The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts News

This week’s headlines span Hollywood honors, cultural policy shifts, and major institutional developments on both sides of the Atlantic. From SAG Award winners including Jessie Buckley to casting victories at the Artios Awards, recognition is front and center. At the same time, leadership and funding decisions are shaping the landscape at institutions like the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Young Vic, and Shakespeare's Globe. Add in Laura Linney’s call to support community theater and a first look at Mary Poppins in Japan, and it’s a week defined by both celebration and change across the performing arts.

The Kennedy Center Honors will be renamed the “Trump Kennedy Center Honors,” according to The New York Times. The ceremony will relocate during the Kennedy Center’s planned two-year renovation.

The Martha Graham Dance Company's Studio Series will move off-site for a sneak peek of the PBS documentary Martha Graham Dance Company: We Are Our Time.

The Lied Center will present two diverse shows: a family-friendly musical based on 'Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus' on February 19, followed by a performance by Postmodern Jukebox on February 20.

We open this week with Colleen Dilenschneider’s look at the rise of localism and what it means for cultural organizations navigating tighter schedules and higher barriers to participation. On the awards front, key dates are set for the Tonys, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle, alongside a call for nominations for BroadwayWorld’s Stage Recording Awards. Elsewhere, we cover shifts in Broadway opening-night traditions, major benefit events, regional programming pauses, leadership changes, and a significant format change for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the West End.

President Donald J. Trump announced plans to temporarily close the Kennedy Center starting July 4, 2026, for an approximately two-year reconstruction, pending board approval.

Kevin Couch has resigned from his position as senior vice president of artistic programming at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts less than two weeks after his appointment was announced, according to The New York Times.

Seattle Children's Theatre has withdrawn from a planned two-week engagement of Young Dragon: A Bruce Lee Story at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, citing a changed landscape and concerns for artists involved.

The long-running Let Freedom Ring MLK concert will relocate from the Kennedy Center to the Howard Theatre in 2026, with organizers citing cost savings and broader changes at the arts institution. Get all the details here.

Seattle Children’s Theatre is reviewing whether to move forward with a planned engagement of YOUNG DRAGON: A BRUCE LEE STORY at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

The Washington National Opera has approved a resolution to move its performances out of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, ending a relationship that has spanned more than five decades.

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Sonia De Los Santos has canceled upcoming Kennedy Center performances, citing concerns about the venue’s current climate.

Unofficial Late Night, DC's bold, fast-rising comedy show, will make its national debut, with a live and livestreamed performance on the Millennium Stage at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Happy New Year! This week, we’re catching up on a few different stories that you might have missed while you were out for the holidays - including the ongoing tumult at the Kennedy Center, multiple Broadway box office records, and the controversial reopening of a theatre in Mariupol.

NPR's A Martinez spoke with choreographer Doug Varone about his decision to cancel upcoming performances by his dance company Doug Varone & Dancers at the Kennedy Center.

Stephen Schwartz, who was previously set to host the Washington National Opera Gala at the Kennedy Center, is dropping out of the event after President Donald Trump's name was added to the building.

The Mill at Sonning has announced the rest of its in-house productions for the whole of 2026, following the previously announced farce Cash On Delivery by Michael Cooney, running 5 February - 4 April. Learn more here!

Earlier this year, the Kennedy Center amended its bylaws to limit voting to board members appointed by President Trump, ultimately leading to the renaming of the historic performing arts center.

Doug Varone and Dancers has canceled its upcoming performances at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts following the institution’s recent renaming to include the name of President Donald Trump.

Rise and shine, BroadwayWorld! It is December 23, 2025 and it's time to catch up on all of the theatrical happenings you may have missed in the last 24 hours.