The vice president, along with his wife, Second Lady Usha Vance, was in attendance at the performance. Second Lady Vance was appointed to the center’s board by President Trump. The audience at the performance arts center showed support for the couple.
WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance faced a chorus of boos while attending a classical music concert at the Kennedy Center Thursday night.
Despite some acts, such as the popular musical “Hamilton,” pulling out of performances at the venue in protest of the Trump administration’s changes to the center’s leadership, the audience at the arts center expressed their appreciation for the vice president and second lady.
Several other shows, like the Gay Men’s Chorus’ “A Peacock Among Pigeons” and a show by the International Pride Orchestra, expressed surprise at their cancelations. While the Kennedy Center explained the cancelation of “Peacock Among Pigeons” as due to financial reasons, the arts community continues to voice discontent over the changes made by the current administration.
The vice president was at Thursday night’s concert with his wife Second Lady Usha Vance. The video obtained by CNN via The Guardian, shows Vice President Vance taking his seat in the 2nd floor box tier section and waving to the crowd below him while many in the audience boo at him.
The vice president had been attending a Thursday night performance of works by Russian composers Igor Stravinsky and Dmitri Shostakovich, conducted by National Symphony Orchestra music director Gianandrea Noseda. The show appears to be the first one attended by Vance as vice president.
President Trump was elected chairman of the board of trustees of the Kennedy Center in February by the members he had appointed, including Second Lady Vance. Despite his status as chairman, Trump has never seen a show at the center.
Before Trump took over and reshuffled the board, members were nearly evenly split between appointees from Republican and Democratic presidents.
