Kennedy Center sues jazz performer; National Symphony Orchestra boss resigns
Government and Cultural Heritage
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts filed a lawsuit Thursday against jazz performer Chuck Redd who refused to perform after President Donald Trump’s name was added to the institution by board members he appointed.
The lawsuit came as Democratic Rep. Joyce Beatty filed an amended complaint in her lawsuit against the Kennedy Center and the National Symphony Orchestra executive director Jean Davidson announced she was leaving for the Los Angeles-based Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts.
“This Center is dedicated to excellence and accessibility in the performing arts for all Americans,” the Kennedy Center said in its lawsuit. “In keeping with that mission, it does not yield to faddish pressure tactics by performers abusing for personal purposes the public stage the Center provides for the benefit of the American public.”
For more than 20 years, the Kennedy Center has held an annual Christmas Eve Jazz Jam event, which has long been hosted by Redd. In November, Redd signed a written contract in which he agreed to be paid $6,500 to perform for an hour.
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Court Documents: Kennedy Center Lawsuit Against Chuck Redd
Court records from Superior Court of the District of Columbia, Civil Division.
Adam Schrader
The Kennedy Center argued that Redd broke a morality clause in the contract, which it said would allow the venue to cancel any agreements if the musician brought himself “into public disrepute, contempt, scandal or ridicule” or committed any act that otherwise “might tend to reflect unfavorably upon Center.”
The Trump-appointed board voted December 18 to rename the institution “in recognition of President Trump’s extraordinary efforts to save this national treasure,” the lawsuit reads. The next day, Redd sent an email to the Kennedy Center announcing that he had cancelled his appearance.
The Kennedy Center said the cancelled show caused it “damage from lost goodwill with the public, wasted marketing expenses, and sunk costs preparing for a concert that did not occur.” It is seeking damages in an amount to be determined at trial including costs, expenses, interest and other relief.
Meanwhile, Beatty filed an amended complaint Friday in the lawsuit she filed against the Kennedy Center in December in a bid to remove Trump’s name from the institution.
In her amended complaint, Beatty asked a federal court to block Trump’s plans to close and possibly demolish it after he announced it would close for two years for a “complete rebuilding” of the venue after a slew of cancellations, including Redd.
Kennedy Center now ‘a swamp for cronyism’: Senate Democrats
In a response, Grenell called the letter “filled with partisan attacks and false accusations.”
Adam Schrader
Also on Friday, The Wallis announced that Davidson had been tapped as its new executive director and chief executive. She had been in her role at the National Symphony Orchestra, which is housed at the Kennedy Center but is a separate entity, since 2023.
“I’m honored to join the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Arts at this pivotal moment,” Davidson said in a statement. “Together, we will build on its strong artistic foundation, attract world-class talent, and ensure that The Wallis remains a premier destination for exceptional and inspiring work.”
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