INTERVIEW: Ambassador Richard Grenell touts Parade's financial success, invites Harvey Fierstein to the Kennedy Center, and explains why Disney is frustrated with Lin-Manuel Miranda
Under Ambassador Richard Grenell, the Kennedy Center is taking a new direction.
Ambassador Richard Grenell hasn’t even helmed the Kennedy Center for a year, but he’s already turned the ship around in a lot of ways, slashing DEI programming, correcting the legendary arts center’s previous “criminal” financial mismanagement, and — perhaps above all — making clear day in and day out that “everyone is welcome here.”
In an interview with the Washington Reporter, held at the red carpet event for The Sound of Music, Grenell dove into successes of recent programming, how Disney is getting fed up with Lin-Manuel Miranda after the controversial actor canceled Hamilton at the Kennedy Center, and told actor Harvey Fierstein, once more, that he is welcome at the Kennedy Center.
“As the President the Kennedy Center, I have to tell you that I'm always thinking about the modeling and the financials and overall how popular shows were, and I have to tell you — there's a little bit of news for you — that Parade made money,” Grenell said, referring to the powerful musical about the lawless lynching of a Jewish businessman who was framed for a murder he didn’t commit in early 20th century Atlanta.
Shows like Parade are what Grenell wants to see more of. “It was really well received,” he said. “Ticket sales, the sponsorships that came in for it, made it very exciting. It's an amazing show. I think we want to do more things like Parade.”
Now, with the center hosting The Sound of Music, Grenell said that that show’s message could also hardly be more timely.
“That message is just simply: stand up,” he said. “You can fight against what you think is an injustice; individuals matter and they can overcome. When you look at what The Sound of Music has done in terms of educating people about the days and the rise of the Third Reich, they do it in such a creative, fun way that it's educational as well.”
At a time when, as Grenell noted, “arts institutions are really struggling across the country, and Broadway is struggling,” his decision to steer the Kennedy Center away from woke, and at times, downright un-American programs, is proving successful.
“We are trying to be financially responsible and give shows that are common sense, blockbuster hits with the public,” he said.
Not everyone in the arts community has agreed, however. Recently, singer Ben Folds lashed out at the Kennedy Center’s leadership, but as the center itself noted to the Reporter, Folds had been hemorrhaging money.
“We haven't canceled a single show here,” Grenell explained. “All we've tried to do is let people know who bring shows here, who program here, know that if you don't sell enough tickets, then you’ve got to find sponsors, and if you don't find find enough sponsors, then what you really have to do is be on the hook to pay for all of that yourself.”
One show that many falsely believe the Kennedy Center itself canceled was Hamilton. Not only did Grenell say that that couldn’t be further from the truth, but he added that Disney itself is getting frustrated with Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“I had a meeting in Burbank with the Disney folks,” he said. “They were embarrassed by that. They told me they can't control him. Disney would much rather have Hamilton be able to perform for Republicans and Democrats, but he's the one who keeps running out of the room, and by the way, he keeps reminding everybody constantly that he left the Kennedy Center. Somehow his small, little world is welcoming his intolerance, because he keeps reminding us every other week of his intolerance.”
Grenell even singled out actor Harvey Fierstein for an invitation to the Kennedy Center, telling the Reporter that “Harvey Fierstein, you are welcome here. We would love to have your shows here.”
Grenell’s vision for returning the Kennedy Center to its potential is fairly simple.
“I just think that at this point, we should be able to sit in theaters and watch someone sing, hear someone give a lecture, watch someone dance and not care about who the people on either side of us are, who they voted for for for president, and things like that,” he said. “I don't want politics involved.”
Below is a transcript of our interview with Ambassador Richard Grenell, lightly edited for clarity.
Washington Reporter:
Ambassador Grenell, you’ve been running the Kennedy Center for almost a year now, and you just hosted an incredible showing of Parade. Tell us about the message of that show in the year 2025.
Ambassador Richard Grenell:
First of all, as the President the Kennedy Center, I have to tell you that I'm always thinking about the modeling and the financials and overall how popular shows were, and I have to tell you — there's a little bit of news for you — that Parade made money. And that's a rare thing for a lot of the shows. And certainly I know shows like Parade, when they go on tour, they don't always make money. We made money with Parade here, and we're ecstatic about it. It was really well received. Ticket sales, the sponsorships that came in for it, made it very exciting. It's an amazing show. I think we want to do more things like Parade. Certainly we now have The Sound of Music, which has another great message with amazing kids who tell that message. That message is just simply: stand up. You can fight against what you think is an injustice; individuals matter and they can overcome. When you look at what The Sound of Music has done in terms of educating people about the days and the rise of the Third Reich, they do it in such a creative, fun way that it's educational as well.
Washington Reporter:
Between The Sound of Music, Parade, and the other programming that you've been doing since taking over the Kennedy Center, what message are you trying to send to the broader public as you steer this center into the next several years?
Ambassador Richard Grenell:
Everyone is welcome here. That is number one. And despite what you read in the New York Times or despite what you read in the Washington Post, we haven't canceled a single show. We haven't canceled a single show here; all we've tried to do is let people know who bring shows here, who program here, know that if you don't sell enough tickets, then you’ve got to find sponsors, and if you don't find find enough sponsors, then what you really have to do is be on the hook to pay for all of that yourself. So that gives you lots of opportunities to make sure that we're revenue neutral. I just fundamentally believe in this moment these days where arts institutions are really struggling across the country, and Broadway is struggling, that we’ve got to have common sense programming that the masses will come to to be able to support other parts of arts and culture, so we are trying to be financially responsible and give shows that are common sense, blockbuster hits with the public.
Washington Reporter:
You're being polite. You're not naming names, but people like Ben Folds, Katie Couric, and others are people that you and the Kennedy Center have pushed back on their claims about how things have been going here. Has anything surprised you in dealing with people in the arts, either in a positive way or a negative way, that you were not expecting before you took this job?
Ambassador Richard Grenell:
Well, first of all, as as I've said from the beginning, everyone is welcome here. There are a lot of rumors out there from people saying that ‘I'm not welcome at the Kennedy Center.’ Let me tell you, Harvey Fierstein, you are welcome here. We would love to have your shows here. He went out publicly and said he's not welcome here. So that's fake news. Hamilton left us. They decided that they couldn't perform for Republicans. I had a meeting in Burbank with the Disney folks. They were embarrassed by that. They told me they can't control him. Disney would much rather have Hamilton be able to perform for Republicans and Democrats, but he's the one who keeps running out of the room, and by the way, he keeps reminding everybody constantly that he left the Kennedy Center. Somehow his small, little world is welcoming his intolerance, because he keeps reminding us every other week of his intolerance. I just think that at this point, we should be able to sit in theaters and watch someone sing, hear someone give a lecture, watch someone dance and not care about who the people on either side of us are, who they voted for for for president, and things like that. I don't want politics involved.
Washington Reporter:
Ambassador Grenell, thanks so much for chatting.