Kennedy Center Head Insists They Instigated Split With the Washington National Opera, Not Vice Versa
Yahoo News Canada••entertainment
Key Points:
- Richard Grenell, president of the Kennedy Center, stated that the organization’s leadership initiated the decision to end ties with the Washington National Opera, contradicting reports that the opera company chose to leave.
- Grenell cited financial losses as a key reason for the split, noting the opera’s exclusive contract cost the center $64 million over 10 years, with expenses doubling revenues, and recent deficits worsening.
- The Washington National Opera announced it would seek an amicable early termination of its affiliation agreement and operate independently, with plans to relocate performances but no leases signed yet.
- Under Grenell’s leadership, the Kennedy Center board controversially renamed the venue the Trump Kennedy Center, sparking legal disputes over the name change of the national monument.
- Despite
