In a somewhat surprising move, the White House has announced that the Kennedy Center will be closing for renovations. The iconic Performing Arts Center will be shuttered for two years beginning in July.
The past year has been a tumultuous one for the Kennedy Center which was the site of a hostile takeover last February which brought numerous performance cancellations by artists. Late in November the name of the iconic venue was changed to include the name of the current White House resident; which prompted another round of cancellations.
In a post on his Truth Social, the White House administration said, “this important decision, based on input from many Highly Respected Experts, will take a tired, broken, and dilapidated Center, one that has been in bad condition, both financially and structurally for many years, and turn it into a World Class Bastion of Arts, Music, and Entertainment”.
Among the artists and performances cancelled include a national tour of “Hamilton”, Philip Glass’ new composition “Symphony 15 – Lincoln”, the Washington National Opera, Bela Fleck, Renee Fleming, the College Theater Association, a variety of productions.
Since the takeover, ticket sales at the Kennedy Center has dropped some 40%.
The Kennedy Center board – all loyal to the White House – has not responded to the news.