ETTD*

By Hubie and Bertie

In all the coverage of the latest Kennedy Center debacle, has anybody brought up the fact that the National Symphony Orchestra is royally screwed? After multiple artists and productions flaked off, and even when Philip Glass canceled the June premiere of his Lincoln symphony, the music director of the NSO said, "We're staying."

The orchestra's board chair was even more emphatic. "We are going to make this work," she said. "I was born in Washington, grew up with the Kennedy Center, grew up in the NSO, and I can’t let it disappear. We will make it through this." Well, oops.

The Kennedy Center shutdown is nothing to celebrate, for sure. But despite all of Benedict Donald's bravado about "Construction, Revitalization, and Complete Rebuilding" (capitalizations his), we all know the real reason. Everyone walked. "Instead of just commanding performances — which they can't do — the Trump people are closing it down and slinking away," writer Tom Nichols skeeted on Bluesky.

But what about the NSO? Their Kennedy Center funding will continue, but where will they play? We cats have a suggestion: DAR Constitution Hall, their old stomping grounds. Even better, it's a private venue, so the Trumpsters can't touch it.

In the bad old days of segregation, the DAR barred Marian Anderson and Paul Robeson from performing there. (Their insult to Anderson turned out badly for them, though, with a little help from Eleanor Roosevelt.) But that shameful history just makes it totes nifty to have Glass's Lincoln symphony premiere there. We cats like the idea, and we PURR.

*Everything Trump Touches Dies