Trump’s Kennedy Center Head Has Bizarre ’80s Star Obsession
The performing arts center’s interim director has an unexpected inspiration for future programming.
The Trump-appointed interim president of the Kennedy Center has a secret fixation, and it doesn’t involve improving plummeting ticket sales. Instead, Richard Grenell reportedly hopes to make the center’s programming more “like Paula Abdul.”
Jane Raleigh, who was the Kennedy Center’s dance director until Grenell fired her in August, told the New York Times on Friday that the former diplomat often brought up the pop star, and “said that he wanted programming that could ‘be like Paula Abdul.’” The Daily Beast has contacted the Kennedy Center for comment.
Richard Grenell is reportedly fascinated with Paula Abdul and feels especially knowledgeable about dance because his husband briefly danced on Broadway.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
President Trump named Grenell, 59, interim president of the Kennedy Center in February. At the time, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Grenell would ensure “NO MORE DRAG SHOWS, OR OTHER ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA—ONLY THE BEST.” Now, Grenell’s staff say his version of “the best” includes a lot of ’80s pop.
Abdul, who rose to fame in the late 1980s with her album Forever Your Girl, is known for her upbeat pop songs and energetic dancing. Before serving as a judge on American Idol and The Masked Dancer, Abdul worked as a choreographer for Janet Jackson and recorded six #1 singles.
Paula Abdul was a hit-making artist 40 years ago.
Jeff Hahne/Getty Images
Grenell, meanwhile, has no background in the arts. Instead, he is the former ambassador to Germany whose work in the Trump administration has historically involved international relations, including recent negotiations with Venezuela.
However, Raleigh told the Times that Grenell often referenced his husband’s past work on Broadway as evidence of his arts expertise.
“He would bring up his husband as a way to be like, ‘Well, I know a lot about entertaining dance because I fell in love with a dancer,’” said Raleigh.
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Grenell’s partner, Matt Lashey, danced in the ensembles of the 2001 musical 42nd Street and the 2002 revival of Thoroughly Modern Millie. He is now the CEO of ChemoWave, an app for chemotherapy patients.
Stephen Nakagawa, a former dancer who vowed to “end the dominance of leftist ideologies in the arts and return to classical ballet’s purity," replaced the center's dance director of more than a decade in August.
Stephen Nakagawa/Instagram
Grenell replaced Raleigh with former Washington Ballet dancer Stephen Nakagawa, who vowed in his cover letter to “end the dominance of leftist ideologies in the arts and return to classical ballet’s purity.”
Under Grenell and Nakagawa’s leadership, the center’s upcoming dance performances are expected to fill as few as 4 percent of available seats.
Trump initially said that Grenell would be responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Kennedy Center. However, staff say the interim president quickly outsourced those responsibilities to aides with no experience working in the arts.
Staff who spoke to the Times say most of the daily operations are handled by Grenell’s two right-hand men: Rick Loughery, the former national chairman of the Young Republicans, and Nick Meade, Grenell’s senior adviser from his time as a special envoy to the president. The trio are reportedly referred to within the building as “Ric and the Icks.”
Meanwhile, ticket sales have continued to plummet at the Kennedy Center. Between early September and late October, roughly 43 percent of the center’s available tickets for its productions went unsold.
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