White House History 30: The Presidents and the Theater
Nearly all the presidents have enjoyed theatrical performance and sought it out. For more than two hundred years the president's White House stage has welcomed scores of singers, actors, and other artists. With this issue White House History explores theater at the White House from opera to musical comedy to presidents and Shakespeare. This thirtieth issue since the first number of our journal was published appropriately features President and Mrs. Kennedy on the cover in commemoration of their founding fifty years ago of the White House Historical Association. In the candid photograph, the president and first lady depart Washington's National Theatre after attending a pre-Broadway performance of Irving Berlin's Mr. President. The show is largely forgotten but the cultural accomplishments of Kennedy's brief administration are still evident in Washington.
This article is an After Word to "Four Salutes to the Nation: The Equestrian Statue of General Andrew Jackson" by James M. Goode, published in White House History 27, Spring 2010.
This article is an After Word to "A Journey into Nowhere: The Redirected Vacation of President Harry S. Truman," by Mary Jo Binker, published in White House History 28, Fall 2010.
