Do you think Trump might do the same thing at Wolf Trap that he did with KenCen?

In My Humble Opinion
1

This may not be of national interest, but you might be aware that Trump took over the board at the Kennedy Center, the prestigious performing arts venue in Washington, D.C. He seems to be wanting to control the agenda so there is nothing pro-LGBTQ or anything else that rankles the far right. Looks like that move is torpedoing the patronage as far as ticket sales and some artists are cancelling.

Wolf Trap is a performing arts venue in the D.C. suburb of Vienna, Va. It’s a pavilion-style venue, with covered seating as well as lawn seating. Wolf Trap is unique in that it is a national park. They have a lot of big-name performers from rock and pop, also operas, comedy–a wide variety. I’ve seen Jeff Beck, B.B. King, Winton Marsalis, Carole King (the list is a lot longer), and have tickets for Carmen this year.

I do not know how Wolf Trap is governed but it is a national park so I assume Trump could exert his influence there even more so than at Kennedy Center. Have we seen the last of famous LGBTQ performers there? Is he trying to control all of the arts that get federal funding, or did he for some reason just have a hard-on for Kennedy Center?

2

The Wikipedia article says, “The Park is operated as a public/private partnership between the Park Service, which staffs and operates the park grounds, and the Foundation, which produces and presents the performance and education programs.” So it doesn’t appear that he can take control of the performance and education programs.

3

Who appoints the Board of the Foundation?

Note that Melania Trump is the honorary Chair.

4

I’d say no simply because I’d bet a significant amount of money Trump has no idea Wolf Trap exists.

5

Agreed, but someone might tell him about it.

6

It does appear, however, that the Park Service could shut down the facility entirely.

7

It would take more than that IMO. He took over the Kennedy Center be because he thought it was a prestigious cultural outlet and the epitome of American high culture. By taking it he believes people (most especially the elite blue bloods of NYC who have always had nothing but contempt for him) will transfer all the prestige and airs of high culture onto him.

It would take more than pointing out there is a nice music venue on the 267 in Virginia for him to think the same thing about Wolf Trap.

8

If that’s all it was, I’d agree. But I always thought of Wolf Trap as a pretty prestigious venue that appealed to the intellectual class (I lived in the DC area for four years and soaked up a fair bit of the local culture).

If one of Trump’s handlers needs to distract him, I can imagine them cleverly presenting the topic of Wolf Trap to divert or placate him.

Or maybe not. I’m not saying it’s a given, just that it seems like a realistic possibility.

9

I agree with all of this. The Kennedy Center has historically been extremely well-known and prestigious; while Wolf Trap may be a well-known music venue among people who live in the D.C. area, it’s not nearly as visible nationally.

10

We’ve been going to see Indigo Girls and Melissa Etheridge every time they play at Wolf Trap. Last year we saw Melissa and Indigo Girls together on the same bill for the first time. (Who got to open for whom on the tour was a coin flip, I think). Those concerts are always a reunion and a celebration for DC area queer women. They better leave Wolf Trap alone.