by Chris Peterson
The Washington National Opera has filed a lawsuit seeking to recover more than $17 million it says is being withheld by the Kennedy Center following the company’s split from the institution earlier this year.
According to the New York Times, the lawsuit was filed after WNO ended its longtime relationship with the Kennedy Center, where it had performed since the venue opened in 1971. The company says the disputed money includes endowment funds, donor gifts, and other income collected for the opera’s benefit.
This is the latest chapter in what has become a pretty messy split between WNO and the Kennedy Center. The two had been formally connected for about 15 years, but WNO’s history in the building goes back much further than that.
According to Axios, WNO is arguing that even though the Kennedy Center was handling donations and other funds tied to the opera company, the two organizations were still legally separate.
The basic issue is pretty straightforward: WNO says money that was meant for the opera company was not turned over after the split. The company says it needs those funds to keep operating, plan future seasons, and honor the intent of donors who gave money to support WNO’s work. The Kennedy Center, on the other hand, has said the relationship with WNO had become financially difficult over the years.
All of this is also happening while the Kennedy Center is already dealing with plenty of turmoil, from leadership fights to questions about programming and its future direction. WNO has been trying to build a new season in venues around the Washington area while relying on reserves and emergency fundraising.
The bigger concern here is not especially complicated. If donors gave money for WNO, there needs to be a clear answer about where that money is and who controls it. Whatever happens in court, this filing makes it clear that the separation left behind some serious financial questions.