SCOOP: The hills of D.C. are alive with the Sound of Music at the Kennedy Center
The Trump-Grenell run Kennedy Center is hosting its latest hit.
The seven hills of Washington, D.C. are alive with the Sound of Music — thanks to the Kennedy Center’s show that is, one attendee told the Washington Reporter, a “magical performance that Julie Andrews herself would be proud of.”
The Kennedy Center’s latest show saw one of the most famous musicals of all time grace one of its main stages, and the center’s leadership told the Reporter that attendees can expect more to come.
“This is a beloved classic for so many people, and exactly the type of popular show you can expect on our stages from the new leadership,” Roma Daravi, the Kennedy Center’s vice president of public relations, told the Reporter.
One attendee told the Reporter that Daravi’s description was spot on. “The opening of The Sound of Music at the Kennedy Center was pure nostalgia and joy, filling the room with a sense of happiness — it is the perfect night out,” she said, “and a magical family night if the kids are old enough.”
And that’s exactly what the Kennedy Center’s guests told the Reporter they want. One, who identified herself to the Reporter solely as “Lexi from Utah,” said that she “really enjoyed going to The Sound of Music. The music was great, the audience was engaged, and it was well worth staying up after 8pm too!”
“There was no agenda shoved in my face,” Lexi from Utah added — suggesting that President Donald Trump and Ambassador Richard Grenell’s intentional moves to abolish DEI programming at the prestigious arts center are helping to draw in fans.
For months, Grenell has spoken with the Reporter about his twin moves of both abolishing DEI programs and ensuring that “everyone is welcome here.”
One attendee at The Sound of Music, who had been to the Kennedy Center before the Trump-Grenell takeover, told the Reporter that the Kennedy Center is now an “incredible place” under the new duo.
The attendee called the center a “world-class venue where people who love America and the arts come together to experience great talent. From the ushers to the performers on stage, you can feel the revival.”
“I’ve been coming here for years and have never seen it like this,” he said. “The Sound of Music was timeless. Les Misérables was unforgettable. I look forward to more events in the near future. Ambassador Grenell and his team deserve credit for bringing excellence back to the Kennedy Center.”
During a red carpet interview at The Sound of Music’s premiere, Grenell explained that, even at a time when “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 successful.
“We are trying to be financially responsible and give shows that are common sense, blockbuster hits with the public,” he explained.