The Kennedy Center in Washington, now under the direction of AH Trump has canceled a tour of the children’s musical Finn. The story of a young shark who wants to live his truth while still upholding family traditions, Finn premiered at the Kennedy Center in November 2024.
Kooman, Dimond, and Nee announced the tour’s cancellation on the show’s social media page. “While not a surprised given the events of last week, it is a heartbreak. But we will not be silenced. And we will not abandon the kids we wrote this show for. They are already under attack from every side. We didn’t ask for this joy bomb of a show to be a part of the resistance, but here we are. Please repost, and follow us at @Finnmusical as we look to be loud in response to this administration’s desire to silence us. »
The question, why Trump’s puppet at the helm of the KC has cancelled the show is more than obvious: The show’s creators told the Washington Post that the musical could be read as a metaphor for the LGBTQ+ experience.
They said, « At its core, it’s a universal message of love and acceptance. That this extends to sparkly boys seems controversial. »
Actors’ Equity Association, the national union representing more than 51,000 professional performers and stage managers working in live theatre, responded to the news that the Kennedy Center canceled their planned tour. The press release says:
“We are outraged at the news that The Kennedy Center has canceled the upcoming tour of ‘Finn,’ a musical for young audiences that just concluded an acclaimed run at the theatre. Since its founding, the Kennedy Center has represented the full breadth of American culture; It is disturbing to see the new leadership of this institution move so swiftly to suppress viewpoints they do not agree with. And it is beyond appalling that the art they find so dangerous is a joyful children’s musical encouraging young people to be true to themselves and follow their dreams. Actors’ Equity Association stands with the company of this production and is watching developments carefully. The union intends to fully enforce our contracts with The Kennedy Center. Equity reminds its members that if they experience any difficulty with their contracts at the Kennedy Center, they should reach out to their business reps immediately.”
