Changes at the top at the Kennedy Center have led to some entertainers deciding to call off their planned shows. Among them is renowned impressionist and D.C. native Sylvia Traymore Morrison.
“I want to be on the right side of history,” Morrison told WTOP about her decision to cancel her two shows that were scheduled for April.
Over the past several weeks, President Donald Trump has shaken up the board of the Kennedy Center, including replacing the board’s chairman, David Rubenstein. The move led to other performers also calling off their shows, including actor Issa Rae and the Alfred Street Baptist Church of Alexandria.
Morrison is both the first Black female impressionist and first Black female writer for Saturday Night Live. Her Kennedy Center shows were slated to be comedy specials that would be included in a documentary about her life.
“This was going to be one of the most historical events I’ve had in my career,” she said.
When the board of the center started to change, with some members resigning before being removed, Morrison said she decided the show couldn’t go on.
“It’s the whole principle behind what’s taking place. You fire all the people on the board and add people that you want, and you can’t get past performing there unless you go through him. And it’s like, ‘I’m not doing this.’ I’m not doing it,” Morrison said.
Trump, in announcing the reorganization of the center, said the changes would be made to “Make the Kennedy Center, in Washington D.C., GREAT AGAIN,” in a post on Truth Social. He stated the exiting board did not “share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture.”
Some shows have reportedly been canceled, including the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., which was a planned performance with the National Symphony Orchestra during the city’s World Pride Celebration this June.
Morrison said she is concerned the changes will result in many artists not being allowed to perform there, adding that it’s something she cannot support.
“I love the arts, I love the dancing, I love the stories. I love all of the wonderfulness that comes through the Kennedy Center. And now, I don’t know what we’re going to get,” she said.
Morrison said she hopes to hold the show at another venue this year, though details for that are still being worked out.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
