As Trump Tightens Hold on Kennedy Center, Top Theater Producer Resigns
Jeffrey Finn, whose current titles are senior vice president of artistic programming as well as vice president and executive producer of theater, plays an outsize role at the Kennedy Center. For nearly a decade he has programmed its touring Broadway shows and locally produced musicals, which have often sold strongly.
While theater has been a financial driver for the Kennedy Center, the future health of the theater program has been called into question as some Broadway producers and performers have said they were uncomfortable working there as Mr. Trump seeks to put his ideological stamp on it. During Mr. Finn's tenure he booked two successful runs of the musical 'Hamilton' there, but the show's producers canceled a planned third run because of Mr. Trump's actions.
Mr. Finn declined to comment, and Kennedy Center officials did not respond to requests for comment. Mr. Finn's resignation was confirmed by two people with knowledge of the move who asked not to be identified because they had not been authorized to speak about the matter by the Kennedy Center.
His resignation comes at a time of change for the Kennedy Center. Mr. Trump, early in his second term, purged board members appointed by former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. from the previously bipartisan board and had himself appointed board chairman. Last month, Republican lawmakers suggested renaming the Kennedy Center's Opera House after the first lady, Melania Trump.
And just this week Mr. Trump announced a plan to host the next Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, celebrating artists approved by him. (In: Michael Crawford, Broadway's first, and Tony-winning, Phantom of the Opera. Out: 'wokesters.')
There have been signs of a shift at the Kennedy Center, where officials have asked the venue's theater division to begin programing some Broadway titles with nonunion actors, a move that comes as the Trump administration also has taken a number of steps to limit the reach of federal employee unions. The next Kennedy Center theater season will include tours of 'Chicago' and 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' whose workers are not members of Actors' Equity Association, a labor union representing actors and stage managers.
Mr. Finn, a longtime Broadway producer, has been at the Kennedy Center since 2016, and brought a number of popular touring shows there including 'Les Misérables,' which drew Mr. Trump to a recent performance.
Mr. Finn also created the Broadway Center Stage program, producing three short-run musicals each season.
The first Broadway Center Stage production, in 2018, was a rewritten version of the musical 'Chess' that is the basis for a production scheduled to open on Broadway this fall. The program also developed a revival of 'Spamalot' that transferred to Broadway and is now scheduled to begin touring later this year, a revival of 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' that is leading to an Off Broadway production this fall, and a musical adaptation of the Apple TV+ series 'Schmigadoon!' that is hoping to transfer to Broadway.
Mr. Finn has producing credits on 22 Broadway shows over the last two decades. His future plans are unknown.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Oil markets seen bearish after Trump-Putin Alaska meeting
By Seher Dareen LONDON (Reuters) -Oil markets are set for a muted price reaction when they open on Sunday after U.S. President Donald Trump's and Russian leader Vladimir Putin's meeting in Alaska, at which Trump said a fully-fledged peace deal was the aim for Ukraine rather than a ceasefire. Trump said he had agreed with Putin that negotiators should go straight to a peace settlement - not via a ceasefire, as Ukraine and European allies, until now with U.S. support, have been demanding. Trump said he would hold off imposing tariffs on countries such as China for buying Russian oil following his talks with Putin. He has previously threatened sanctions on Moscow and secondary sanctions on countries such as China and India that buy Russian oil if no moves are made to end the Ukraine war. "This will mean Russian oil will continue to flow undisturbed and this should be bearish for oil prices," said ICIS analyst Ajay Parmar. "It is worth noting that we think the impact of this will be minimal though and prices will likely see only a small dip in the very near term as a result of this news." The oil market will wait for developments from a meeting in Washington on Monday between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. European leaders have also been invited to the meeting, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. "Market participants will track comments from European leaders but for now Russian supply disruption risks will remain contained," said Giovanni Staunovo, analyst at UBS. Brent settled at $65.85 a barrel on Friday, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate at $62.80 - both down nearly $1 before the talks in Alaska. Traders are waiting for a deal, so until that emerges, crude prices are likely to be stuck in a narrow range, said Phil Flynn, a senior analyst with Price Futures Group. "What we do know is that the threat of immediate sanctions on Russia, or secondary sanctions on other countries is put on hold for now, which would be bearish," he said. After the imposition of Western sanctions, including a seaborne oil embargo and price caps on Russian oil, Russia has redirected flows to China and India.
