A conference on Women and the American Musical planned to be held at the Library of Congress May 14-16 has been forced to drastically revise its line-up, after most of the personalities scheduled to appear have dropped out.
An email sent to those signed up to attend the event revealed that 2025 Tony nominee Camille A. Brown (Gypsy), producer Marjuan Canady (Hell's Kitchen), KPOP writer Helen Park, and writer-performer Shaina Taub (Suffs) have canceled their planned appearances "due to unforseen circumstances."
A planned panel discussion with Brown, Canady, and Tony-winning The Lion King director Julie Taymor has become an interview with Taymor, the only programming involving a Broadway notable still set to go on as scheduled May 14 at this time. Updated schedules for May 15 and 16 are not publicly available.
Emails to press contacts at the Library of Congress were not returned as of time of publication.
Though none have made public comments explaining the cancellations, these schedule changes are at least the second cancellation at the Library of Congress made in the wake of President Trump's abrupt firing of Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden last week. That incendiary act moved Broadway's Dead Outlaw to cancel a planned performance at the institution, which was to accompany artifacts from the musical's creation entering the library's permanent collection.
President Trump has also had a chilling effect on theatrical programming at the Kennedy Center after installing himself as the venue's chairman. Several cast members of the national tour of Les Misérables have also refused to perform at a June 11 Kennedy Center performance of the musical Trump has turned into a fundraiser.
An updated schedule for the conference's May 14 events includes a show and tell of treasures, and two sessions of remarks in addition to Taymor's interview.
Registration for the in-person and streaming event is available at , though that link is still displaying the schedule as originally announced.
