INTERVIEW: Kevin Hassett, Richard Grenell, and Red Carpet VIPs discuss the Kennedy Center's future at Aida's opening night
Richard Grenell, Giulia DiGuglielmo said, has “been a breath of fresh air. The Kennedy Center is certainly different, and I’d like to say it’s great again.”
Stars of all ages and backgrounds flocked to the Kennedy Center’s latest red carpet extravaganza for the kickoff of the legendary opera, Aida. Several spoke with the Washington Reporter during the pre-show festivities, and Ambassador Richard Grenell explained how the center’s “common sense programming” has led to the center right-sizing its financial footing after years of what Grenell has previously called criminal mismanagement by his predecessors.
“Because the programming is geared towards common sense programming, we have corporations and individuals that have been giving like never before,” Grenell explained to the Reporter from the red carpet. “Financially, we’re doing great. We’ve really turned the corner, and we’ve got amazing shows that are coming.”
Grenell’s remarks were echoed by someone who knows a thing or two about economics: Kevin Hassett, the Director of the National Economic Council of the United States.
“President Trump has a vision that this place can be great again, but it needs to be a house for the arts, for people of all income levels, and you can’t do that if you’re running a giant deficit, and Ambassador Grenell has come here and he’s turned the place around so quickly,” Hassett told the Reporter, while crashing Grenell’s interview. “That’s just astonishing. So right now, they’re in the black, or almost in the black, and what that means is that their programs are available to all Americans. If you want to see the arts and see a great show like Aida, you should come now and know that the Kennedy Center is fully funded and can handle the load of making this place available to everyone.”
“We’ve got all ages,” Grenell continued. “We’ve got people of all backgrounds. And this is what I want to see at the Kennedy Center. I want to see everyone welcome here. We can’t welcome everybody if we don’t have a financial situation that is really solid, and so all we’ve tried to do is to say we want to welcome sponsors. We want to welcome individuals, and we promise to have common sense programming that you won’t be embarrassed by.”
Both Grenell and Hassett explained that Aida is exactly the type of show that will draw people to the center. “Aida is fantastic,” Hassett said. “It’s one of the most exciting operas of all time. I cry every time I hear the march. This is the one the opera that you’ve been listening to your whole life, in Bugs Bunny and everywhere else, it’s in the show. And so if you never thought you would like opera, you should give this one a shot, and then you might really change your mind.”
Grenell agreed, calling Aida “one of the most fun operas, and I would encourage people to come. This is the one to come see at the Kennedy Center.”
Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s Vice President of Public Relations, told the Reporter from the red carpet that she was pleased to see “so much excitement [and] a packed house.”
Aida, she said, “is a really special piece of work. It’s got dance, it’s got acting, singing, it’s beautiful. You don’t have to be an expert in the opera to enjoy this show.” It’s also the type of “family friendly” programming that Grenell and President Donald Trump have prioritized, she explained.
“There are more families, kids coming to shows than we’ve ever seen, at least in recent history,” Daravi observed. “It’s a beautiful time, especially going into the holiday season, we’ve got an amazing, exciting lineup of Christmas shows. We actually will have a Kennedy Center Christmas tree. So look out for that tree lighting. That’s a little sneak peek. We’re also going to have a Christmas Show special. We’re going to have Santa Claus here, a full nativity. Tons of really exciting Christmas programming for the holiday season, perfect for the family, kids of all ages.”
Other red carpet attendees echoed what Grenell and Daravi said about the Kennedy Center being open for all types of people.
“We just saw a group of priests here on the red carpet,” Giulia DiGuglielmo told the Reporter. “I don’t think you see that in Hollywood. And Ric Grenell is here and he is doing a great job.”
“There are all types of ages and types of people here and there are a lot of different shows, and it’s really exciting, especially looking at the holiday season too at some of the Christmas shows that are coming back,” DiGuglielmo added.
Grenell, DiGuglielmo said, has “been a breath of fresh air. The Kennedy Center is certainly different, and I’d like to say it’s great again.”
Another attendee contrasted what he experienced at the Kennedy Center under prior leadership with how it’s been run by Grenell.
During the coronavirus pandemic, he said, “I was forced to wear a mask throughout the whole show, while we were still separated throughout the seats.” This time, the attendee said, “it does feel more open. It feels more friendly. We see from familiar faces, happy faces. Everyone’s having a good time. Just something that’s a new light to the Kennedy Center that we haven’t seen before.”
Another attendee described the Kennedy Center’s portrayal of Aida as “a poignant exhibition of personal passion versus national duty.”
“The Francesca Zambello-directed production immerses the audience in a world that evokes images of ancient Egypt but feels just as relevant to the modern political landscape,” she said. “Zambello utilizes a massive chorus and blaring trumpets on stage to create scale of lavish proportions, while simultaneously maintaining an intimate atmosphere that allows the love triangle’s raw emotions to transcend the confines of the theater. Adam Smith shines as the virtuosic tenor, Radamés, producing a commanding performance of heroism and vulnerability that you don’t want to end. Aida tells a tale as old as time, asking us how far we would go for love, and leaves the audience to ponder just that as the final aria softly closes this tour de force production.”
Following the show, DiGuglielmo said that “Aida was a memorable and moving performance. The soprano in the title role sang with breathtaking clarity and emotion, and the choreography added an elegance that made the whole production unforgettable.”