The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has canceled all previously scheduled programs through April 25, 2021, due to the ongoing pandemic. Washington National Opera’s spring productions and much of the late spring and early summer touring theatre programs have also been canceled.
During this period, the Center will offer a limited number of in-person performances, as conditions allow, and expand its online offerings with a new platform called Digital Stage+.
These most recent cancellations represent 384 ticketed events and a financial loss of $24.1 million for the institution, plus an additional $7 to $8 million of revenue from programs that had not yet been announced.
Beyond April 25, the national tours of Jesus Christ Superstar (May 25–June 13), Freestyle Love Supreme (June 8–13), Oklahoma! (June 22–27), Dear Evan Hansen (June 29–July 18), and The Band’s Visit (July 28–August 8) have canceled their engagements at the Kennedy Center. Plans to bring these productions to the Center in future seasons will be announced at a later date. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performances, originally scheduled for February 2–7, will shift to June 22–27, 2021.
“The Kennedy Center has now lost more than half of its 2020-2021 season due to the continued shutdown, and over $80 million in earned income that would have been generated from those programs,” commented Kennedy Center President Deborah F. Rutter. “Despite substantial expense and staff reductions, the institution’s only path forward is a strategic focus on increasing contributions from our donors and patrons while we wait to reopen. Their generosity and patience over the last eight months have made all the difference and kept us strong. Today’s announcement represents a longer planning horizon and understanding that it will not be safe to gather large-scale audiences until later in the season. But it also signals our eagerness to plan and program for an eventual re-opening, as well as our commitment to do all that we can to serve our community of artists and audiences in the meantime.”
For more information and a list of digital offerings, click here.
