition to paying all of the expenses for this event in lieu of a rental fee.”

    On Friday, the Kennedy Center told the Associated Press that it would be paid $7.4 million to host the FIFA draw, including a $2.4 million donation from the World Cup organizer and another $5 million in sponsorship opportunities.

    Contracts offered “for your personal friends?”

    Whitehouse also accused Grenell of offering “contracts for your personal friends,” and asked him for information about expenditures or contracts that have benefited people personally associated with Mr. Trump or with Kennedy Center leadership. He also asked Grenell to provide a justification for each contract.

    Grenell mentioned three people in his response, though he did not specifically say that he was responding to this question: Jeff Halperin, who was hired for multimedia work and whose work Grenell praised; a fundraiser named Lisa Dale, credited by Grenell with raising over $117 million; and an editor, researcher and writer who was a colleague of Grenell’s when he was the ambassador to Germany in Mr. Trump’s first administration. Grenell did not name the former colleague, but he said that the cost of his work curating an exhibit was completely covered by a donor.

    $10,000 spent on food and beverage for personal use?

    Whitehouse also accused Grenell of spending more than $10,000 over several months on “private lunches, dinners and alcohol purchases unrelated to fundraising or development purposes,” including on “champagne service.” 

    Grenell said that all of the food and beverage costs Whitehouse cited were “for donor-based events.” He said fundraising expenses last year were much higher — $9.3 million.

    $27,000 for Watergate Hotel stays for new hires, associates?

    Whitehouse also said Grenell charged the center over $27,000 between April and July for “new hires and your associates” at the Watergate Hotel.

    Grenell, replied that it’s “customary” for new employees to stay at the Watergate Hotel, which is next door to the Kennedy Center, and he countered that Watergate Hotel expenses for 2024 were much higher, totaling $878,000. 

    The Kennedy Center receives government funding in addition to private funding. Federal funding goes to operations, security, maintenance and capital repairs. It received over $40 million in federal funds last year. 

    The Trump administration became involved in the center’s leadership earlier this year, and multiple Trump allies, including Grenell, were appointed to its board by Mr. Trump. 

    Next month, Mr. Trump will host the Kennedy Center Honors — which recognize performing art professionals for their lifetime achievements — airing on CBS.

    Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect new data from the Associated Press on FIFA.

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  • Kennedy Center says it’s being paid $7.4 million ahead of the World Cup draw – WTOP News

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    The Kennedy Center said Friday that it is being paid $7.4 million to hold the draw for the World Cup at the performing arts venue on Dec. 5.

    WASHINGTON (AP) — The Kennedy Center said Friday that it is being paid $7.4 million to hold the draw for the World Cup at the performing arts venue on Dec. 5.

    FIFA is donating $2.4 million to the Kennedy Center as it prepares to host one of the biggest events in sports, Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, told The Associated Press. Soccer’s world governing body “has also given us sponsorship opportunities separate from their commitments for an additional $5 million,” she said.

    “When you look at the full picture, it totals $7.4 million to the Kennedy Center, plus incurred expenses,” Daravi added.

    The figures, which haven’t been previously reported, emerged as Senate Democrats question spending and management practices by Kennedy Center leadership. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, released documents Thursday showing the Kennedy Center entered into an agreement giving FIFA “exclusive” use of the facility from Nov. 24 through Dec. 12 at no cost, arguing that the venue was at risk of losing millions in potential revenue because of the arrangement.

    Responding to the committee in a letter and on social media, Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center’s president, said FIFA paid several million dollars as a sponsor, instead of participating in a traditional rental agreement. He added the FIFA was paying for all expenses related to the event.

    Asked for comment on the $7.4 million figure, a spokesperson for Democrats on the Environment and Public Works Committee said they have requested that the Kennedy Center answer its questions with documents and have not yet received any documents.

    More broadly, Democrats sought to portray wasteful spending by the venue’s management, including thousands of dollars spent on meals, champagne and other beverages along with hotel rooms. Whitehouse targeted $10,773.19 spent by Kennedy Center leaders between April 17 and July 2 on private lunches, dinners and alcohol purchases that he said were unrelated to fundraising needs.

    In his response, Grenell insisted the food and beverage costs were related to “donor-based events” and paled in comparison to the amount spent under the Kennedy Center’s previous leadership. He wrote that fundraising costs totaled $4 million from April through June 2024 and $9.3 million for the full year.

    Whitehouse also questioned $27,185 spent on rooms at the Watergate Hotel for new hires between April 21 and July 16. Grenell said such expenses are incurred as new employees prepare to move to Washington and said the prior leadership spent $878,000 at the Watergate in 2024.

    The final weeks of the year are typically a lighthearted period for the Kennedy Center, with the focus on holiday programming and the annual awards program celebrating some of the top artists in the U.S. But the dispute between Whitehouse and Grenell reflects how the Kennedy Center has become a backdrop for partisan politics.

    “I have ample reason to be concerned by reports and information that cast doubt on your stewardship of the institution,” Whitehouse wrote in a letter to Grenell.

    Grenell assailed Whitehouse for advancing “careless attacks on me and my team.”

    “I take financial responsibility extremely seriously,” he said, noting that he has raised $117 million this year.

    During his first term in the White House, President Donald Trump largely eschewed the Kennedy Center and never attended the annual awards ceremony celebrating the arts. But shortly after returning to Washington this year, he ousted the institution’s leadership, appointed Grenell and filled the board of trustees with his supporters. Trump also announced he was elected the board’s chair.

    The World Cup draw is a reminder of Trump’s influence at the Kennedy Center. The event was widely expected to take place in Las Vegas but Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino started discussions about bringing it to Washington when they attended the Club World Cup final in July. Infantino has forged a close bond with Trump ahead of the World Cup, appearing with the president in the Oval Office earlier this week as the administration announced a new initiative for foreigners traveling to the U.S. for next year’s tournament.

