President Donald Trump’s name has been removed from the facade of the Kennedy Center, but inside the renowned performing arts venue, a difficult financial picture is forcing tough choices.
A federal judge is demanding the center continue to operate during renovations. But plummeting ticket sales, artist withdrawals, political controversies and a diminished staff have made restarting a full-scale programming schedule a challenge, multiple sources familiar with the operation told CNN.
The historic arts center on Friday asked the judge for more time to comply with deadlines in an ongoing lawsuit as its board explores avenues for renovation.
The center is considering three paths forward but needs more time to figure out what path it will take, Justice Department attorneys representing the center wrote in a Friday night court filing.
The first option would be to close the center, as planned, while renovations take place, according to the filing. The second would be to put on limited events at the center in areas not affected by the renovations, and the third would be to close the center periodically to address serious repairs while “maintaining a full slate of programming.”
Leaders at the center expect to present the three options to Trump’s hand-picked board of trustees for a vote in mid-July, the filing said.
Kennedy Center leadership was required to tell the court by Friday night what steps it has taken to comply with the judge’s order for it to maintain “public access and ongoing programming.”
“They are really in a major, major crisis” that has left its leadership “gasping for air,” said a source who was briefed on the options. “Keeping the lights on – that is by far the number one thing that they’re going to have a major, major issue with.”
Before the Friday night court filing, the Kennedy Center broadly disputed CNN’s reporting on the venue’s financial difficulties but didn’t respond to a request for comment on closure plans or address other specific questions. A spokesperson said that the board was expected to review budgets at a forthcoming meeting.
The White House declined to comment.
The center’s planned closure has been indefinitely blocked by US District Judge Casey Cooper in Washington, DC, who ruled last month that its board had unlawfully voted in favor of the shutdown plans. If the Kennedy Center closed completely, Cooper ruled, it would not be able to carry out its congressionally mandated activities.
This story has been updated with additional details.
