As it seeks to change its 60-year-old name, the Kennedy Center is hosting a rich and varied holiday repertoire as it has done in many years past. This year's program is especially focused on Christmas and has included for the first time a grand spectacle that started with lighting a Christmas tree in the Hall of States and ended with a live nativity scene outside the building. The one-day-only show was performed on Wednesday, December 17.
Noel: Jesus is Born took place on the eve of the Kennedy Center's announcement of its board's decision to rename it into the Trump-Kennedy Center. Although the institution has called on the audience to enjoy the holiday spirit making their attendance only about the art, it is hard to do so amid the controversy this decision has stirred. Trump's name was already added to the facade of the Kennedy Center building on Friday, without waiting for Congress to weigh in on the decision.
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| Trump's name added to the Kennedy Center Photo: Zlatica Hoke |
The US president's influence on the institution he has taken over was visible even before this latest development. There has been no visible sign that The Kennedy Center's holiday season celebrates other winter holidays, such as Hanukkah or Kwanzaa. In the course of his first presidential campaign, Trump promised to end what he called "war on Christmas" and during the unveiling of Christmas decorations at the White House this year he explicitly announced: "We are saying Merry Christmas again."
The last Kennedy Center's performance with Jesus in its title as far as I can remember, was Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in 2022. The iconic 1970s work tells the story of Jesus from the point of view of his betraying disciple Judas Iscariot, and gives a prominent role to arguably reformed sinner Mary Magdalene. Webber's world known master-piece, has sparked condemnation from some Christians, but was embraced by others.
I went to Jesus is Born show not knowing what to expect other than singer and big band leader Charles Billingsley and his special guests Matthew West and TaRanda Green, all of them known for their careers in Christian music. The first part of the concert comprised mostly popular songs that deal with secular aspects of the holiday, such as Santa Clause and his reindeers, seasonal snow and mistletoes.
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| Charles Billingsley and Matthew West Photo: Jati Lindsay |
Billingsley did his best to keep the audience engaged. Projecting the text for sing-along items on a large screen was a great help to this viewer, who knows all the tunes, but no words. A visit from Santa Clause added action to the sparkling show. Matthew West performed his own compositions Come Home for Christmas and Back to Bethlehem. The big-band sound was enhanced by the string section from the Washington National Opera Orchestra and singers were accompanied by the National Christian Choir. The performance then segued into traditional carols focusing on the birth of Jesus all against the backdrop of nostalgic images of old Christmas cards, knitted sweaters, holiday decor and falling snow, projected behind the orchestra and brightly lit Christmas trees.
For many years, Billingsley and his two principal guests have been distinctive voices of Christian music, not the number one genre in the nation's capital. But they played to an enthusiastic audience on Wednesday, which almost filled the 2300-seat hall. The show moved at a sprightly pace, with jokes, colorful background images, and guests coming on and off the stage weaved in to avoid any chance of monotony. The appearance of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who read Luke 2: 1-19, from the Scriptures, created a buzz, but also added to a sense that the show was not entirely devoid of politics.
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| Speaker Mike Johnson Photo: Jati Lindsay |
The last segment of the show came alive with a spectacular Nativity scene. A manger was wheeled onto the stage and central figures, Mary with baby Jesus, Joseph and the shepherds walked through the audience to the scene, followed by kings bearing gifts and even a real donkey. In these final minutes, Billingsley was joined by TaRanda Greene, a celebrated star of the Christian Music, for a few gospel-styled numbers. In my view, Greene should have been brought in earlier, before the audience got its fill of the Christmas excitement and wanted to take a break. The concert lasted more than two hours without a break and some patrons clearly had to leave before the end to rush to the nearest restroom. Even as the crowds were departing after the final applause, the ensemble saw them off with exuberant beats of Feliz Navidad.
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TaRanda Greene (in red dress) and the Nativity Scene Photo: Jati Lindsay |
If the nativity scene on the stage was too short for some, they had chance to see it again outside the Kennedy Center and even pet the donkey and the sheep if they braved the freezing temperatures.
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Nativity Scene Outside Kennedy Center , Dec. 17, 2025 Photo: Zlatica Hoke
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According to the Kennedy Center's public relations office, Billingsley said before the concert:“Christmas is about lifting our voices and our hearts toward the miracle that changed the world, and we are thrilled to share that story through Noel: Jesus is Born! This night will be full of music, joy, and big band fun as we bring families together to make unforgettable holiday memories.” During the concert, he expressed hope that his show will become a holiday tradition in D.C. We can expect revivals for at least a few more years, but who knows what the next Kennedy Center board will envision for its holiday offering.