    Infantino was also among the attendees this week at a dinner honoring Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

    The Kennedy Center Honors will take place just days after the draw and will recognize George Strait, Kiss, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor and Sylvester Stallone. Trump has said he will host this year’s event.

    ___

    Associated Press writer Graham Dunbar in Geneva contributed to this report.

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    © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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  • Saudis to host investment summit in DC’s Kennedy Center during crown prince’s visit, sources say – WTOP News

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    An invitation obtained by CBS News says the Nov. 19 event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will be co-hosted by the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia and the U.S.-Saudi Business Council.

    President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman gesture as they meet delegations at the Royal Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)(AP/Alex Brandon)

    Saudi Arabia is planning to host a U.S.-Saudi investment summit Nov. 19 in Washington during Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit with President Trump, multiple sources tell CBS News.

    The crown prince is set to visit the White House on Nov. 18, part of a long-planned trip to follow up on investment announcements made last May when Mr. Trump visited Saudi Arabia, the sources said.

    The White House visit is expected to include an Oval Office meeting and lunch, similar to the meetings the president has held with other world leaders in recent weeks. But the White House is also preparing for a black-tie dinner on the evening of Nov. 18 to fete bin Salman.

    An invitation obtained by CBS News says the Nov. 19 event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will be co-hosted by the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia and the U.S.-Saudi Business Council. The forum will “explore new investment horizons across critical sectors, including energy, technology, financial services, infrastructure, and healthcare” and will be a platform for “exclusive business matchmaking,” the invitation says.

    The event is seen as a follow-up to the $600 billion in Saudi investment bin Salman first announced in February, including what the White House said was the largest defense salein history. In May, Mr. Trump brought a number of high-profile business leaders with him to Saudi Arabia,  including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Palantir’s Alex Karp, Citigroup’s Jane Fraser, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, Franklin Templeton Investments’ Jenny Johnson, Uber’s Dara Khosrowshahi, BDT & MSD Partners’ Dina Powell McCormick and Blackstone’s Steve Schwarzman.

    It was not immediately clear who’s been invited to the Nov. 19 summit in Washington, or who plans to attend.

    One source said some of the deals first announced in May could be finalized during bin Salman’s Washington visit, since they’ve now cleared the required review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., which must vet larger global transactions.

    The president and his family maintain personal business ties to Saudi Arabia. Last year, the Trump Organization announced plans for the development of a Trump Tower in Jeddah, a major Saudi city along the Red Sea. Eric Trump, the president’s son and the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, told Reuters that the Trump Organization also has plans for a Trump-branded property in Riyadh. And the president’s son-in-law and former top White House adviser, Jared Kushner, started a private equity firm, Affinity Partners, which received a reported $2 billion investment from the Saudi sovereign wealth fund controlled by bin Salman.

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  • Singer Lizz Wright returns to DC region for 1st headlining show since Kennedy Center takeover – WTOP News

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    As the D.C. area faces a government shutdown, Lizz Wright returns to The Strathmore with a concert shaped by jazz, gospel, and a deep bond with the region.

    MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – APRIL 30: Lizz Wright performs during the International Jazz Day 2019 All-Star Global Concert at Hamer Hall on April 30, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images for Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz)(Getty Images for Herbie Hancock/Graham Denholm)

    To many of her fans, acclaimed vocalist Lizz Wright is a genre unto herself.

    When she takes the stage Sunday to perform her unique blend of soul, jazz, gospel and folk at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, Maryland, she’ll be stepping into an area she says has always met her with “warmth, soulfulness and deep knowing.”

    Wright has performed in the D.C. region many times over the years since the release of “Salt,” her 2003 debut album, but the timing of her appearances in 2025 have coincided with major local political tremors.

    After signaling plans to take over the Kennedy Center on social media days earlier, President Donald Trump was elected to serve as the chairman of the Kennedy Center on Feb. 12. The center’s president Deborah Rutter, a Biden appointee, was fired. Wright was scheduled to perform that night.

    She remembers the evening vividly, not only because of the outrage and uncertainty swirling around the arts community, but because she became — in her words — an “unhired usher at a threshold,” offering grace and whatever comfort she could as staff worried about their futures.

    “I was literally the last artist to slide under the gate before everything changed,” Wright said in an interview with WTOP. “I walked through the Kennedy museum and galleries with some of the staff who were worried that they wouldn’t be able to retain their jobs. We were in it together.”

    For Wright, this was not an unusual occurrence.

    “I do find myself at very interesting thresholds where things are ending and where they’re beginning,” she said. “It’s happened so many times in my life in different ways. I don’t know why it happens, and I’m just glad for that very odd assignment. I’m around when I’m needed, and I just trust the arrangement of that, and I just give what I have to give.”

    That sense of “showing up at thresholds” has followed Wright throughout her career — in moments both public and deeply personal. One of the most striking came in 2016, when she learned that her April 2016 Minneapolis concert was the last live show attended by music icon Prince before he died.

    “It’s not something you want to be known for, but it’s true,” she said. “When I heard Prince was coming, I thought, ‘The band’s gonna play all crazy … they’re gonna be so excited, (it’ll be) musical turbo and I won’t be able to breathe or get a word in edgewise.’ But then I was also like, ‘You’re the daughter of a minister and a gardener. Just feed him. He needs to sit at the table, too, and be nurtured. Do your job.’”

    Now, the Strathmore performance comes at another uncertain time for the D.C. region as area residents navigate the effects of the government shutdown.

    Wright believes her music is intended to nurture in moments like these.

    For Wright, the connection with D.C. audiences runs deep.

    “What I love about the audience(s) and the people of D.C. is that they understand they are the place that is the capital of so much history,” she said.

    She describes local listeners as unusually attuned to the intersections of history, identity and art that her music explores; that jazz, gospel and folk all feed into one another.

