Overview
- The 100-year-old troupe dropped its April stop in Washington, offering no explanation and saying it hopes to return.
- The decision extends a wave of cancellations that followed the December addition of President Trump's name to the venue's exterior signage.
- Scholars have questioned the legality of the renaming, noting that changes to the congressionally chartered memorial likely require a vote by Congress.
- High-profile pullouts include Béla Fleck, Stephen Schwartz, and the Washington National Opera, which plans to relocate upcoming performances.
- Kennedy Center president Richard Grenell has publicly criticized withdrawing artists, and the schedule now features fewer marquee acts with some programs shifting to other venues.