Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones sit perched above a crowd.
asserted
Plant → sit → crowd
Below them, Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson belt out a cover of the UK rock band's hit Stairway to Heaven, backed by a gospel choir.
asserted
Wilson → belt → choir
As a crescendo fills the room, the camera pans to Plant.
asserted
camera → fill → Plant
Tears brim in his eyes.
asserted
Tears → brim → eyes
There's little that rattles hard rock godfathers like Plant, but a Kennedy Center performance is known to have that effect.
asserted
performance → be → effect
Or Cher watching Adam Lambert sing Believe.
asserted
Lambert → watch → Believe
For more than 55 years, the Kennedy Center beckoned the best of culture to its marble home on Washington DC's Potomac River.
asserted
Center → beckon → River
Now US President Donald Trump talks of closure and demolition.
asserted
Trump → talk → closure
A 'living memorial' to the arts
While becoming the namesake of 35th US President, John F Kennedy Jr, the centre's creation actually began with Dwight D Eisenhower, who kickstarted plans for an "artistic mecca" in Washington DC in 1958.
asserted
who → live → 1958
Still, Kennedy would assume the bulk of the project, arguing the US had a "special responsibility to the arts" at the height of cold-war tensions.
"For art is the great democrat calling forth creative genius from every sector of society, disregarding race or religion or wealth or colour," he said while fundraising in 1962.
asserted
he → assume → 1962
Two years later, Kennedy was assassinated.
asserted
Kennedy → assassinate → ?
His widow, Jackie Kennedy, was asked how she wanted the nation to remember him.
asserted
nation → ask → him
West Side Story composer Leonard Bernstein penned a requiem mass for its 1971 opening night.
asserted
Bernstein → pen → night
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported a new era for the the arts was upon DC.
"The capital of this nation finally strode into the cultural age tonight with the spectacular opening of the $US 70 million [Kennedy Center]," it read.
asserted
it → report → Center
A mantle for stars from Fred Astaire to Grateful Dead
Throughout most of its history, the centre stood as a rare place in DC where politics were put aside.
asserted
politics → stand → DC
Notably, Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Ruth Bader Ginsburg may have disagreed on the bench but the unlikely friends spent evenings together at the opera.
uncertain
friends → disagree → opera
But the centre is perhaps best known for its honour ceremonies.
asserted
centre → know → ceremonies
Since 1978, artists have been recognised for their lifetime contributions to the arts with Kennedy Center celebrations.
asserted
artists → recognise → celebrations
Stars from Hollywood legend Fred Astaire to the rock band Grateful Dead have all made its honour ranks.
asserted
Stars → make → ranks
Though for some, accepting the honour was still a political stance.
asserted
accepting → accept → honour
Mel Brooks infamously chose not to accept while George W Bush was US President.
"
asserted
Bush → choose → ?
I said, 'Well, I'm going to wait for another president, if I'm still alive, if you don't mind'," Brooks admitted in 2013.
asserted
Brooks → say → 2013
He later accepted the honour under Obama in 2009.
asserted
He → accept → 2009
During Donald Trump's first term, several also backed out of meeting with the president, including TV producer Norman Lear, who said he would skip a White House reception.
asserted
he → back → reception
Dancer and choreographer Carmen de Lavallade, who also boycotted the ceremony.
asserted
who → boycott → ceremony
Mr Trump cancelled the reception and shunned the annual event in his first term — becoming the only president to miss all ceremonies during their term.
asserted
Trump → cancel → term
A new vision for a 'Golden Age' of arts
As Mr Trump's second term began, the Kennedy Center was in his sights.
asserted
Center → begin → sights
A few weeks after being reinstated in office, Mr Trump announced he would fire several board members, including the chairman.
"I have decided to immediately terminate multiple individuals from the Board of Trustees, including the Chairman, who do not share our Vision for a Golden Age in Arts and Culture," he said on his Truth Social account in February last year.
asserted
he → reinstate → February
He also took the unusual move of installing himself as chairman of the board.
asserted
He → take → board
By December, the president's hand-picked board voted to rename the centre, The Donald J. Trump and The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
asserted
board → pick → Arts
Mr Trump's name was seen getting added to the building's facade the next day.
asserted
name → see → facade
A number of artists connected to the centre resigned in protest, among them the famed soprano Renée Fleming.
asserted
number → connect → them
Those booked for appearances also backed out.
asserted
Those → book → appearances
Then, a lawsuit ensued.
asserted
lawsuit → ensue → ?
In May, Judge Christopher Cooper directed the Kennedy Center to remove Mr Trump's name from the building's facade, saying only Congress could change the name.
uncertain
Congress → direct → name
He also blocked the administration's plans for two years of renovations flagged by Mr Trump.
asserted
He → block → Trump
The US president was undeterred, declaring he would transfer control of the venue to Congress.
asserted
he → declare → Congress
An appeal by the Trump-backed board also claimed his name was "saving" the centre.
asserted
name → back → centre
"Which, if this doesn’t happen, would go into financial and structural collapse," it warned.
asserted
it → happen → collapse
From memorial to 'mausoleum'
Scaffolding has now sat for months where Mr Trump's name was once emblazoned on the Kennedy Center.
asserted
name → sit → Center
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia