Washington National Opera Parts Ways With Kennedy Center After 55 Years
The Washington National Opera announced Friday that it was parting ways with the Kennedy Center after 55 years at the once-venerated and now-controversial performing arts venue.
In a statement to “friends, artists, and supporters” Friday, the opera wrote on their new website, “As Washington National Opera (WNO) begins its 70th anniversary year, the Board and staff have made the difficult decision to seek an end to our 15-year Affiliation Agreement with the Kennedy Center. We will be moving our performance to new venues as we return to operating as a fully independent entity.
“The Kennedy Center has been Washington National Opera’s home since it opened in 1971, and we have enjoyed a successful formalized affiliation since 2011. It has also been a great honor to be one of the anchors of our Nation’s cultural center and all the prestige that such an association implies. As a result, it was with much deliberation that our Board and staff reached this decision.”
While Donald Trump was not mentioned in the statement — nor the president’s decision to rebrand the Kennedy center in his own name — the Board did mention the “robust change” at the performing arts center as part of their determination “to pursue separate paths.” “The Center’s current Board and leadership have also established a new business model that is unfortunately at odds with how most not-for-profit opera companies operate.”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/washington-national-opera-parts-ways-163410467.html
Heckuva job Donny.
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