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BumRushDaShow

(156,946 posts)
Mon Jun 23, 2025, 07:30 PM Jun 23

Democratic senators rent space at the Kennedy Center to host a Pride event

Source: NPR

June 23, 2025 4:16 PM ET


A group of Democratic senators and Hamilton producer Jeffrey Seller are hosting a Pride celebration at the Kennedy Center Monday evening. But the Kennedy Center has nothing to do with programming it. Senators John Hickenlooper of Colorado, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin have rented the Justice Forum, a small theater at the REACH, an expansion to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts that opened in 2019.

While the group of senators booked the space a few weeks ago, the Pride event, called Love Is Love, was only announced on Monday. A statement from Sen. Hickenlooper's office says the event is "about standing up for the arts and the progress the LGBTQ community has made. The performance reminds us that our fight for equality — and for democracy — isn't over. It's happening right now."

Directed by Seth Rudetsky and James Wesley, the show will include songs celebrating gay culture. Seller, whose credits also include Rent and Avenue Q, told The New York Times, Hickenlooper called him to see if he'd like to engage in some "guerrilla theater." Seller, who is gay, didn't hesitate.

After President Trump took over the Kennedy Center in February, Seller and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda canceled a production of the touring show scheduled for the Center in 2026. At the time, Seller wrote on X, "The recent purge by the Trump Administration of both professional staff and performing arts events at or originally produced by the Kennedy Center flies in the face of everything this national center represents."

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/06/23/nx-s1-5442561/kennedy-center-pride

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Democratic senators rent space at the Kennedy Center to host a Pride event (Original Post) BumRushDaShow Jun 23 OP
outstanding Skittles Jun 23 #1
Vey Good republianmushroom Jun 23 #2
Excellent! sheshe2 Jun 23 #3
We need more "guerilla everything" by D Congresspersons. nt Ilsa Jun 23 #4
Glad my Senator Schatz is In Cha Jun 23 #5
A Big Beautiful development! Thank you... littlemissmartypants Jun 24 #6
Fantastic Hekate Jun 24 #7
Trump lacks good judgment and taste bmichaelh Jun 24 #8
Now do something like this and talk about raising the minimum wage. This is why we are not gaining any traction everyonematters Jun 24 #9

Cha

(313,108 posts)
5. Glad my Senator Schatz is In
Mon Jun 23, 2025, 11:02 PM
Jun 23

on this Wonderful Occupying the Space at the Kennedy Center.

It's Grand!

Mahalo, BRDS!

bmichaelh

(875 posts)
8. Trump lacks good judgment and taste
Tue Jun 24, 2025, 05:25 AM
Jun 24

Trump is no arbiter of good taste.

He makes judgment on what he likes or does not like; who cares.

History will make the final judgment.

In the film Amadeus, the Emperor loved the music of Salieri.
The film got some facts wrong but not that.

How many Salieri operas are shown today?

Some consider Mozart's Don Giovanni the greatest opera ever written.
I do not expect that opera to be shown at Kennedy Center while Trump is in charge.
Trump probably does not like the ending of that opera.

everyonematters

(3,872 posts)
9. Now do something like this and talk about raising the minimum wage. This is why we are not gaining any traction
Tue Jun 24, 2025, 07:57 AM
Jun 24

versus the Republicans - out of touch.

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