Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Bold Protest Backfires as Kennedy Center Workers Pay the Price

There are a lot of things I don’t get. And one of the things I don’t get is Lin -Manuel Miranda’s decision to cancel performances of “Hamilton” at the Kennedy Center, which was supposed to be part of the celebration next year, of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

“The Kennedy Center was not created in this spirit, and we’re not going to be a part of it while it is the Trump Kennedy Center. We’re just not going to be part of it,” Mr. Miranda said in a joint interview with the New York Times on March 5 with its lead producer, Jeffrey Seller. 

The cancellation certainly will not change the Trump-appointed take-over of Kennedy Center. There’s plenty of time to find a replacement.

What I find wrong with Mr. Miranda’s decision is that his cancellation of “Hamilton” can adversely hurt hundreds of people without having any affect on Kennedy Center’s new management.

It can hurt people who make a living by working as stagehands at the center, people who sell refreshments, people who clean up after performances, the staff of restaurants close to the venue, and taxi drivers who transport patrons to the center and home again after performances and actors in the cast as well as disappointing customers who were looking forward to seeing one of the most unique shows in theater history. One person who will not be hurt by the decision is Mr. Miranda.

Did Mr. Miranda think of how his decision to cancel “Hamilton” could affect people whose livelihood depends on the Kennedy Center? 

One of my early PR jobs was working with actors on the Broadway stage and other entertainment platforms. Many of them think they are special because they can remember lines and behave as if they deserve special treatment.

Some also think that what they have to say about political issues will resonate with the public. Performing in a play or movie is like living in a fantasy world for many hours of the day. Performers who think their political comments will change outcomes also are living in a fantasy world. History proves that.

Just ask Al Gore, Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris, all of whom had many more bold face A-name entertainers supporting them how they enjoyed being president. Mr. Miranda obviously wanted to express his revulsion about President Trump’s take-over of the Kennedy Center, which is his right. But I think his timing was off.

Surely there was another way of doing so than canceling performances of “Hamilton,” during the celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And surely there was another way of doing so in a manner that would not hurt people who depend working at the Kennedy Center for a living.

From a PR point of view the cancellation pf “Hamilton” was a mistake. It’s similar to the thousands of PR people over the years who hire celebrities to hawk products. What a celebrity says is most often forgotten by the public a day later, maybe sooner.

The same is true about Mr. Miranda’s decision to cancel the Kennedy Center’s “Hamilton” run. Mr. Miranda’s reasons for his canceling performances that were to be part of the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence will soon be a foot note in the larger story about the celebration.

Throughout the celebration, Mr. Miranda will be remembered for not willing to help celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence - not for taking an anti-Trump stand.

After all, he’s just the latest of hundreds of actors who have spoken out against Mr. Trump, and only one of thousands who have who have taken political stands over the decades. It’s become a run of the mill occurrence.

From a pure public relations stance, taking part in the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is an honor. Backing out after you said you would is no way to win friends or influence people. It makes Mr. Miranda an easy target for attacks, which are certain to come not only from the far right media but from patriotic Americans regardless of their political beliefs.

Mr. Miranda is not the only artist who has refused to perform at the Kennedy Center because of Mr. Trump’s actions. In my opinion, by doling so they are aiding the Trump agenda by making the Kennedy Center into a venue for conservative performers.

That’s certainly not what artists who oppose Mr. Trump want to happen. But that’s what will happen if liberal artists boycott the Kennedy Center.