The Washington National Opera, which has performed out of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts since 1971, is leaving the historic venue.
According to The New York Times, the opera’s board of trustees on Friday approved a resolution to leave the Kennedy Center, which has been at the center of controversy in the last year.
According to the report, which cites leaders of the Washington National Opera, “the decision to leave was in response to a drop in attendance and a decline in donor contributions during the president’s second term, as well as an escalating number of artists who have refused to appear at the Kennedy Center since Mr. Trump’s name was added to the building last month.”
The Kennedy Center has faced much scrutiny since it was announced last February that President Trump himself would serve as the new chairman of the board, and installed a political ally, Richard Grenell, as the organization’s executive director, as well as filled the center’s board with other supporters.
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Then, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last month that the Kennedy Center board “unanimously” voted to change the name to the Trump-Kennedy Center. The rechristening immediately drew the ire of the political dynasty, with the likes of Robert F. Kennedy’s grandson Joe Kennedy III and JFK’s niece Maria Shriver and grandson Jack Schlossberg all slamming the decision, which some, like Ohio Rep. Joyce Beatty, saying it was not unanimously decided on as the White House claimed.
“Today, the Washington National Opera announced its decision to seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement with the Kennedy Center and resume operations as a fully independent nonprofit entity,” the opera company said in a statement to the Times.
While the company has not released the resolution publicly, the Times claims it calls for the opera to move its performances out of the Kennedy Center as soon as possible and to reduce the amount of its performances in an effort to save money. New venues and a new schedule will be announced soon.
“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to part ways with the WNO due to a financially challenging relationship,” a rep for the Kennedy Center said in a statement shared with Entertainment Weekly. “We believe this represents the best path forward for both organizations and enables us to make responsible choices that support the financial stability and long-term future of the Trump Kennedy Center.
An unnamed Washington National Opera board member added in a statement to EW, “There were disagreements among the Board on whether to disaffiliate or not. Some WNO Board members are resigning.”
The opera company’s announcement comes just over a week after Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz backed out of a planned event — the Washington National Opera Gala — slated for later this year. That news in turn came just over a week after musician Chuck Redd called off an annual Christmas Eve jazz concert that has occurred at the Kennedy Center for the last 20 years.