WASHINGTON: Months after orchestrating a conservative takeover of the Kennedy Center's leadership, President Donald Trump arrived there on Wednesday to attend "Les Miserables," his first show at the performing arts facility that has become a symbol of U.S. cultural and political divides.
Trump did not attend events at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts during his first term but has taken a keen interest in it during his second.
Deriding it on social media for putting on "Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth," he pushed out its former chairman, fired its longtime president and pledged to overhaul an institution he described as being in tremendous disrepair.
The fallout has been swift. The musical "Hamilton" canceled plans to appear there, staff left and sales of subscriptions and individual tickets for Kennedy Center shows have dropped, according to two people briefed on the data.
Overall year-on-year subscription revenue was down 36% to $2.8 million as of early June for next season, which begins in the autumn, according to one source. Theater subscriptions, normally a major revenue driver for the center, were down 82%.
A Kennedy Center official said the comparisons reflected in those subscription sales were not accurate because the center had launched its subscription renewal campaign later in 2025 than 2024.
"Our renewal campaign is just kicking off," said Kim Cooper, senior vice president of marketing, in a statement. Cooper also noted the center had launched a new subscription option that allowed customers to "mix and match" genres and said more announcements of shows were coming.
The Kennedy Center depends on revenue from tickets and subscriptions as well as donations to operate.
Ticket sales for "Les Miserables" have been robust, according to another Kennedy Center official.
"President Trump cares deeply about American arts and culture, which is why he is revitalizing historic institutions like the Kennedy Center to their former greatness," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement.
Trump's appearance at the opening night of "Les Miserables", a show about citizens rising up against their government, comes just days after he sent U.S. Marines and the National Guard to quell protests against his administration's immigration raids in Los Angeles.
First lady Melania Trump and Vice President JD Vance also were attending. Trump will sit in the presidential box overlooking center stage, but he is not guaranteed a friendly reception in the 2,300-seat theater.
When Vance attended a Kennedy Center show with his wife earlier this year, the crowd booed.
Supportive donors will be present on Wednesday, but tickets for the musical were available for purchase by the public as well, along with regular subscribers. The night is sold out. Trump's appearance is meant to juice fundraising.
Donors who pay $100,000 to $2 million get to attend a reception before the show, receive a photo with the president and be seated in good locations in the theater.
The Kennedy Center is turning the event into one on par with its signature shows, including the Kennedy Center Honors, featuring a red carpet for high-profile guests with reporters and photographers in place.
A Kennedy Center spokeswoman described the entry as similar to a "Hollywood movie premiere" with board members, lawmakers and Trump administration officials appearing.
Under the leadership of Ric Grenell, a close Trump ally and former ambassador to Germany, the Kennedy Center has sought to add more conservative-leaning programming, including a show that Grenell has described as a celebration of the birth of Christ.
Meanwhile, while Trump zeroed in on drag shows when he said the Kennedy Center had lost its way, multiple upcoming musicals include characters dressed in drag, such as "Mrs. Doubtfire" and "Chicago." Other musicals have pulled out, according to a former Kennedy Center official.
