Monday, March 17, 2025

First Kennedy Center Cancellation: Emmy Winner Issa Rae Says Sold Out Show Will Not Go On

The fallout at the Kennedy Center has begun.

Popular and respected Emmy winner Issa Rae (Insecure, also Barbie) has cancelled her sold out show at the theater following the firing of the board and the installation of Donald Trump as chairman.

Rae doesn’t say this, but I will tell you again there isn’t one African American member of the new board. It’s composed entirely of Trump cronies.

All the artists have resigned including opera star Renee Fleming. Yesterday, Bob Barnett, the respected lawyer who’s represented the Ken Cen for 20 years, resigned as well. So did Shonda Rhimes.

This is just the beginning, folks.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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