CBS News reports that two sources with knowledge of the plans expect President Donald Trump to attend a board meeting at the Kennedy Center on Monday.
The organizers have planned for the meeting to take place on the stage of the opera house.
CBS News reported that “Riverdance” loaded up tonight so they could be on stage tomorrow.
The sources stated that there are some costs involved with staging the event in one of the country’s most prestigious cultural institutions. These include stage crew overtime.
There are a lot of stagehands and security costs. One source stated that the plan had been changed five times within three days.
The Kennedy Center faces financial challenges. Ric Grenell, the interim director at that time, tweeted in February that “zero money was on hand.” Congress provides about 16%, or $45 Million, of the organization’s operating budget. The remainder is funded through ticket sales, fundraising efforts and other sources.
Requests for comment from the White House or the Kennedy Center were not answered by the spokespeople.
In February, Donald Trump disbanded the Kennedy Center board of directors. He then appointed himself as chairman. The new board is made up of political allies such as White House chief staff Susie Wiles and long-time senior Trump adviser Dan Scavino. Also on the board are Usha Vance, Fox News host Laura Ingraham, and former Trump aide Dan Scavino.
The Kennedy Center reports that no president in the 54-year history of the venue has restructured the board.
Mr. Trump said that he would be able to influence the programming of the venue. He has promised to stop “Drag Shows targeting our youth,” and move away from “woke culture” as described by multiple sources in a previous interview with CBS News.
In protest against Mr. Trump’s takeover in February, several artists have cancelled upcoming performances. These include actor and producer Issa Rahe as well as the team behind the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton,”.
Social media footage from last week showed audiences booing vice president JD Vance who was at a National Symphony Orchestra concert at the Kennedy Center.