    “If genres were lenses, then I am in a place where a few of them overlap. A stream feeds a creek, (which) feeds a lake, (which) feeds a river,” Wright analogizes.

    “They get it. There’s not as much explaining to do”

    At the Strathmore, Wright said, she looks forward not only to the music, but also to reuniting with the venue’s staff, whom she calls “really beautiful people” she met when appearing there last May in a tribute show to her mentor and inspiration, Bernice Johnson Reagon.

    “It’s an incredible hall,” she said. “You come there with your soul full of everything you’ve been carrying, and (as an artist) you pull out the best, because it’s a place to be heard deeply.”

    The concert is expected to draw a capacity crowd, adding another chapter to Wright’s long-running relationship with D.C. audiences. For her, the night will be less about performance than about presence.

    “I want people to actually feel joy and courage about being here right now,” she said. “I want people to remember enough, to feel enough, to release enough, to receive enough — and be grateful that they’re here right now.”

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  • Utah governor says the motive in Kirk shooting is not yet certain but the suspect was on the left – WTOP News

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    D.C.’s Kennedy Center hosted an evening vigil that had a line of mourners wrapped around the building. Some people wore suits or summer dresses, while others wore jeans and sported “Make America Great Again” caps.

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Family and friends of the 22-year-old accused of fatally shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk described his politics as veering left in recent years as he spent large amounts of time scrolling the “dark corners of the internet,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said Sunday.

    Investigators were still piecing together information about the suspect, Tyler Robinson, and not yet ready to discuss a potential motive. But Cox noted that Robinson, who is not cooperating with law enforcement, disliked Kirk and may have been “radicalized” online.

    Kirk founded Turning Point USA to bring more young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics as effective activists, and he was a confidant of President Donald Trump, leading to a flood of tributes that included a vigil Sunday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, became prominent in part through his speaking tours, and he was shot Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University.

    “There clearly was a leftist ideology,” Cox said on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” citing interviews with Robinson’s relatives and acquaintances. “Friends have confirmed that there was kind of that deep, dark internet, the Reddit culture, and these other dark places of the internet where this person was going deep.”

    He pointed to references found engraved on the ammunition used to kill Kirk, which included anti-fascist and meme-culture language. Court records show that one bullet casing had the message, “Hey, fascist! Catch!”

    A Republican who has called on all partisans to tone down their rhetoric following the attack, the governor added: “I really don’t have a dog in this fight. If this was a radicalized MAGA person, I’d be saying that as well.”

    Utah’s governor says a motive still isn’t pinned down

    Cox stressed on several Sunday morning news shows that investigators are still trying to pin down a motive for the attack on Kirk, a Trump confidant. The governor said more information may come out once Robinson appears in court Tuesday.

    Cox said the suspect’s partner was transgender, which some politicians have pointed to as a sign Robinson was targeting Kirk for his anti-transgender views. But authorities have not said whether it is relevant as they investigate Robinson’s motive.

    “The roommate was a romantic partner, a male transitioning to female,” Cox said. “I can say that he has been incredibly cooperative, this partner has been very cooperative, had no idea that this was happening.”

    Investigators have spoken to Robinson’s relatives and carried out a search warrant at his family’s home in Washington, Utah, about 240 miles (390 kilometers) southwest of Utah Valley University.

    State records show Robinson is registered to vote but not affiliated with a political party and is listed as inactive, meaning he did not vote in the two most recent general elections. His parents are registered Republicans.

    The suspect grew up in southwestern Utah

    Robinson grew up around St. George, in the southwestern corner of Utah between Las Vegas and natural landmarks including Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks.

    He became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church, at a young age, church spokesperson Doug Andersen said.

    Online activity by Robinson’s mother reflects an active family that traveled widely. In one photo, a young Robinson can be seen smiling as he grips the handles of a .50-caliber heavy machine gun outside a military facility.

    A high school honor roll student who scored in the 99th percentile nationally on standardized tests, he was admitted to Utah State University in 2021 on a prestigious academic scholarship, according to a video of him reading his acceptance letter that was posted to a family member’s social media account.

    But he attended for only one semester, according to the university. He is currently enrolled as a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George.

    Tributes emphasize Kirk’s religious faith

    The vigil at the Kennedy Center was among numerous tributes to Kirk that also included moments of silence at professional sporting events. The line of mourners in Washington wrapped around the center. Some people wore suits or summer dresses, while others were dressed in jeans and wore “Make America Great Again” caps.

    Seventeen-year-old Domiano Maceri and his mother drove about 50 miles (80 kilometers) from Purceville, Virginia, to attend the Kennedy Center event. He said Kirk helped him find a way to better talk with friends who hold different opinions.

    “I definitely feel like I was inspired in different ways,” Maceri said as he waited to get inside. “It definitely gave me confidence to speak to my friends about my beliefs more.”

    Speakers included White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, two House members whose remembrances of Kirk were briefly stalled when they teared up, and House Speaker Mike Johnson.

    “Father, help us remember the principles of your word that Charlie worked every day — to advance that we not return evil for evil but we overcome evil with good,” Johnson prayed.

    At Dream City Church in Phoenix, where Kirk hosted one of his “Freedom Night in America” gatherings, attendees viewed clips of the conservative activist discussing his desire to be “remembered for courage for my faith.”

    During a question-and-answer session, a church pastor, Angel Barnett, called on the crowd to honor Kirk by carrying on his message.

    “The left is nervous,” Barnett said. “And they’re concerned because they’ve lost control. Charlie started that, and we will continue it.”

    Added church panelist Brandon Tatum: “These cowards thought that they could end or eliminate the movement.”

    “They just made it bigger. They just made it stronger.”

    ___

    Riccardi reported from Denver. Associated Press writer Jonathan Matisse in Nashville, Tennessee, and AP video journalist Mike Pesoli in Washington contributed to this report.