Geek Tyrant
21 minutes ago
- Geek Tyrant
SUPERMAN Concept Art and Photos Reveal First Look At Kal-El's Suit Without The Divisive Red Trunks — GeekTyrant
We have our first look at what Superman might have looked like without one of his most recognizable wardrobe choices. Newly revealed concept art gives fans a glimpse of an alternate version of the suit designed for Superman, one that skips the red trunks entirely. Graphic and surface designer Maybelle Pineda shared the behind-the-scenes concept on social media, offering a peek at an early take on the Man of Steel's costume. And yes, the red trunks were nowhere to be seen. Without them, the design feels oddly incomplete, almost like something you'd find on a knock-off toy version of the character. There's a strange nakedness to it, even if everything else about the design remains the same. There was a serious debate behind the scenes about whether or not the red trunks should make a return in the DCU. It echoes the earlier decision made by Zack Snyder to ditch the trunks in his interpretation with Henry Cavill, a move that sparked plenty of controversy back in the day. Initially, Superman director James Gunn was leaning in the same direction. "We were trying on all these different versions, and we screened tested with trunks and no trunks," Gunn explained to io9 during an on-set interview last year. "And one of the things David said is that Superman wants kids to not be afraid of him. 'He's an alien. He's got these incredible powers. He shoots beams out of his eyes… He's this incredibly powerful, could be considered scary, individual and he wants people to like him. He wants to be a symbol of hope and positivity. So he dresses like a professional wrestler. He dresses in a way that makes people unafraid of him, that shows that hope that shows that positivity. And that really clicked in for me. 'And I think trying to pretend that Superman's costume doesn't have some frivolity to it at its base, trying to make it look serious, is silly because he is a superhero. He's the first one, brightly colored and that's who he is." It turns out we have David Corenswet to thank for standing up for the red trunks. His argument wasn't just about tradition, it was about what Superman represents to the world. That visual cue, however campy it may seem to some, carries weight. It's about tone and symbolism. Corenswet pushed for the classic look, and thankfully, he got through to Gunn. So while this trunk-less concept may never see the light of day on screen, it's an interesting glimpse into the creative process behind one of the most iconic superheroes of all time. And it shows just how close we came to another red-trunkless Superman in the DC Universe.
Forbes
22 minutes ago
- Forbes
Trump-Putin Meeting Details Were Left In A Hotel Printer In Alaska, Report Says
Several documents with U.S. State Department markings revealing undisclosed details about President Donald Trump's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin were discovered in an Alaska hotel, NPR reported Saturday, including locations and meeting times of the summit and contact information for U.S. officials. One of the documents indicated Trump planned to give the Russian president an 'American Bald Eagle Desk Statue.' Getty Images Three guests at Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage, Alaska, located near the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson where Putin and Trump convened, found eight pages that appeared to be produced by State Department officials in one of the hotel's public printers, NPR reported, citing images of the documents. The first page detailed the sequence of meetings between Russian and U.S. officials on Friday, including the names of rooms inside the Anchorage base, and that Trump planned to give Putin an 'American Bald Eagle Desk Statue.' Other pages featured the names and phone numbers of three U.S. government staff members, the names of U.S. and Russian state leaders and their phonetic pronunciations, while pages six and seven described how lunch—held in 'honor of his excellency Vladimir Putin'—would be served at the summit. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The first document indicated a joint press conference between Trump and Putin was scheduled to last for one hour between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. local time. The press conference concluded after roughly 12 minutes. What To Watch For Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday he would meet with Trump in Washington, D.C., on Monday, though specifics about the meeting have not been announced. Trump wrote on Truth Social another meeting would be scheduled with Putin 'if all works out' with Zelensky, who has requested involvement in peace talks. Trump said he was optimistic he and Putin were 'going to make a deal' during their Alaska summit. After their meeting, Trump said no peace deal was reached between Russia and Ukraine, suggesting he and Putin made 'headway' and 'great progress' in their discussions. Putin told reporters that Russia still held concerns in Ukraine that needed to be addressed before peace could be achieved. Trump previously said Russia would face 'economically severe' consequences if Putin failed to make progress toward a ceasefire agreement. Trump said Saturday a 'mere ceasefire agreement' was no longer the goal in peace talks, claiming it was 'determined by all' that the 'best way' to end Russia's war with Ukraine 'is to go directly to a peace agreement.' Some Ukrainian officials criticized Trump's shifting away from a ceasefire deal as siding with Putin's demands. Further Reading Forbes Trump Will Meet Zelensky In D.C. Monday After Alaska Meeting With Putin By Ty Roush
