From Broadway to the Kennedy Center: Musicians Strike a Chord with Congress

November 1, 2025

Ben Kessler  -  Ben Kessler, AFM Director of Government Affairs

Musicians on Broadway and at the Kennedy Center are making their voices heard in Congress. Their workplace experiences and advocacy asks may be different, but the AFM’s approach on Capitol Hill has been the same. Our engagement is typically based on geographic footprint and committees of jurisdiction. The same could be said for any successful lobbying effort. A member of Congress is only going to care as much as you can tie your issues to his or her constituents—the voters back home.

The Kennedy Center is, of course, a little bit different in many ways. Congress funds, with taxpayer dollars, the performing arts center as a memorial to President Kennedy. It does not support any of the arts programming. But with money for the building comes great interest in what happens within its walls. I had the great pleasure of bringing leadership from the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Opera House Orchestra to Republican and Democratic congressional offices. We were fortunate to have International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE) members with us who also call the Kennedy Center their workplace. Together with their expertise of backstage and the box office, we were able to paint a full picture for our audience of lawmakers and their staff.

All workers are experts. Of course, they have expertise in their craft. More importantly, in this instance, these musicians and arts workers had unique knowledge of their workplace. At a time of little transparency at the Kennedy Center, the knowledge shared collectively among these AFM and IATSE members had tremendous value. The Center needs oversight from bipartisan members of Congress who care about its preservation and sustainability. In our meetings, we weren’t just coming with requests for patronage and a watchful eye. Together, armed with their daily experiences and lifelong expertise, we were partners in preserving an institution about which everyone in the room, regardless of political affiliation, cared deeply.

During the contract negotiations with The Broadway League, Republicans and Democrats have publicly recognized the cultural and economic contributions of Broadway musicians. On October 9, a group of 31 bipartisan members of the House of Representatives wrote to the negotiating parties at the time: The Broadway League, AFM Local 802 (New York City), and Actors’ Equity Association. The representatives wrote about the economic harm to New York City, the state, the region, and the country if Broadway were to go dark. They specifically enumerated the pressing needs of Broadway workers: health care, scheduling, and time off policies. And most importantly, they stated the obvious. Musicians and actors “bring theater to life.”

The letter is, once again, geographically and issue specific. It was led by the bipartisan co-chairs of the Congressional Arts Caucus, Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mike Turner (R-OH), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), and Mike Lawler (R-NY). It is important to note that Representative Nadler is a logical fit as lead among New York City Democrats because all Broadway theaters are in his congressional district. Signatories also included all members of Congress, Republican and Democrat, whose district covers any part of the five boroughs. The group then extends out to elsewhere in the state and to New Jersey and Connecticut. To be effective in making the economic argument, the letter needed strong representation from the tristate area. With a special shoutout to Representative Ted Lieu, we had California covered, too.

After Actors’ Equity reached a tentative agreement with The Broadway League, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led a letter that included Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ). And on Tuesday, October 22, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) spoke to Local 802 President Bob Suttmann offering his solidarity with Broadway musicians. This followed many weeks of close coordination with the Schumer team.

Meetings and letters such as these have great value. But they are only a small piece of a successful advocacy effort. Without follow-up and relationship building, they can all be for naught. All offices who signed one of the letters, and more, have received regular, real-time updates regarding the latest on Broadway. As was the case with our meetings about the Kennedy Center, we are holding information that is important. And we want to share it with members of Congress as quickly as possible.

Our membership is a diverse swath that covers far beyond Washington, DC, and New York City. But when we are successful in our advocacy this time around, it means a far greater chance we triumph when your community is in need of the same.

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