    Copyright
    © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

    APTOPIX Charlie Kirk Prayer Vigil People wait in line for a memorial and prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

    AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.

    Charlie Kirk Prayer Vigil People wait in line for a memorial and prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

    AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.

    Charlie Kirk Prayer Vigil People wait in line for a memorial and prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

    AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.

    Charlie Kirk Prayer Vigil Kevin Vanriper, right, and his wife Barbara Vanriper, left, of Sarasota, Fla., join other people waiting in line for a memorial and prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

    AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.

    APTOPIX Charlie Kirk Prayer Vigil People hold candles and sing during a memorial and prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

    AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.

    Charlie Kirk Prayer Vigil People sing and pray during a memorial and prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)

    AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.

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  • 2026 World Cup draw will be held at Washington’s Kennedy Center, Trump says

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    By WILL WEISSERT

    WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that the draw for the 2026 World Cup will take place on Dec. 5 at the Kennedy Center in Washington, and didn’t rule out that he himself might oversee the event.

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President Donald Trump, left, shakes the hand of FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the conclusion of an announcement in the Oval Office of the White House, Friday, Aug. 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Expand

The choice of venue is interesting because Trump has taken over the Kennedy Center, installing himself as chair and replacing the board of trustees with loyalists. He’s also hinted he’d like to see the venue renamed the Trump/Kennedy Center.

There had been speculation for months that the draw would be held in Las Vegas. The event is traditionally a mix of entertainment and the business of dividing the teams into 12 groups of four for the opening stage of the tournament. When the United States held the World Cup in 1994, the draw was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Stevie Wonder was among the performers.

In December when the draw is held, 42 of the 48 teams will be known, including the automatic berths given to the United States, Mexico and Canada as hosts. The remaining six teams will be determined by playoffs in March.

The president also used Friday’s FIFA announcement to boast about his deploying the National Guard and federalizing Washington’s police force.

“So now, when we have this beautiful event in December, it’s going to be very safe,” Trump said. He added that the FIFA chief “can walk down the street with your beautiful wife. You can take her to dinner, if you can get a reservation.”

Asked about fans overseas obtaining U.S. visas to come watch their teams in the World Cup, Trump at first said the process would be a smooth one, but then added, “Certain countries are going to be very, very easy, and other countries are going to be obviously a little bit more difficult.”

A travel ban that the Trump administration imposed in June includes Iran, which has qualified for the World Cup. The policy makes exceptions for “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives, traveling for the World Cup, Olympics, or other major sporting event as determined by the secretary of state.” It does not include an exemption for fans.

In an unusual move, Infantino also brought the World Cup trophy with him to the Oval Office. It’s a superstition nearly as old as the World Cup itself: players on national teams around the globe believe that touching the trophy before their team actually wins the tournament on the field can spark bad luck.

Even Infantino noted that the trophy is “for winners only,” but then he added to Trump, “And, since you are a winner, of course you can as well.”

The president did just that, calling the trophy “a beautiful piece of gold” and joking about keeping it and displaying it in the Oval Office, which Trump has redone in a gaudy, gold-hued decor.

“It fits very well right on the wall over there,” Trump said.

Originally Published:

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  • Watch: Trump announces Kennedy Center Honorees, takes questions

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    President Trump visited the Kennedy Center Wednesday to announce this year’s honorees: Country-music artist George Strait, singer Gloria Gaynor, actor and singer Michael Crawford, actor Sylvester Stallone and the rock band KISS. Following the announcement, Mr. Trump took questions on several topics.

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  • Community sing fills Washington National Cathedral – WTOP News

    Community sing fills Washington National Cathedral – WTOP News

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    About 750 people took part in “The Big Sing” — a free, community sing organized by the Kennedy Center, the Washington National Cathedral and Levine Music.

    Conductor Micah Hendler (left) and Deborah Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, at The Big Sing on Oct. 23, 2024.
    (WTOP/Dick Uliano)

    WTOP/Dick Uliano

    Hundreds of people gathered at the Washington National Cathedral in D.C. for no other purpose than to sing together on Oct. 23, 2024.
    Hundreds of people gathered at the Washington National Cathedral in D.C. for no other purpose than to sing together on Oct. 23, 2024.
    (WTOP/Dick Uliano)

    WTOP/Dick Uliano

    Conductor Micah Hendler leads the community choir on Oct. 23, 2024.
    Conductor Micah Hendler leads the community choir on Oct. 23, 2024.
    (WTOP/Dick Uliano)

    WTOP/Dick Uliano

    a sign to designate which singers should sit in this section, Alto
    The singers sat themselves in sections divided by vocal range — bass voices in one section of pews, tenor in another and sections for altos and sopranos.
    (WTOP/Dick Uliano)

    WTOP/Dick Uliano

    Hundreds of people gathered Wednesday evening at the Washington National Cathedral in D.C. for no other purpose than to sing together.

    About 750 people took part in “The Big Sing” — a free, community sing organized by the Kennedy Center, the cathedral and Levine Music.

    “The center really believes in the power of the arts to bring people together, to build understanding, empathy and community,” said Deborah Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. “And what better way than for us all to use our natural instrument — the voice?”

    No singing skills were required, just a desire to come together with others to lift voices into the vaunted space of the sacred cathedral.

    “Why not come to this gorgeous, gorgeous setting and collaborate with some community partners … and bring a whole bunch of people together to sing?” Rutter said.

    Micah Hendler conducted the choir; he’s the founder and artistic director of the Jerusalem Youth Chorus, and leader of the Community Sings series at Levine Music, a music school with campuses around the D.C. area.

    The singers sat themselves in sections divided by vocal range — bass voices in one section of pews, tenor in another and sections for altos and sopranos.

