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Huffington Post
HuffPost
27 Mar 2025


NextImg:Another Big Musical Is Off At Kennedy Center In 'Deeply Complicated Situation'
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The Kennedy Center has canceled a June run of “Legally Blonde: The Musical” and fired social-impact team members.

“Legally Blonde,” based on the 2001 novel and film of the same name, tells the story of a perky sorority sister who goes to Harvard law school. It earned 7 Tony nominations in its original Broadway run in 2007.

Executive producer Jeffrey Finn appeared to tiptoe around the center’s new political climate in a statement to Playbill. President Donald Trump was elected board chair of the arts venue in February and pledged to root out perceived wokeness from its productions.

Finn’s statement didn’t provide a lot of clarity as to how and why the cancellation occurred.

“I am disappointed to announce that the upcoming Broadway Center Stage production of Legally Blonde is being postponed to a future date,” Finn said in the statement. “To be clear, this is not a Kennedy Center cancellation, and this is not due to any one person or persons involved with the show. Broadway Center Stage will continue our mission to deliver first class productions for our loyal patrons, as well as the Broadway creatives, casts, crew, and amazing Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra musicians. I sincerely look forward to bringing this vibrant show to life in the near future.”

Matt DiCarlo, the show’s director, said in an Instagram Story that he was “gutted” by the development. He thanked Finn for “handling this deeply complicated situation with so much love and care.”

HuffPost has reached out to DiCarlo, Finn and Kennedy Center representative Roma Daravi for comment.

Laura Bell Bundy, left, as Elle Woods in the soon-to-be-on-Broadway "Legally Blonde" in 2007.
Laura Bell Bundy, left, as Elle Woods in the soon-to-be-on-Broadway "Legally Blonde" in 2007.
San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images

“Hamilton,” another Broadway giant, bowed out of its planned Kennedy Center run earlier this month protest of Trump’s purge of board members while taking over as chair.

“The recent shift in the Kennedy Center’s ideology and board leadership has made it untenable for a production like Hamilton to celebrate and be celebrated there today,” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda said.

Other productions have also been canceled, and one youth opera program leader stripped naked in a protest video, which got them fired.

The center’s workforce shrank further on Tuesday after it laid off at least five people from its social impact team, The Washington Post reported.

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The social impact objective at the center was “to advance justice and equity,” a description that has now been deleted. WaPo said center employees were told that more layoffs are coming.