The Washington National Opera is leaving the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, its home since 1971, due to new policies that strain its financial model. The opera company stressed the amicability of its decision but noted the center's new business model, requiring full funding in advance, is incompatible with the usual mix of ticket sales, grants, and donations. This model also does not accommodate the opera's artistic mission, which aims to balance popular works with more obscure and experimental operas. The Kennedy Center's renaming as the Trump Kennedy Center has sparked a string of exits from artists and performance companies, including the Washington National Opera, as well as individual artists like Sonia De Los Santos, Béla Fleck, Stephen Schwartz, The Cookers, Chuck Redd, Doug Varone and Dancers, Magpie, Kristy Lee, Low Cut Connie, Rhiannon Giddens, Balún, and Issa Rae. The U.S. Marine Band also canceled a performance due to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) orders. These cancellations reflect a broader backlash from ticket-buyers, performers, and certain board members, including Shonda Rhimes, who oppose the Trump administration's policies and the renaming of the Kennedy Center.