    “You don’t need musical training” said Hendler. “You don’t need to know how to read music. You don’t need to have 10 years of choral experience or voice lessons. Literally, it’s singing, because singing is a thing that human beings do together, and that’s it.”

    People scanned a QR code to provide the lyrics of the songs on their smartphones.

    Hendler began the Big Sing with a few vocal warm ups before leading the large crowd in harmonies that soared to the rafters of the cathedral.

    The two-hour program also included time for participants to chat with those around them, to get to know each other better before resuming their singing.

    Wednesday’s event is not the only community sing. Levine Music hosts the event monthly and people across the D.C. region are invited to attend.

    What singers get out of the event

    The organizers said the community event could provide participants meaningful physical and emotional benefits from singing with hundreds of others.

    It can have a positive impact on your health, Rutter said.

    “Participating in music-making actually triggers something in your brain,” Rutter said. “It is really good for your brain and brain health.”

    Hendler said that singing has played an important role in communities across the globe.

    “There’s something about singing in groups that, from early on in human evolution, has played a really important role in creating a sense of community, of shared identity, creating a sense of who we are,” said Hendler. “And ultimately, is a way of channeling so many different emotions, and not just doing it one person to one person, but creating that group experience of togetherness.”

    Hendler knows a thing or two about bringing people together.

    “There are so many ways that singing can address some of the biggest challenges that we have as a society, in terms of helping people feel connected,” said Hendler.

    The Jerusalem Youth Chorus he leads is comprised of Palestinian and Israeli youth.

    “Whether you’re talking about political or racial divisions, or you’re talking about how we solve challenges together in a time when people feel so disconnected from each other,” Hendler said. “Even just thinking about technology, like we just desperately need ways for people to feel part of something bigger than themselves. And singing is designed to do that.

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  • National Symphony Orchestra musicians strike ends on high note with new labor agreement with Kennedy Center – WTOP News

    National Symphony Orchestra musicians strike ends on high note with new labor agreement with Kennedy Center – WTOP News

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    Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center have finalized a contract, ending a brief strike in D.C. on Friday that threatened the cancellation of some performances.

    Members of the Washington D.C. Federation of Musicians Local 161-710 gather in red shirts along a picket line outside the Kennedy Center on September 27, 2024. (WTOP/Cheyenne Corrn)(WTOP/Cheyenne Corin)

    Musicians from the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center have reached a tentative labor agreement, ending a brief strike in D.C. on Friday that threatened the cancellation of some performances.

    The new 18-month contract, valued at $1.8 million, will increase wages by 4% in the first year and 4% in year 2, with negotiations to start in early 2026, the Kennedy Center said in a statement later Friday.

    “The new contract will bring the base salary for musicians to $165,268 in year 1 and $171,879 in year 2,” the statement said. “The NSO musicians will retain their position as one of the highest compensated orchestras in the country.”

    The Kennedy Center in a statement earlier Friday said along with the NSO, they put forward a “competitive, 4-year growth contract,” and the musicians were “among the highest compensated orchestras in the country.”

    Meanwhile, dozens of musicians wore matching cherry-red shirts, stood outside of the venue Friday and began picketing, holding signs with slogans such as “KEEP NSO WORLD-CLASS” and “NO PAY, NO PLAY.”

    The Kennedy Center said an opening gala performance Saturday would be affected while the strike was underway, promising ticket holders would get a full refund.

    However, with the strike over, the opening gala performance on Saturday “and all future performances will now proceed as scheduled,” a statement from The Kennedy Center said.

    “Since becoming an organization of the Kennedy Center in 1986—in an arrangement unique among American orchestras—the NSO has been an artistically vital part of the National Cultural Center. This agreement will ensure the future stability of both the NSO and Kennedy Center,” the statement said.

    In addition to the wage increase, the agreement also includes expanded health care options, paid parental leave, updates to audition and tenure processes and funding for another position, among others.

    “This 18-month contract will provide all parties time to come together to settle a longer-term agreement that demonstrates our respect for their artistic contributions and maintains the orchestra’s competitiveness in the field,” union members and NSO officials said in the joint statement. “This agreement also allows the Kennedy Center and National Symphony Orchestra to operate in a way that is fiscally responsible and sustainable.”

    How it started: ‘Pay disparity’ and ‘reasonable wage increases’

    National Symphony Orchestra musicians hold signs reading “National Symphony On Strike,” “Solidarity #UnionStrong” and “The Kennedy Center Against The Performing Arts” during the short-lived strike in Washington D.C. on September 27, 2024. (WTOP/Cheyenne Corin)

    The negotiations had been going on since May, with the musicians advocating for better wages on par with other orchestra members throughout the country.

    Members cited ongoing pay disparity when compared to musicians in major metro areas, arguing the high cost of living in the D.C. area created more challenges for attracting and retaining high quality talent for the orchestra.

    “All across the country, we’ve seen employers agree to contracts with substantial wage increases in recognition of the impact that inflation has had on employee’s cost of living,” Ed Malaga, the union’s president, said in a statement before the strike ended.

    By Monday, the union had unanimously voted to authorize a strike, Malaga said in a statement from the DC Federation of Musicians.

    In the statement, Malaga argued that the reasonable 6.25% wage increase every year through the next four years was reasonable given a double-digit percent increase of musician salaries for peer orchestra members across the country.

    “As of today, the NSO musicians are making substantially less than are the musicians in the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Franciso Symphony,” Malaga said. “That pay disparity combined with the high cost of living in the D.C. area make it harder for the NSO to attract and retain talent commensurate with the reputation of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center itself as a premier performance venue.”

    Kennedy Center and National Symphony Orchestra Association officials said the original demands brought by the union included a 25% wage increase, which was deemed “not financially viable” for the organization.

    “While the Center’s current proposal calls for fair wage increases each year, the musicians appear intent to restore wages lost as a result of the pandemic (2020-2021),” the center said Monday.

