Opera Takes a Stand: Washington National Opera Leaves Kennedy Center

The Washington National Opera has decided to leave the Kennedy Center. This move comes after a lot of changes at the Kennedy Center. The opera company wants to be independent again. They say they need to do this for money reasons. The Kennedy Center has new rules. These rules make it hard for the opera to plan shows. The opera needs money from tickets and donations. But the new rules don't let them do this easily. The opera says it can't get the money it needs upfront.The Kennedy Center is now called the Trump Kennedy Center. This happened after President Trump took over. Many artists have canceled shows there. They don't like the changes. The opera says the new rules are not good for them. The opera will now look for other places to perform. They want to bring in shows from all over. This will give them more freedom. They also want to keep offering different kinds of shows. From big classics to new ones. The opera's leader, Francesca Zambello, is sad to leave. She has been with the opera for a long time. She says the Kennedy Center was a great place. But now, they need to move on.