Seattle Children's Theater will 'assess' upcoming production at Kennedy Center

January 12, 2026 / 4:53 pm

caption: Demonstrators, including Nadine Siler, of Waldorf, Md., dressed in a pink frog costume, hold up signs at a designated protest point in front of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, a day after a Trump-appointed board voted to add President Donald Trump's name to the Kennedy Center, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Washington.

The Seattle Children’s Theater is discussing the "path forward" for a planned production at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., as artists continue to cancel performances in protest of the Trump administration.

The local theater is scheduled to perform a new production, "Young Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story," at the Kennedy Center between April 11 and 19. "Young Dragon" will first hit Seattle Children's Eve Alvord Theater between February 19 and March 15. The show, which is described as an "action-packed, soul-searching new play for young audiences" follows a young Bruce Lee as he begins life in a new country.

"We are eager for this important story to be told as widely as possible, and the Kennedy Center reaches a large number of families, schools, and young audiences," a spokesperson for Seattle Children's Theater told KUOW. "However, we recognize that circumstances have changed, and we are in conversation this week with SCT’s cast and creative team to assess the path forward."

Managing Director Kevin Malgesini will be discussing the planned performance with the "Young Dragon" team. The theater declined further comment on whether the performance would go on until after those conversations.

Several artists have cancelled shows at the Kennedy Center during the second Trump administration.

In March 2025, Jeffrey Seller, a producer behind the Broadway hit "Hamilton," announced the show would not be returning to the Kennedy Center for a third time due to the "new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center."

Seller said he was opposed to the Trump administration’s decision to "purge" both professional staff and performing arts events at the Kennedy Center.

"The Kennedy Center was meant to be for all Americans, a place where we could all come together in celebration of the arts," Seller wrote. "Politics have never affected the presentation of thousands of shows and the display of extraordinary visual arts."

Last week, Mexican American musician Sonia De Los Santos announced she would be cancelling her February performances at the Kennedy Center.

"Unfortunately, I do not feel that the current climate at this beloved venue represents a welcoming space for myself, my band, or our audience," De Los Santos wrote on Instagram.

De Los Santos's announcement follows the addition of Trump’s name to the Kennedy Center in December.

Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has devoted special attention to the arts venue, cutting programming and appropriating $257 million under his "Big Beautiful Bill."

The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to KUOW’s request for comment.

Why you can trust KUOW

Noel Gasca
General Assignment Reporter

Noel is a general assignment reporter for KUOW, covering everything from city hall to pickleball. Prior to joining the newsroom, Noel worked as a producer for KUOW’s midday show Soundside. Noel has also worked as an online editor and producer with KUOW’s web team, and she’s also a proud graduate of KUOW’s RadioActive program.
More stories from Noel Gasca »