    In addition, the NSO and Kennedy Center said the original financial package for musicians, including a 12% wage increase and health insurance expansion, would better the financial realities projected through 2028.

    WTOP’s Abigail Constantino, Cheyenne Corin and José Umaña contributed to this report. 

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  • ‘Funny Girl’ won’t rain on your parade at Kennedy Center – WTOP News

    ‘Funny Girl’ won’t rain on your parade at Kennedy Center – WTOP News

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    The national tour of the iconic musical “Funny Girl” sings into the Kennedy Center now through July 14.

    WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews ‘Funny Girl’ at the Kennedy Center (Part 1)

    Theater people who need other theater people are the luckiest people in the world.

    Katerina McCrimmon stars as Fanny Brice in the national tour of “Funny Girl.” (Evan Zimmerman)

    That’s because they don’t rain on your parade when all you want to do is belt a showtune.

    The national tour of the iconic musical “Funny Girl” sings into the Kennedy Center now through July 14.

    “It was on Broadway in the ’60s, the movie came out in ’68, and there really hasn’t been a first-class production since then — our revival on Broadway in 2022 was the first revival,” Actor Stephen Mark Lukas told WTOP. “Folks may know the music, they may know the songs, they may have seen the movie, but our production touring is the first chance that a lot of folks have had to see the musical, so it’s more than just a show, it’s a theatrical event.”

    Written for the stage in 1964 by Isobel Lennart (book), Jule Styne (music) and Bob Merrill (lyrics), the show follows the life of Broadway legend Fanny Brice, who rises the ranks of showbiz despite a tumultuous relationship with gambler Nicky Arnstein. The semi-autobiographical show was produced by Brice’s son-in-law Ray Stark.

    “Fanny Brice was a huge star in the early 20th century,” Lukas said. “She was an enormous star of ‘The Ziegfeld Follies’ on Broadway, she was a radio star, she toured with vaudeville, so she was a huge trailblazer for women in comedy. She was one of the first, if not the first, female comedy stars as a comedian, so the show tracks her rise to stardom from her humble beginnings in Brooklyn to becoming a star on Broadway and then even beyond.”

    Rising star Katerina McCrimmon stars as Brice, a role that earned Barbra Streisand a Tony nomination on stage in 1964 and catapulted her recording career with chart-topping tunes before winning her an Oscar in the 1968 movie (a rare Best Actress tie with Katharine Hepburn for “The Lion in Winter”). Imagine if Lady Gaga had won for “A Star is Born” (2018) — that’s how stunning it was for Streisand to win the Oscar for her debut film role!

    “Our Fanny Brice is the brilliant Katerina McCrimmon, who I believe is in her 20s, she’s very young and she is phenomenal,” Lukas said. “Her voice is spectacular, she is incredibly funny and audiences are in for a treat to get to see her version of Fanny Brice in particular. … Doing it with Katerina is such a joy, she’s such a wonderful scene partner to be able to tell this story of this relationship that was such a big part of her life.”

    Lukas plays the suave entrepreneur turned gambling addict and con man Nicky Arnstein, a role originated by Charlie Chaplin’s son Sydney on stage and then made famous on screen by the great Omar Sharif, who was at the height of his handsome popularity after David Lean’s “Lawrence of Arabia” (1962) and “Doctor Zhivago” (1965).

    “My very first voice teacher in college told me in one of my first lessons, ‘You’re gonna play Nick Arnstein one day,’ and I had no idea what that meant,” Lukas said. “Understudying Nick (on Broadway) was really my first experience of getting to know ‘Funny Girl.’ … He’s a fascinating character. He’s this well-put-together man about town in the first act, then in the second act he really struggles and unravels, so it’s a fascinating journey to take every night.”

    While William Wyler’s film version lost the Best Picture Oscar to another musical in Carol Reed’s “Oliver!” (1968), the soundtrack was voted one of the American Film Institute’s Top 25 Movie Musicals of All Time. Meanwhile, the Original Broadway Cast recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004, while a new generation discovered the songs thanks to the Broadway revival starring Beanie Feldstein, followed by Lea Michele (“Glee”).

    “Folks will know ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade,’ which is the big Act 1 closer when Fanny decides that she’s going to go after Nick Arnstein,” Lukas said. “‘People’ is another song in the first act. … ‘I’m the Greatest Star’ is another one folks may know; ‘You Are Woman, I Am Man;’ in the second act you have ‘The Music Makes Me Dance’ … a lot of songs that people will know and hopefully come home humming as they leave the theater.”

    If you fancy yourself a fan of Broadway musicals, this is one production you don’t want to miss.

    “It is a great, big, old-fashioned Broadway show with terrific tap-dancing and a beautiful score, so it really is a love letter to the theater,” Lukas said. “Audiences will be in for a treat in both the eyes and the ears.”

    Find more information here.

    WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews ‘Funny Girl’ at the Kennedy Center (Part 2)

    Listen to our full conversation here.

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  • Kennedy Center hosts free outdoor films at REACH – WTOP News

    Kennedy Center hosts free outdoor films at REACH – WTOP News

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    Starting this Friday, the Kennedy Center hosts free outdoor film screenings on the REACH Video Wall with movies starting at sundown or around 8:30 p.m.

    WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews outdoor films at Kennedy Center’s REACH (Part 1)

    The D.C. area hosts plenty of outdoor movie series, but very few take place on such hallowed grounds.

    Patrons watch “Show Boat” on the giant video wall at the REACH outside the Kennedy Center. (Jati Lindsay)

    Starting this Friday, the Kennedy Center hosts free outdoor film screenings on the REACH Video Wall with movies starting at sundown or around 8:30 p.m.

    The series kicks off this Friday, May 31, with “Jurassic Park” (1993), a summer blockbuster 65 million years in the making. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the stunning dinosaur flick marked the transition between stop-motion puppetry into a new era of computer graphics, joining “King Kong” (1933) as arguably the two most important creature features ever made.

