The Kennedy Center canceled a concert planned for May 21 that was to feature the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, performing alongside the National Symphony Orchestra. The two groups were planning to collaborate on a piece called “A Peacock Among Pigeons,” with GMCW serving as the orchestra’s guest chorus. No explanation was given.
In a statement, the chorus says it’s “deeply disappointed” by the news. “We believe in the power of music to educate and uplift, to foster love, understanding, and community, and we regret that this opportunity has been taken away.”
The Kennedy Center has seen a raft of cancellations since President Trump took over the arts center last week and installed his loyalist Ric Grenell as its interim president and himself as chairman of the board. Trump had complained about drag shows at the complex (which accounted for a fraction of its programming), but as the Wall Street Journal reported recently, Trump told his aides he “never felt at home at the performing arts center.” Grenell has begun to fire employees at the center, the Journal reports, and it says that Trump hopes to reconfigure the Kennedy Center Honors to reflect his tastes, perhaps honoring Sylvester Stallone and Lee Greenwood.
A Kennedy Center representative for the National Symphony Orchestra did not respond to two requests for comment Tuesday, but told Washingtonian on Wednesday morning that the center plans to present instead a concert program called “The Wizard of Oz in Concert,” which will feature the National Symphony Orchestra playing alongside the classic film. That information was already on the Kennedy Center website, and we reported it Tuesday night. Much later on Wednesday, the spokesperson sent a statement and asked us to attribute it to Jean Davidson, the orchestra’s executive director:
Before the leadership transition at the Kennedy Center, we made the decision to postpone Peacock Among Pigeons due to financial and scheduling factors. We chose to replace it with The Wizard of Oz, another suitable program for World PRIDE participation. Program changes are a common practice. We were unable to announce the replacement program until we had secured the rights to present it, but in the interest of transparency, we removed the original program from the website to prevent further ticket sales.
Washingtonian has a few questions about this statement, including the timeline, what “financial and scheduling factors” were involved, and why the new program listing is silent about Pride. We’re hoping to speak with someone over there at some point.
Meanwhile, the chorus says it “will continue to seek spaces where our voices, our stories, and our music can be heard.” It plans to perform “A Peacock Among Pigeons” during the World Pride International Choral Festival instead. “We will continue to advocate for artistic expression that reflects the depth and diversity of our community and country,” it says in the statement. “And we will continue to sing and raise our voices for equality.”
This story has been updated to reflect the Kennedy Center’s responses.
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
