Kennedy Center Cancels Tour Of Acclaimed Children’s Musical ‘Finn’; Actors’ Equity Calls Decision “Beyond Appalling”
The Kennedy Center, under Donald Trump’s newly announced leadership, has canceled its tour of Finn, an acclaimed Kennedy Center-produced children’s musical about a young shark who, in the words of the show’s creators, “wants to let out his inner fish.”
The decision was announced – and decried – on the Instagram page of the show’s creators, Chris Nee, Michael Kooman, and Christopher Dimond. “We didn’t ask for this joy bomb of a show to be a part of the resistance,” they write, “but here we are.”
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“At its heart it has a universal message of love and acceptance,” they write. “The fact that that extends to sparkly boys seems to be controversial.”
In a brief statement to Deadline, a Kennedy Center spokesperson said, “The cancelation of the Finn tour was a purely financial decision.”
The musical had its premiere at the Kennedy Center in a November-December run. The venue’s website describes the story as “hilarious and heartwarming, chronicl[ing] the coming-of-age journey of Finn, a young shark who dreams of following in his family’s footsteps by joining the prestigious Shark Guard. As Finn faces the challenges of growing up and following his heart, the musical takes us on a magical journey of self-discovery, friendship, and adventure.”
Nominated for a prestigious Helen Hayes Award, Finn received rave reviews and audience popularity during its month-long run, leading to the center’s decision for a tour. Actors’ Equity has condemned the move as “beyond appalling” and “disturbing.”
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In their announcement of the cancelation, the show’s creators, including Doc McStuffins creator Nee, wrote, “Dimond & Kooman & Nee are sad to announce that the Kennedy Center tour of our musical Finn was officially cancelled yesterday. While not a surprise given the events of the last week, it is a heartbreak. But we will not be silenced. And we will not abandon the kids we wrote this show for. They are already under attack from every side. Please repost, and follow us at @Finnmusical as we look to be loud in response to this administration’s desire to silence us.”
The statement continued, “Finn is a musical for young audiences that was commissioned by The Kennedy Center. We premiered in December to rave reviews and financial success leading to the show being chosen as the Kennedy Center’s next touring show. We were so excited that more kids would see themselves in the world of Finn and know they were perfect just as they are. The resistance starts here – with a shark who wants to let out his inner fish.”
In a study guide on the Kennedy Center’s website, the musical’s main characters were described as “Finn: A young shark who just wants to be his true self. He loves sparkles and bright colors despite being a shark,” and “Seasil: A regal tang fish who becomes friends with Finn. Seasil wants to shake up the regal tang tradition and do a different dance for the jubilee.”
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“We are outraged at the news that The Kennedy Center has canceled the upcoming tour of Finn, a musical for young audiences that just concluded an acclaimed run at the theatre,” said Actors’ Equity in a statement. “Since its founding, the Kennedy Center has represented the full breadth of American culture; It is disturbing to see the new leadership of this institution move so swiftly to suppress viewpoints they do not agree with.”
The union’s statement continues, “And it is beyond appalling that the art they find so dangerous is a joyful children’s musical encouraging young people to be true to themselves and follow their dreams. Actors’ Equity Association stands with the company of this production and is watching developments carefully. The union intends to fully enforce our contracts with The Kennedy Center. Equity reminds its members that if they experience any difficulty with their contracts at the Kennedy Center, they should reach out to their business reps immediately.”
Watch a clip of the musical below.
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