    It continues next Friday, June 7, with “Dreamgirls” (2006), which famously transformed Jennifer Hudson from “American Idol” contestant to an Academy Award-winning actress belting powerful musical numbers alongside Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, Anika Noni Rose, Danny Glover and Eddie Murphy. The film joined “Moulin Rouge!” (2001) and “Chicago” (2002) in revitalizing the Hollywood musical for the 21st century.

    Friday, June 14, brings “10,000 Dreams: A Festival of Asian Choreography,” featuring a series of short films, narrative features and dance documentaries that were directed, choreographed or starring Asian creatives.

    Parents should circle their calendars for a pair of family-friendly animated gems as Friday, June 21, brings Pixar’s “Elemental” (2023), which is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated movies from last year, while Friday, June 28, brings “Ratatouille” (2007), which deservedly won the Oscar for Best Animated Film.

    Friday, July 5, brings the big-screen adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical breakthrough “In the Heights” (2021), which was one of the biggest summer blockbusters of the year but sadly got overshadowed by Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story” (2021) during that award season.

    I was very pleasantly surprised to see the indie darling “The Peanut Butter Falcon” (2019) on the lineup for Friday, July 12, as it’s one of the most adorable, inspiring independent films of the last five years starring Zach Gottsagen as a man with Down syndrome dreaming of becoming a professional wrestler.

    Friday, July 19, brings “A River Runs Through It” (1992), a wonderful adaptation of Norman Laclean’s 1976 coming-of-age novella about two brothers (Brad Pitt and Craig Sheffer) growing up fly fishing in rural Montana. The film cemented Robert Redford’s directorial prowess in between his Best Picture debut “Ordinary People” (1980) and his ultimate masterpiece “Quiz Show” (1994).

    Friday, July 26, brings Richard Linklater’s “School of Rock” (2003), which remains Jack Black’s greatest performance as a bum who becomes a private-school music teacher, turning his pupils into a classic-rock band. I promise you’ll head home singing AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock ‘n Roll).”

    Friday, Aug. 2, brings “Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax” (2012) with a voice cast featuring Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Betty White and Danny DeVito, who voices the title role. Say it with me, folks: “I speak for the trees!”

    Friday, Aug. 9, brings one of my all-time favorite films in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rear Window” (1954), arguably the greatest mystery-suspense film ever made. The prolific Jimmy Stewart plays a wheelchair-bound photographer who thinks he witnesses a neighbor’s murder out the rear window of his Greenwich Village apartment, only to realize that he already has everything he ever wanted next to him in Grace Kelly.

    Friday, Aug. 16, brings National Geographic’s Oscar-winning rock climbing documentary “Free Solo” (2018), chronicling Alex Honnald’s death-defying climb up El Capitan in Yosemite National Park without a rope.

    The penultimate screening is Friday, Aug. 23, with Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” (2012), which earned Daniel Day-Lewis his third Academy Award for Best Actor for his uncanny portrayal of Abraham Lincoln urging Congress to pass the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery during the Civil War. The quiet film remains one of Spielberg’s most underrated, so lean in and listen close as the film has plenty of Euclid lessons left to teach.

    Finally, the free summer series wraps on Friday, Aug. 30, with the sweet romance of “Chocolat” (2000), starring Juliette Binoche as a single mother who opens a small chocolaterie in a fictional French village while falling in love with Johnny Depp’s self-proclaimed “river rat.” The film earned five Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Binoche and Best Supporting Actress for Judi Dench.

    Find more info on the REACH film series here.

    WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews outdoor films at Kennedy Center’s REACH (Part 2)

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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  • Lewis Black comes home to DC’s Kennedy Center for ‘Goodbye Yeller Brick Road, The Final Tour’ – WTOP News

    Lewis Black comes home to DC’s Kennedy Center for ‘Goodbye Yeller Brick Road, The Final Tour’ – WTOP News

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    “I’m not going to retire from shooting my mouth off.” This Friday, D.C. native Lewis Black comes home for his “Goodbye Yeller Brick Road, The Final Tour,” which he insists isn’t his retirement but rather his last national tour.

    WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews Lewis Black at the Kennedy Center (Part 1)

    He grew up in the D.C. area before finding fame on “The Daily Show” and Pixar’s “Inside Out.”

    Lewis Black returns to the Kennedy Center on Friday, May 3. (Courtesy Kennedy Center)

    This Friday, Lewis Black comes home to the Kennedy Center for his “Goodbye Yeller Brick Road, The Final Tour,” which he insists isn’t his retirement but rather his last national tour.

    “I’m not ‘retiring retiring’ … I’m just not going to do 120 to 150 shows a year, I’m not going to be wandering around the country the way I did before,” Black told WTOP. “I will occasionally do a show, I might do a ‘Rant Cast’ that I do live, I might open for someone. … I want to write a little, I want to write either a book or a play and just have a life. … I’ll still be on ‘The Daily Show,’ that’s rolling along. I’m not going to retire from shooting my mouth off.”

    Like “The Daily Show,” there’s no shortage of pressing political topics to rant about on stage.

    “How do you satirize what’s already satiric?” Black said. “My work is done, the newspaper is reading like [fiction]. … Banning books is beyond belief. They want to take these kids’ books out of the library — where’s the best place to hide a book from a kid? You put it in a library! Then you’ve got the people who are banning the books, a group called Moms For Liberty. How am I supposed to make that funnier? That’s like out of [Kurt] Vonnegut!”

    Born in D.C. in 1948, Black graduated from Springbrook High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. After a year at the University of Maryland in College Park, he transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study playwriting, followed by his Master of Fine Arts at the School of Drama at Yale University in 1977.

    “I worked for what essentially became the Round House Theatre, I was their playwright in residence for a year, they’re out in Bethesda now,” Black said. “I really spent time in New York, I ran a space out with some friends and we did one-act plays below a restaurant, we had a bar and a stage downstairs with essentially 100 seats and we’d do shows, we’d do two one-acts a week. It was as much fun and as fulfilling as it is being a standup.”

    After dabbling in standup at the West Bank Cafe in New York City, he shifted to comedy full time around age 40.

    “I was always kind of doing standup for fun because it interested me,” Black said. “It was a way I could write something and get it out there, because otherwise you send it to a theater and you could wait two years to get an answer. I was fascinated by it. … I got more relaxed on stage, I finally found the persona that I wanted on stage and people seemed to enjoy it and there was more of a response to my comedy than there was to my playwriting.”

    He’s best known for his “Back in Black” segments on “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central.

    “Being on ‘The Daily Show’ was like having an advertisement for yourself each week,” Black said. “I’d do the ‘Daily Show’ then get on a plane, fly across the country to a comedy club and they’d just seen me the night before on television. … It was huge. Comedy Central ended up putting me and Dave Attell as the face of Comedy Central and it really established both Dave and I, got us out there, got us names and we ended up touring together.”

    Now, another generation knows him solely as the voice of Anger in Pixar’s Oscar-winning animated gem “Inside Out” (2015). He’ll soon return for the sequel “Inside Out 2” alongside Amy Poehler on June 14.

    “The visuals are extraordinary because it’s Pixar; they just get better and better,” Black said. “The script itself, they’ve added characters that are phenomenal, the new Envy and Anxiety are exceptional as the new emotions, then you’ve got the oldies and goodies. … It’s another step forward in terms of helping kids understand what emotions are. When I was a kid I had no clue! Nobody cared about your emotions; ‘just sit on them and shut up!’”

    WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews Lewis Black at the Kennedy Center (Part 2)

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  • Temptations musical brings ‘My Girl’ love songs to Kennedy Center just in time for Valentine’s Day – WTOP News

    Temptations musical brings ‘My Girl’ love songs to Kennedy Center just in time for Valentine’s Day – WTOP News

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    Take your date to the acclaimed musical “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life & Times of The Temptations” at the Kennedy Center in D.C. from Tuesday, Feb. 13 through Sunday, Feb. 18.

    WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ at the Kennedy Center (Part 1)

    The cast of “Ain’t Too Proud.” (Matthew Murphy)

    Valentine’s Day is just two days away and few music groups had more romantic tunes than The Temptations.

    Take your date to the acclaimed musical “Ain’t Too Proud: The Life & Times of The Temptations” at the Kennedy Center in D.C. from Tuesday, Feb. 13 through Sunday, Feb. 18.

    “If you want to bring your girl or your guy, bring ’em on down because this is an amazing, amazing show and you will not be disappointed,” Actor E. Clayton Cornelius told WTOP.  “You’re gonna laugh, you’re gonna cry, you’re gonna go down memory lane if you came up through those times. … It’s just a great show packed with music and dance and a great story actually,” written by playwright Dominique Morisseau.

    Cornelius plays Paul Williams, who joins Otis Williams (Michael Andreaus), David Ruffin (Elijah Ahmad Lewis), Eddie Kendricks (Jalen Harris) and Melvin Franklin (Harrell Holmes Jr.) to form the iconic R&B group The Temptations, who were signed by Motown Records in 1961. Along the way, they meet Motown founder Berry Gordy, singer/songwriter Smokey Robinson and superstar colleagues like Diana Ross and The Supremes.

    “This story basically starts from the point of view of Otis Williams, who is the last surviving Temptation,” Cornelius said. “Otis about 82 now and he looks fantastic. It’s told from how he started as a boy, how he started the group and picked up all the five classic Temptations. … Their journey of going through the Civil Rights Movement, coming up through that time as a teenager to become men and rising to stardom and having to deal with all of that.”

    Of course, it’s a jukebox musical so you will hear all of your favorite Temptations hits, including “Get Ready,” “Cloud Nine,” “Just My Imagination,” “Ball of Confusion” and “The Way You Do the Things You Do.”

    “This is the soundtrack of generations. The Temptations are very classic, No. 1 hits all over the place, ‘My Girl,’ ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone,’ ‘Ain’t Too Proud To Beg,’” Cornelius said. “Just so many more songs than you probably even thought you knew about The Temptations. You’ll come see the show and go, ‘Wow, I didn’t know they sang that!’ …. You can be at the gas station or the grocery store and you’ll hear all of these hits all of the time.”

    Expect to see the vintage, sparkling suits and synchronized, snapping dance moves all set to Sergio Trujillo’s Tony Award-winning choreography, one of 12 total nominations from the 2019 Broadway production.

    “The Temptations always had classic moves, but they weren’t pirouetting and doing some of the dance moves that we do now on stage, so the choreography is exactly what you see from them in the old tapes but heightened more,” Cornelius said. “You have to be really close in order to harmonize as well as we do and to dance and sing and act on stage for 2 1/2 hours together in sync, so we really do have a really great bond and foundation.”

    It’s a full-circle homecoming for “Ain’t Too Proud” as the show had its pre-Broadway run at the Kennedy Center in 2018, just the second city to stage it after its initial premiere at Berkeley Rep in Berkeley, California.

    “D.C. was the first city after Berkeley,” Cornelius said. “The first professional touring run of the show pre-Broadway was D.C. I was part of that cast as [later Temptations member] Richard Street, so if anybody saw the show before, I was in the white suit, I sang ‘Gloria’ and I sang eight different characters in the show, then I graduated to becoming Paul Williams on the tour for the second year and I closed the Broadway show in 2021.”

    Find more information here.

    Listen to our full conversation here.

    WTOP’s Jason Fraley previews ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ at the Kennedy Center (Part 2)

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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